Not too long ago, trail shoes were made exclusively for orienteerers and hikers and dads with fanny packs holding up big paper maps. More recently though, it's come to light that being outside is, actually, pretty okay. Really quite nice, actually.
And while this isn’t some 3,000-word op-ed about how great GORE-TEX is at keeping us dry and why everyone should own a pair of Vibram-soled shoes (they’re pretty good, though), it will reveal my shock at the outdoor trend's ongoing prevalence.
Trail shoes in particular are what get me. Like, what was I wearing five years ago when I went on a walk if I didn’t have trail shoes? They’re the perfect companion for a day of exploration. They protect, enhance, and even make walking on uneven ground pretty comfortable.
One of my favorite silhouettes, adidas' retro SEEULATER, has undergone a major makeover this season, courtesy of Yohji Yamamoto's Y's womenswear label.
Officially dubbed the "Y's SEEULATER x GSG9" – set to land globally on June 3 at Y's Yohji Yamamoto stores – sports a grippy, impact-reducing outsole borrowed from adidas' GSG9, a tactical shoe worn by German police.
Smooth cow leather and breathable mesh inform the upper, which remains unchanged from the original "Adventure Pack" that the SEEULATER debuted with in 1995 (not to be confused with adidas' more recent "Adventure Pack" SEEULATER).
The SEEULATER pops back up every few years, most recently returning in 2020 in a colorway borrowed from the original model.
It's not a shoe for everyone, certainly, but remains a cult favorite in Japan (much like the also-revived Air Rift), and even got remixed by HYKE, the cult womenswear brand better known over in the West for its The North Face collabs.
