The Rise Of The Dad Shoe

Sleek trainers are out and the dad shoe is in, deal with it kids! We’re heading back into the 90s again this season...

Ahh dad shoes, the ugly, chunky and comfy monstrosities that made us kids squirm on holidays as our moustached dads pranced around smelling of brut. This was the 90s, this was Seinfeld, this was dad shoes!

So why on earth has Louis Vuitton, Balenciaga and Gucci all just released dad shoes costing hundreds of pounds? Welcome to the fickle and vicious world of high fashion my friend!

Let’s take a look at the rise of the dad shoe….

Up until just last year, designers relied heavily on sales of sleek, minimal styles. Think Adidas Stan Smith or the simple slip on Vans pump. For nearly 20 years these type of trainers have been society’s favorite. Suddenly, however, there has been a shift towards chunky styles mainly due catwalk styles and social media influencers. Mega celebs such as the Kardashians have been snapped wearing over the top dad shoes of late. A resurgence in ironic 90s styles have really been a hit on the catwalk over the last 5 years. Lets face it, the 90s keep getting further and further into the past with today's youngsters seeing these gordy attempts as ironic and retro.

The big high fashion power brands released pastiches of cartoonish 90s athletic shoes and they completely lit up the scene. No one expected white on white foamy trainers to come back into style anytime soon. In fact no one was sure if they were ever in style.

After the likes of Louis Vuitton, Dolce and Balenciaga released their new dad shoes, the athletic companies pounced on this reminiscent surge of interest. You'll now find new dad shoe styles by New Balance, Reebok, Nike and Adidas.  

Pop stars such as Kanye and Lil Yachty can all be seen wearing the clunky dad shoe. Pharrell Williams has recently brought out a new range of brightly coloured styles which are sure to be a sell out in minutes hit. No longer are the chunky running shoes worn by dads, lost in a theme park. They’re now sported by coffee shop hipsters and up and coming rap stars.

The rise of the dad shoe has enabled those niche 90s brands to excel with releases of their dormant styles. Fila, Puma and Sketchers have scrambled to bring their 90s dad shoes to the market. Irony seems to be playing a vital role in up and coming trends. The loud pattern shirt has been back in style for years now. Snapback hats are still going strong and season saw a big upturn in oversized denim.

Fashion trends keep reverting back. Your dad's wardrobe might be a treasure chest of future styles that may become sort after classics. So when he’s asleep on the sofa on Christmas Day have a look through his private belongings for the next catwalk piece, I'm sure he won't mind.

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