adminTrish Carmen Fashion
The humble sneaker which was once only found on the running tracks, the gym, and sports courts has fast become a fashion must-have and is adorning the feet of many fashionistas
Sneakers go back as far as the 18th century. The most amusing thing is when they were manufactured they neither had a left or right foot so it made them pretty weird looking because it made you look like you had two left or right feet.
Later on the rubber company came up with a more comfortable rubber sneaker with a canvas top and these were called keds.
The name sneaker comes from the fact that they were so quiet that someone wearing them could sneak up on you. During the same time the canvas top was produced by Marquis Converse designed a sneaker whose niche market was basketball players and these were called Converse All Stars. They were endorsed by Chuck Taylor and have been known as Chuck Taylor All Stars ever since then.
During the early 20th century sneakers were mainly worn for sports, then in the 1950s kids wore them as a fashion statement and now teens and adults are wearing them as a fashion statement too!
If you remember in the 80s Michael Jordan popularised the sneaker by signing a contract with Nike, one of the biggest footwear brand and the Air Jordan brand came a fashion trend. To date, this sneaker remains the most famous sneaker ever made.
Fashion being a cycle time has brought back this trend with a bang. Plimsolls, vans, low key sneakers, right through to your high fashion designer sneakers come in a huge array of designs leaving one really spoilt for choice .
Foot wear companies have become creative and have changed the way sneakers look, and are making them more fashionable by adding vibrant colours, and even doing away with laces on some of designs.
The sneaker simplicity makes it easy fashion footwear to style. It is currently designed in three trends the high, mid, and the low tops each coming in their own different materials and styles.
Now styling your sneakers has never become so relevant than right now so here are some tips to get you on the right track when sporting those sneakers
For the ladies
1. You can wear your sneakers with skinny jeans. This look is cool and casual and brings out a great street style look. Skinnys look good with your canvas, high tops, plimsolls, and wedge sneakers
2. Now who ever thought a skirt with sneakers would make a fashion statement? This look was for kiddies if I remember correctly. Pairing your sneakers with a skirt gives you that fun fresh look. A skirt with a short hemline will look appealing giving that balance to the whole ensemble.
3. You can also create a minimalist look by working on a tonal outfit. That is matching the colour of your sneakers with the rest of your outfit to create a streamlined look
For the guys
There are basic principles you need to abide by:
1. Buy sneakers that suit your current style or wardrobe. Rule of thumb; it’s about choosing sneakers that compliment your existing style.
2. Keep your sneaker clean: No matter how cool sneakers are if they are dirty the effect will be lost, so keep them clean by washing the laces and brushing the soles.
3. Know your sneaker type: Because they are coming in different shapes and sizes you need to know the different types and how to wear them.
The types of sneakers
Canvas: These are your chucks, vans, plimsolls which have a more casual appeal, which you can wear with denims, chinos or shorts. You cannot really go formal with these.
Think: Printed t shirt or gingham print shirt paired with jeans or even throw on a blazer to get that college boy look.
Refined luxury sneaker: This one can be worn for that smart casual look with a tailored suit, slim denim pants or sometimes an unstructured suit.
So you want to keep this look refined at the top to match the sneakers. Avoid wearing these with shorts because they are rather bulky
Classic sport sneakers: These you can wear with chinos shorts for that easy look, fitted denim pant work perfectly fine. The key is to find balance between the hip hop look and everyday look.
High fashion designer sneaker: These are not for the faint hearted when it comes to the pocket, these babies require top dollar! The high fashion designer sneaker is loud and you can spot them from a mile away as they are getting louder because they are the face of the season. Kanye west has worn these consistently and so has our very own Tehn Diamond, Mudiwa Hood and Stunner. This type of sneaker looks amazing worn with slim fit denim that gather at the bottom, and you can pair this up with a t shirt and open gingham print shirt.
So if you are a fashionista or fashion mr allow your sneaker to do the talking with the right ensemble.
Till next week ciao!
Trish Carmen is a Zimbabwean fashion designer and hostess of the front page on Star FM. Her fashion brand trish carmen has been showcased at SAFW, Durban Fashion Fair, Durban Designer Show Case, HIFA, Harare Jazz Festival & KZN Fashion Council Fashion Showcase. Feedback: [email protected]
Online Reporter