It’s a big coming-of-age moment as a young child, graduating from Velcro sneakers to lacing up your kicks for the first time. From that moment onwards, you don’t really look back to the times of Velcro-strapped sneakers — or, at least, I didn’t until recently.
Velcro straps have been nowhere to be found in my sneaker collection for as long as I can remember; I’ve been starving myself of Velcro's practicality since I was a toddler.
The fastening system, which is both uncomplicated and hugely satisfying (few sounds beat the scrunch of Velcro), has occasionally been used on some excellent sneakers in the past (such as these from COMME des GARÇONS). But a recent uptick in velcro sneakers has got me looking at them differently. Instead of being the clunky orthopedic shoes I largely associate with Velcro, these are more fashion than function.
The pair that first piqued my interest is the ASICS x Hal Studios Gel-Kayano 20, a shoe that Hal Studio's creative director John Bouquet has been teasing for months without any sniff of a release date.
The Velcro straps on the top of the shoe continue the ASICS branding on the sides, each decorated with a contrasting stripe. It makes the Velcro straps the defining statement feature of the sneaker, and to great effect.
This act of adding Velcro straps to an ASICS running shoe from the early 2010s felt like a novel act until I discovered the largely unearthed treasure trove that is ASICS’ workwear line.
A possible source of inspiration for Hal Studios (or maybe for Cecilie Bahnsen's Velcro ASICS), these function-focused work sneakers, many of which have Velcro fastenings, are unintentionally very stylish. A few pairs from the ASICS Winjob workwear line have even made their way into a streetwear boutique in Seoul.
Not a trend only confined to ASICS, another notable Velcro sneaker has been unearthed in the past few days: the New Balance 8040.
A sneaker with the sole of the brand’s 9060 model and the upper of an old-school leather slipper, it is slated to release this fall.
The sneaker has a wrap-around panel on the upper, a similar system to that used in Kiko Kostadinov’s Tonkin sneaker, where a Velcro-clad panel covers the top of the shoe, hiding whatever is beneath.
Joining these new releases, one of the most famous Velcro sneakers from years gone by has made a comeback, the PUMA Mostro.
One of many unconventional sneaker models in PUMA’s wild archives, the early-2000s favorite has returned in 2024 with a long, winding strap fastening held down by a small piece of Velcro.
These releases all show brands questioning the tangly inconvenience of laces, a development of the current slip-on sneaker trend. Alongside these velcro sneakers is a host of backless mules, sock-like slip-on sneakers, and foam footwear that's also protesting against the typical lacing system.
As more brands catch on, there'll only be more good-looking Velcro sneakers hitting the market.
