Amidst the usual flurry of sneaker drops, some might have dropped out of your radar. We locate these lost ones to bring them to your attention to help make your May days (at least, from the 7th to the 20th), Yay-days.
“The No-Hype Sneakers Selection” is our fortnightly curation of the not-so-hot but oh-so-cool shoes that you might have missed out on.
Replica transparent sneaker, $650 (USD $487), Maison Margiela
While the more fashionable sneakerheads are going all cray-cray over everything tabi that the brand puts out the past year and a half, Maison Margiela are still turning (inside) out, upside down and whatever else it deems counter-intuitive to do for the rest of its shoes. Such as this transparent pair. The footbed may be leather and the outsole, black rubber, but its see-through upper is where you need to ponder seriously about one of everyday life’s deeper questions: What kind of socks (here are some suggestions) should you rock to show the world today ?
Available at HBX
White teddy bear tennis shoes, $643 (USD $485), Palm Angels
Hypebeasts, rotate out your Gucci and Dior low-tops for this more street-steezy one (at least, on casual days). The Cali-inspired Milanese brand’s infamous decapitated teddy bear “mascot” peeks out from the mid-sole of these buffed leather white sneaks. You can also choose a model in black featuring the same brown terry cloth ursine appliqué, if you want to appear dark and cutesy instead.
Available at SSENSE
Disc Rebirth basketball sneakers, $249, Puma + Porsche
Love cars? Love shoes? Then you should love these “car-shoes” (not the loafer brand). In black and blinding yellow (little factoid: the official model colourway is Celandine, which is a type of yellow poppy), it’s got all the fancy Puma techy bits like its DISC System closure, high-rebound ProFoam EVA midsole and Reimagined PUMA Formstrip design. (Another factoid: the Disc Rebirth model celebrates the 30th anniversary of the PUMA DISC System.) Wear this so you can let both pedestrians and motorists see you coming a mile away.
Available at Limited Edt stores, multiple locations, limitededt.com
“Rex The Dinosaur” Stan Smith, $140, adidas Originals + Disney
If you are not a yella-fella, then go not-so-mean green with this bold coloured sneak. Done up with a textured synthetic material to emulate Rex from Toy Story’s dinosaur toy-skin and a milky rubber outsole, it’s both “green” and great. “Green” because its made with Primegreen, adidas’ series of high performance recycled materials; the upper here’s 50% recycled stuff. And great, because the shoe sizes available on the retailer’s site runs from a UK 3.5 to UK 11 so the entire family can get into the eco-conscious act!
Available at Limited Edt and adidas Originals stores, multiple locations, limitededt.com; www.adidas.com.sg
01JP High sneaker (black), $209, Shoes Like Pottery
Give your hardworking Converses a rest and try these alternatives on for size. The high-quality canvas fabric’s hand-sewn by skilled craftsmen of Kurume; the shoes are fired in a 120 °C kiln for 70 minutes in its ka-ryu process to create its soft, flexible and durable vulcanised soles (similar to how traditional Japanese pottery’s made); and is stamped with a rubber logo seal that is embossed individually. Which means each pair is uniquely hand-crafted in small batches and OOAK.
Available at END.
Thorton trainer in white with all-over pony logo, $138.99, Polo Ralph Lauren
Rest up your trusty Vans and pick up a low-top from this preppy-style brand instead. From its all-over embroidered polo player logos and crisp white colour, one wouldn’t have figured it’s made with recycled cotton. Wear it out for your first date or thrash it out on the kerb; your choice.
Available at ASOS
Melting Boccaccio, $225, Melissa / Rombaut
Made of 100% recycled PVC sourced from post-consumer waste (pre-loved Melissa shoes returned by customers) and factory waste as well as bio-based renewable carbon content, this melting rendition of Rombaut’s celeb-approved signature Boccaccio sneakers is Mats Rombaut’s (the brand founder) playful way of reminding us about Earth’s rising temperature problems. This, plus the fact that it’s meant to be genderless and comes in Black, Caramel/Clear Rice Husk, Cream/White and Acid Cream/White-Green, makes it a worthy attention-grabber. Tip: There’s also a limited edition Grey/Black version on Rombaut’s site if you want to look extra attention-grabbing.
Available at Melissa stores, multiple locations, melissa.com.sg; Grey/Black model available at shop.rombaut.com
All products are subject to availability and prices are subject to change. Prices stated are correct as of time of posting and are based on current exchange rates.
