The Classics: Men's Shoes

For some reason, I always notice a guy's shoes. Perhaps it's due to the fact that my brothers and many of my male friends happen to be sneaker aficionados, so I'm a bit more attentive to men's footwear than the casual observer. Our family video archive includes classic footage of my middle bro, then obsessed with his new Reebok high tops, playing ball and pointing out his fancy footwear to his opponents. Now a musician, he's been rocking retro 'Roos for the last several years. Baby bro has cycled through countless sneakers, usually wearing them into the ground (to my mother's dismay), and always picks out the best color combinations. My friend Michael has, hands down, the best collection of sneakers I've ever laid eyes on, including some amazing vintage styles and rare editions, which he cleans with a toothbrush, a la Adidas loving b-boys, back in the day.

Normally, I'm all about freedom of expression when it comes to fashion and admire those who rock their own, inimitable style with confidence. When former squeezes have worn clothes I don't particularly care for, I suffer in polite silence, as it's a negligible price to pay for the company of someone I truly enjoy spending time with. I find it particularly painful, however, when there's a bad pair of shoes involved. The shoe itself doesn't have to be pretty -- it just needs to suit the personality of the wearer. As such, I prefer the fun, laid back, casual and unfussy kind, mixed with a little bit of street smarts, vintage-inspired accents, or urban sophistication. A sneaker match made in heaven would involve having the following styles in a shoe wardrobe:

A guy can never go wrong with Puma Lab II's (below). This color combo can be special ordered from Scoop NYC at 1-877-Scoop-77.
These off-white trainers with cracked leather detailing by Creative Recreation are clean and fresh. $115 @ The Closet.

Detail.


John Varvatos-designed Jack Purcells, which I love in blue. $95 @ Scoop NYC. Also available in faded army.

For something funkier and a bit more casual, I'd pick Nike's Daybreak Vintage sneaker in a grey-purple-orange combo. $95 @ Scoop NYC.




Photo credit: 1, 4, 5: www.scoopnyc.com. 2, 3: www.thecloset.com