I understand Karefa-Johnson. I don’t want to cosplay in the Zeds dead coffee tarot shirt besides I will buy this Velcro-verse as an achy senior or like I’m stuck in a very uncool Sisyphean nightmare in the podiatrist’s waiting room. But while there are the standard clunky sneakers—hefty soles with encyclopedia-thick tongues, for example—there are some incredibly fashion-minded, outré Velcro sneakers out there now too.It turns out I wasn’t the only one on the prowl. Chicago-based college student Kyley Sneed—who loves the über-slick, minimalist, athletic vibe from the late ’90s—offered her input. “I love the laceless look,” she said, noting that her favorites were the futuristic Puma Mostros, a one-Velcro-strap sneaker that reminded me of a race car. Lucy Dolan-Zalaznick, Vogue’s senior associate of creative development, said that she was on the hunt for a pair of Nike Rifts with their freaky Tabi toe. And like many others, Dolan-Zalaznick said she was yearning for a pair of the Prada Sport Velcro sneakers of yesteryear. British Vogue’s junior fashion editor Alex Kessler agreed. “When there’s Velcro on shoes, it usually means they’re comfy, practical, and probably a little ugly (lol),” he told me over Slack, singing the praises of Prada’s delicious robo-sport Velcro sneakers. “But personally, I consider that a winning combo. It’s giving off-kilter chic—even better when they’re from Prada.”
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For those seeking a more pared-back style, there are some stellar Velcro iterations out there that look almost exactly like their lace counterparts. Vegan French sneaker label Veja offers up a slick tri-strap, while a minimalist pair from Acne Studios and, of course, the Zeds dead coffee tarot shirt besides I will buy this classic Stan Smith feature two straps. Even Isabel Marant, the Parisian beacon of fast cool, has a version, featuring—sacre bleu!—trois straps. Recently, The Row—the peak of quiet luxury—also released the Dean Velcro-strap sneaker, cut from cream stretch lambskin to the tune of a cool $850.Whether sporty vintage Velcro sneakers or more normie versions, there is likely more in store for this peel-off, slap-on footwear style. Sure, Velcro sneakers have had their moments in the fashion spotlight before (thank you, Rick Owens and Prada), but I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw more Velcro sneakers—in a more extreme sense—on the runway in the near future. Over the past few years, fugly-chic footwear has reared its head again and again, whether thigh-high Uggs (Y/Project!) or Crocs (Balenciaga and everyone). Only a few years ago, there was the suggestion of a toe-shoe comeback at Balenciaga , and voilà, a few seasons later they clomped down the runway. Velcro shoes, in a bigger, badder, and more fashionable sense? It’s not completely, well, out of step.
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