Monsieur Robot - My Futuristic Trainers Edit
Trainers are possibly the most ubiquitous item of footwear there is. Nike have seen a massive resurgence in popularity in the last few years. Anyone attending fashion shows will have noticed that the front row is a parade of limited edition Nikes and hard to find trainers; worn by everyone from international editors to bloggers. Increasingly, high-end fashion houses are selling their own brand of trainers which more often than not are straight-up copies of sportswear brands designs. Givenchy are currently selling a black leather slip on shoe that to the untrained eye would look exactly like a pair of Vans
, only they cost £445, which is frankly preposterous. If you want something a little more obscure than what you can find on the high-street, Nike
, Vans
, Converse
, Adidas
and all the rest do some fantastic designer collaborations on classic shoe designs that won't cost half as much as some designer kicks do. Alternatively you can try somewhere like Foot Patrol who specialise in limited edition and hard to find trainers. The store is curated like an art gallery but instead of paintings they have trainers. Also if you see people queueing outside, join the queue, it'll be worth it. Anyway here is my guide to some of the best trainers around at the minute, the futuristic styles. The future is NOW.
Nike Air Max 90 Ice - JD Sports
The Air Max 90 is a classic design. I always err on the side of retro when it comes to Nike but these shoes have revamped this old design with ultra modern styling, from the day-glo colorway to the semi translucent sole. Best of all they're an absolute bargain (compared to the rest of the trainers in this post) AND you can buy them in JD Sports.
Pierre Hardy - Matches
Pierre Hardy trainers are not cheap - but they are stunning. It's a beautiful shoe (the hi-tops are equally nice). For SS14 this Beetlejuice-esque black and white striped pair have my vote. Get the sandworm look!
Alejandro Ingelmo - Matches
These shoes are called 'TRON'. I rest my case.
Raf Simons X Adidas - Oki-Ni
I love Raf Simons. I love Adidas. I would literally kill a man for a pair of these. While the last season of this collaboration was a little too functional looking (think clumsy hiking shoes) and seemingly deliberately ugly, this collection is all out futurism. Like the kind of shoes you'd see in a 60's B-Movie worn by someone living on a newly terraformed Mars. Special shout out to the weird go-go boots. Why the hell not?
Rick Owens for Adidas - Oki-Ni
I hated these trainers when I first saw them, but I've become a bit obsessed with them. Love them or hate them I bet you've never seen anything like them. The turning point for me was when Casey Spooner (my personal style icon) posted on facebook "How the hell are you meant to lace these Rick Owens Adidas trainers?" How indeed.
Stay tuned for more Kickin' Kicks - next time- 'The Retro Edit'
Follow me @Robotmonsieur
