Streetwear, American casual, and even high fashion. Classic rather than high-tech. Elegant rather than fashion-forward. A versatile style with character that works for any occasion. An elegant, stylish adult look that transcends borders. Easy to pair with wide or slim silhouettes, trousers, jeans, work pants, and even matching sets, we designed a style that’s classic, stylish, and beautifully balanced.
The cultures and styles I’ve grown up with have had a huge influence on me. I love the classic sneaker look, but I’m not so keen on a luxury look. Pairing CONVERSE or VANS with a suit feels too predictable, and doesn’t give me much of a thrill when styling an outfit. They’ve become so widespread that you’re bound to see other people wearing the same thing.
What’s more, I’m not drawn to things that feel purely cultural or are unabashedly luxurious. Expressing a culture is great, but absorbing it and letting it emerge naturally in your style makes for the perfect accent. I’m sure many people will agree. The foundations of an elegant, stylish adult’s bottoms are just two silhouettes: moderately slim, and wide but not overly tapered.
That’s right, the challenge was to create a sneaker that looks great with both slim and wide silhouettes. We built it around a slightly chunky sole with a classic sneaker look, designed to feel natural with slim pants and hold its own with wide pants.
To keep the classic low-cut style from looking too casual, we’ve gone for the look of leather shoes, including the lining color, rather than canvas. The upper is made from synthetic leather with a leather-like appearance, so you can wear them with confidence even on rainy days. The sole looks like a classic sneaker sole but has added height to enhance your style. They’re lighter and softer than they look, and the highly cushioned insole helps reduce the foot fatigue typical of classic sneakers for all-day comfort.
The wingtip design takes inspiration from deck-style sneakers, which began gaining popularity from 1970 onward and are now recognized around the world, and incorporates elements of saddle shoes. Adding a wingtip further updates the design, giving it the feel of a stylish play shoe for gentlemen rather than a casual look.
This two-tone wingtip is named after Clarence, the protagonist played by the acclaimed Christian Slater in the 1993 film TRUE ROMANCE. The thick sole is made using a sturdy side-McKay construction to withstand the pressure of walking, with the brand logo stamped on the sides and bottom. When you put them on, they give you a slight lift and feel comfortably soft underfoot. The laces are threaded in a straight, parallel pattern commonly seen on dress shoes. Like dress shoes, they come with an extra set of waxed laces.
When designing every product down to the smallest detail, shoes are a particularly fascinating and challenging project. Unlike other products, they require a design that considers not only patterns and sketches but also their construction, which feels a lot like working on a car or motorcycle. Unlike clothing, shoes need to be designed with an understanding of their structural strength, from the shape of the instep and toe to the spacing of the laces, the length of the tongue, and the shape of the opening. Taking into account the skills of trusted craftspeople and technicians, I designed each detail and went through sample after sample until I was satisfied.
The key design point is that faint, pungent gasoline smell unique to carbureted cars, wafting by on the breeze. Personally, I’ve incorporated just a hint of that scent as an element, balancing it so it doesn’t feel too unsophisticated. That probably makes no sense at all, does it? Sorry. If you know carbureted cars, there’s no need to explain, but basically, they’re cars from before vehicles came under computer control. I balanced the design to evoke the feel of that pleasantly analog era.
LOW CUT SNEAKER WHITE
LOW CUT SNEAKER BLACKxWHITE
LOW CUT SNEAKER BLACKxBLACK
WINGTIP SNEAKER BLACKxWHITE
WINGTIP SNEAKER BLACKxBLACK
WINGTIP SNEAKER WHITExBLACK
WINGTIP SNEAKER WHITE
CLARENCE WINGTIP SNEAKER BLACK
CLARENCE WINGTIP SNEAKER WHITE
