Tagged: Plimsolls

July 7, 2011

Lyle and Scott – Footwear Brand or Trainer Sellers?

Everywhere I seem to have looked this summer I have seen at least one pair of Lyle and Scott canvas plimsoll trainers, or a pair of their deck shoes. The majority have been white, with the golden eagle logo on the tongue, and I have seen them matched with a large variety of outfits but the most common has to be the chinos or shorts on a warm day. These canvas plimsolls were a master stroke by the brand that now offers mid tops, desert boots and deck shoes not to mention the array of colours including white, black, grey, navy, brown and other seasonal eye catching colours. A master stroke they may be in the way that the golden eagle is seen on yet another piece of clothing in the UK but the question I had, that I wish i’d had the time to ask the lads i saw wearing the shoes was this – Are you wearing those shoes because a) They’re Lyle and Scott b) They’re on trend or c) because they’re comfortable and a great fit? I can’t say from personal experience much about answer C, but my guess is that they fit as well as any pair of canvas trainers, the one difference with these is the embroidered golden eagle on the tongue. So the question begs, is it because they L&S or because its the trend? Surely if its the trend they’d be looking at a proper pair such as a pair of Superga or another brand as to not max out the Lyle and Scott branding, however more than a couple of these lads were maxed out in the Scottish knitwear brands clothing so my guess is that they would answer A and the rest would swing somewhere between A & B.

There isn’t a problem with this at all, Lyle and Scott is a quality brand, that has done really well in the past few years to get to the top of the tree and stay there, avoiding the rocks thrown by their rivals from lower branches, and the footwear collection is just one of a few reasons that they have managed to sustain their position. This included with the ever growing range, Heritage collection, golf sponsorship and their moving into accessories. This means that more and people in the UK and Europe can access Lyle and Scott products without it just being a classic polo shirt or v neck knitted jumper. Lyle and Scott footwear will be around as long as the brand is performing well, however if the core of the brand begins to slip a branch or two then the footwear will also be the first to go. So when buying yourself a new pair of plimsolls shop around. If you want to wear Lyle and Scott to show your love for the brand then grab a polo shirt and divide your outfit between a range of brands, don’t look like Larry Lyle and Scott!

June 13, 2011

Superga – The Peoples Shoes of Italy

Superga is one of the great unknown brands that are currently doing the rounds in the fashion world. Much like Toms a couple of years ago the Superga brand name is on the verge of breaking into the UK and can currently boast Alexa Chung as an official Superga shoe wearer. The brand is HUGE in Italy and they are dubbed the ‘Peoples Shoes of Italy’ as they cater for men and women of all ages and offer some comfortable, hardwearing, quality canvas and leather shoes that are always on trend in one of the most fashion conscious countries in the world. The signature ‘S’ logo will surely soon become a common sight in England with the fashion world enjoying an 80s vintage revivial that has seen canvas shoes rocket to the top of bestselling charts everywhere. A little bit more pricey than some of the competition from Lyle and Scott, Luke 1977, Fred Perry, Original Penguin, Adidas Originals, Nicholas Deakins and Toms but for the little jump in price you are investing in quality and comfort. The large rubber sole is barely even noticeable when wearing the plimolls and they look amazing with shorts, chinos or jeans so the versatile shoe for the summer just fitted with pretty much every outfit that you can muster from your wardrobe.

At some point the Superga footwear range is going to hit the big time outside of Italy, and i’m hoping that the UK will be one of the main places that the trainers are found as they look and feel great. Well worth sniffing a pair or two out now and being the first to say that you owned a pair of Superga trainers for the summer of 2011, as if a new brand doesn’t hit the streets in a big way soon everyone will be wearing Lacoste, Toms, Lyle and Scott and some of the other big footwear names, and we really all want some diversity in the brands on show! So get shopping now!

March 14, 2011

What to do with your Canvas Shoes?

Canvas shoes, plimsolls, pumps, call them what you like but at the moment these flimsy pieces of footwear are topping sales at most trend orientated clothes shops and can be seen on many a mans feet around your local area. Plimsolls came back with a bang two years ago and really haven’t looked back since, this is mainly due to the versatility and accessibility that the shoes currently have. Here at Designer Shoes and Trainers we’re going to have a look at the footwear that is floating everyone’s boat at the moment and suggest which brands, which outfits and where to buy the designer plimsolls from.

Looking into the history of the plimsoll shoe isn’t too glamorous, with a short passage on the all knowing Wikipedia explaining that the plimsole or sand shoe was developed as beachwear in the 1830s with the name being taken from one of two meanings, either 1) the join between the canvas upper and rubber sole resembled a ships plimsoll line or 2) much like the plimsoll line if water was to rise above it people, or feet, would get wet. After this there really is very little to say about its heritage apart from the compulsory use of plimsolls as school P.E. kits (yes i remember the cheap rubber black shoes) and that it appears the plimsole carries a different name dependent on area and dialect. For example the plimsol in Scotland were referred to as sannies while in reference to the Dunlop Athletic Plimsolls they were called daps or dappers. North America calls them sneakers or just tennis shoes. Everyone else called them gym shoes, athletics shoes or just plain and simple plimsolls.

With the summer months in front of us and hopefully a good bit of warm weather the plimsol will be used more than likely as an additional option to flip flops and will be worn with or without socks and matched with a pair of shorts, chinos or jeans. The cut of chinos or jeans currently most popular with the plimsoll has to be the tapered look that brings them in tighter at the ankles, but they can be worn with loose or straight leg jeans. In terms of colours of your canvas shoe white is the traditional choice of many men around the UK and Europe however with the colour splashes that are beginning to creep in there is room for black, navy and grey as basic colours while sky blues, reds, beiges and purples add a dash of colour to an outfit but obviously carry much less versatility then their white and black counterparts.

With so many mens designer brands now turning their attentions towards a canvas shoe there are a few that have been around for a lot longer than the ‘spur of the moment’ additions. If you’re looking for a canvas trainer with heritage try Superga and Keds first as they are the ‘experts’ in effect. Other good brands that are proving popular at the moment include Lyle and Scott, Lacoste, Original Penguin, Converse and Fred Perry which are all available at leading designer clothing and footwear retailers. I’ve been doing a bit of browsing and consider the following six to be my favourite canvas shoes.

So if you’re looking for a pair of canvas shoes then take my advice – pair with shorts or chinos in warm weather, buy white to be versatile or colours to be daring and eye catching, wear without socks and do your research on the designer footwear brands first and remember to look for the brands with good history to avoid poor quality or design and you’ll have a really good summer!