There’s Something About Nike

Something I wrote about back in 2008 seems to be back in the air. That thing is what I now like to call the “Trainers Paradox”. I am so not a trainers kind of girl yet I am perfect for the role: I don’t wear heels much, I walk a lot, I like to be comfortable and I like boyish and slightly clunky shoes. So where do you go from there, once you’ve worn out your brogues and Pistol boots? Once all the Marni loafers in the world simply don’t cut it anymore? Well, you turn to your good old trusty sneakers, that’s what you do. 

I was walking down the street yesterday with my husband and suddenly became aware that what I was wearing (oversized coat from last year, , skinny jeans, chunky knit and a hat) was exactly the look I’d been seeking to achieve. I felt cool. I never feel cool, nor do I strive to be cool, but I just felt so cool. I was warm, I was comfortable and somehow, despite the extreme casualness of my outfit, I felt elegant. This never normally happens. I am just not that person…

I always thought that to be that girl, pardon me – that WOMAN – you had to wear slick, tailored clothes bearing hand embroidered labels that read “Valentino” or “Chanel”.  Never in a lifetime would I have guessed that a pair of Nike and a hat could offer the same result. Then I had a look at my Pinterest inspiration board and noticed a lot of the images I’d been saving for the past few months depicted be-sneakered girls engulfed in oversized coats and topped with some sort of hat. There you have it: for once, I can claim to be “of the moment”, feeling like I am participating in some trend that is bigger than me. Feeling like I belong in this very private fashion club, like I know where it’s at. Just because I am wearing my magical new sneakers. Who knew, right? Obviously everyone else, if I judge by the amount of street style photos of girls dressed just as I was last night. 

Elated by my discovery – I know, it doesn’t take much – I carried on researching… And then I read  who literally had just posted about Thirty-Somethings and their new love for jeans and trainers. Keep in mind that if there was a yearbook for life, my sister would probably get a mention “Least Likely To Wear Sneakers Ever Ever Ever” – yet here she was, discussing the merits of sneakers with her co-author. 

There is something about Nike…