Animal Instinct

Vans Sk8-Hi

Leopard

Spring 2011

There are very few sneakers (please do forgive the American-ism) that come close to the effortless cool of a pair of Chucks.  Unfortunately I am in the minority unable to wear Converse trainers, because, to be blunt - they hurt like hell.  I have owned three pairs, ranging from a plain black canvas, to a nice thick wool tartan, however all were an ill-advised foray into a world of classic American cool I had no business being in.  I wore the first pair to the ground in the hopes I would break them in and they would become comfortable, ignoring the grating of that hard piece of rubber against my heel and how I seemed to shred them without a second thought.  In my naïve folly I bought two pairs thereafter, however quickly got rid of them once I remembered how painful they were.  I realize that some people are able to skateboard comfortably in plain Chucks, despite the absence of any padding - not me.  I just do not have the feet for them, even though I still think they can look amazing on the right outfit.  I suppose it is one of those instances where I like the look of something but leave it to others because it looks better on them (Levi's 501 jeans come to mind).

I was and always will be a sneakerhead, however in truth I seldom wear trainers these days.  Indeed I actually sold the majority of my footwear recently, not to mention the majority of my clothing (a process I am still undergoing).  An oddly cathartic experience, it has been curiously liberating in truth, and I suppose it was a subconscious way of creating some sort of personal sense of wabi.  That being said the only pair of shoes I currently own, aside from Dr Martens and a pair of creepers, are a pair of navy blue vulcanized Vans 106, which have rather large holes developing through the toebox and heel.  I have been on the fence about replacing them, mainly because a pair of leather shoes or boots seem to be the better investment, were I to even buy new footwear anyway (I may just wear boots and creepers for the near foreseeable future).

A childhood dream of mine was actually to one day own a pair of black Air Jordan IV's.  I can imagine them looking rather nice on a pair of grey Max jeans from Acne, a navy blue Silent by Damir Doma sweatshirt and a lambskin Rick Owens jacket (throw in an Ann Demeulemeester feather necklace for good measure).  Part of me does however think simplicity is perhaps the way forward, and indeed I do find myself drawn towards a pair of low cut Spring Courts.  Being the first ever tennis shoe they have a fascinating history and their simple design is beautifully versatile.  It is the grown-up tennis shoe, so to speak, and there certainly is something to be said for their elegance.  However when I think about needing a pair of trainers to take a beating I come back to Vans.  They are in fit and comfort what I wish Converse were.  This season a few animal-inspired versions are up for release which have taken my interest.  I was initially drawn towards the leopard print, however various associations make me lean towards the subtle zebra print.  There is something about the texture that I really like, especially the shading of the barely-there print against the ageing of the leather.

Vans Sk8-Hi

Zebra

Spring 2011

Currently playing: Pet Grief - The Radio Dept. 

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