Recently I have been obsessed, OBSESSED I tell you, with buying a pair of green tennis shoes.
The number of pairs of athletic shoes I have purchases in my life number exactly two.
One pair of Vans skate shoes purchased back in 1999 for some yet unknown reason, which I wore twice before giving them to my friend Craig who probably still wears them, and one pair of no-name gym shoes in 2004 that I bought because they were black and matched the rest of my workout gear. I still have the right shoe, but clearly the same person who stole my right Pour la Victoire patent leather pump with the red scoop heel has made off with my left sneaker (honestly, isn’t that much more likely than me accidentally leaving them some place?)
But I’ve not been able to shake my yearning for a pair of green tennies for weeks and, being a classicist even in my casualwear, I have narrowed it down to the following:
Onitsuka Tigers by ASICS “Lawnship”
Pros:
- I love the leather construction, and the padding looks dead comfortable.
- The laces and lime-green lining are great and very fashiony-in-a-good-way.
- Red soles! As a fashion person I think I’d get a little self-mocking giggle out of having a pair of red-soled shoes that so OBVIOUSLY aren’t Louboutins.
- My pal Joey –who is a sneaker savant– says Onitsuka Tigers are the best made shoes he’s ever worn, and since he’s spent most of his working life covering sports, I’ve got to think he’s had access to a lot of high-performance footwear.
Cons:
- Iconic, but are they iconic enough? If I’m going to wear sneakers, I want them to be within a defined fashion vocabulary.
- Socks. I hate them. Esp. when visible. Do they make sock that are low rise enough to not make their presence know and still stay on, or do I have to find one with deely boppers on the back?
- A little more butch than my ideal personal aesthetic?
Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars Hi Tops
Pros:
- Classic classic classic. They are THE iconic athletic shoe.
- Hi tops potentially easier to wear vis a vis the sock issue.
- Would be cute with a variation on the jules et jim boyfriend jeans look, which is what I’m wanting.
Cons:
- I hate buying fabric shoes as I don’t trust them not to fall apart at the seams
- Not as well-constructed or padded as the Tigers. Would I want to work out in them? (Am I even planning on working out in them anyway?)
- Laces are boring and white, and while I could replace them, I know myself well enough to say I probably wouldn’t.
What say you, loyal readers? Put it in the comments!