Picture this: a subway car heading downtown full of 20-somethings clad in the very latest the fashion industry has to offer. Bags, boots, and cold-weather accessories emblazoned with logos in a font size not unlike the first letter on an eye exam, puffer coats in colors so bright they’re borderline blinding, all worn with a flashy attitude to match. This isn’t an imagined scene; it’s our morning commute in New York City.
This more-is-more approach to dressing is unquestionably of the moment, and no one item is impervious to the trend, even high-tops. It seems as though they, too, have decided that the louder, the better. There’s one problem, though: when your head-to-toe look is full of statement pieces, it, well, makes the wrong statement.
The trick to pulling it all off is to wear one anchor piece that tones everything else down, and footwear is a good place to start. After all, how is your faux-fur bomber going to compete with, say, bright-red high-tops? A style we’re eyeing right now is Allbirds’s all-new Tree Topper, a refreshingly simple take on the high-top silhouette. They’re the kind of sleek, pared-down shoe that let’s a louder piece do all of the talking while holding their own.
What we like about the kicks is the simplicity of its design; they’re void of any bells and whistles that distract. The colorways leave little room for error when building a fire ’fit. It’s also worth pointing out that the Tree material (renewable, sustainably sourced eucalyptus tree fibers) is incredibly lightweight.
Peep the images above for a closer look at the style, and be sure to find the balance in your ’fit the next time you step out.
