On the topic of designer sneakers, I think that the core reason why they suck is because they're often designed with the same philosophy as a high heel; aesthetics first. The concept behind the non-sport sneaker (and streetwear overall) is comfort and pragmatism, something that high fashion will often compromise if it gets in the way of aesthetic appeal.
Exactly.
I think the first fashion house that did sneakers was Chanel when Karl took over. Then Pierre Hardy did the Hermes sneaker in 1998 and then Prada in 1999 and later Gucci.
The promise at the beginning was elevate design and fabrics. Those brands started to do sneakers at the time when big sports brands started to produce in Asia in order to reduce cost. It was also the time when performance became a selling point.
When Hedi and Helmut started to do sneakers, it was purely aesthetic and quality. Shoes made for everyday life with the quality and craftmanship expected and usually maintained for their regular shoes.
But the reality is that fashion houses for a longtime didn’t have research and development departments for footwear. What is meant as technical in a sports environment where performance is the leitmotiv is not the same as in the studio of fashion houses.
I remember when all the brands started really to think about making sneakers. They saw the success of Dior Homme and Gucci and basically, early designer sneakers from the early 00’s were based on old designs from the 70’s/80’s. The shoes were well made because they used old techniques with elevated materials in a way that sports brand couldn’t but performance was never a thing. Between 2004 and 2011, every brand started to sneakers, including the one if was working for. There were level of success and investment because some brands have creatives and studios that really cared about the question.
For me, Lanvin, Dior Homme, Balenciaga and later Givenchy really standout. At Lanvin and Dior Homme, they had 2 ex Hedi assistant who saw the success of the sneakers and who continued pushing designs, being inspired by sportswear brands à looking at what was done. At Balenciaga, Pierre Hardy had already a successful sneaker at his own brand and then was able to introduce some designs and techniques at Balenciaga and then to a less technical aspect, to Hermes. Givenchy later made it more cultural.
The reality today is that there are newer people in studios, who comes from different background. They comes from a sneakers culture. Everything is blurred and today someone in fashion sees a New Balance dad shoe with the same value as a Louis Vuitton sneaker. The new footwear designer at Vuitton menswear is the ex footwear designer from Dior under Kim Jones. The ex footwear designer from Versace is working for sportsbrands.
From a woman aspect, maybe I’m not a good judge because most of our shoes are not really comfortable. I like the Chanel, the Pierre Hardy and some of Vuitton womenswear’s sneakers. Chanel’s sneakers are much more practical than their slingbacks. But the most comfortable sneakers I have are from Nike and New Balance. I can do sports and running errands with them but unlike men, they wouldn’t work in 95% of my daily activities.
When I’ll go back to my regular active life, when I go to a business lunch, any man can show up with some sneakers, when for me the issue of comfort will be around the height of my heels.
