Ugly sneakers are showing no signs of backing down, and the race isn’t just among established sports footwear companies. High fashion has decided to do its own take on the trend, with Louis Vuitton’s Archlights and Balenciaga’s Triple-S among the most popular. Swedish fashion house Acne Studios makes the sneakers more unsightly by putting Velcro straps. The traditionally functional but not too stylish addition is incorporated into the Steffey Leather sneakers, broadening what is fashionable when it comes to ugly sneakers.
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Shopbop
US$380.00
Shopbop Discount Codes
Release date: Unspecified
Price: US$380
Black-ish star Tracee Ellis Ross has shown her love for the sneakers earlier this year through an Instagram post, which later on led to followers calling the shoes Granny Smiths, Diabetes Strapovers and Old Balance, among many other cheeky names. But as it turns out, she was not alone in loving the transition from laces to Velcro—other celebrities, and brands, have been spotted sporting the straps later on, too.
Pros
Compared to other trendy so-called ugly sneakers, you would still have the chunky sole on the Acne Studios Steffey Leather sneakers without having to deal with the mish-mash of colors. Although the Swedish house shies away from being categorized as minimalist, the word could be applied to these sneakers, even if we have to disregard the exaggerated rubber sole. The shoes have been created with nubuck leather that is a delight to touch and Velcro straps that lend them a distinguished appearance. These aren’t missing the emoji faces associated with the brand but they are still subtle, sitting on the heel. Don’t worry about the piggies being squished; these provide enough room by the toes and fit true to size.
Cons
Acne Studios only offers the shoes in full sizes, so those who usually take half sizes are recommended to purchase the Steffey Leather sneakers at the nearest whole size down. If the response to Tracee Ellis Ross’ post is any indication, the shoes tend to generate opposing opinions; it would probably require more ballsiness to pull off the shoes.
Compare With
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- Adidas Matchcourt High RX Na-Kel Smith “Purple Velvet”
- Puma Fierce Chalet Trainers
- Adidas “Tubular Shadow”
Image credits: Acne Studios (featured image and article images), Net-A-Porter (article images)
