Vans' Charmed Double-Lace Skate Sneaker Is a "Samba Meets Miu Miu" Situation
Not unlike the skinny sneaker trend's relentless claiming of victims, the doodad-ification of our leather goods and footwear knows no bounds.
Vans' new Super LowPro shoe is a case-in-point for both, as a thin-soled lace up that is now also customizable, taking yet another cue from the influence of adidas' Samba, Miu Miu's low-profile New Balances, and their subsequent options for customization.
Though officially inspired by an archival skate predecessor, there's no doubt that Vans' Super LowPro shoes are a zeitgeisty product of their surroundings.
And any doubt ought to be eliminated by the Vans charm kits that've followed as part of the Super LowPro shoes' wider international rollout.
The Super LowPro shoe adopts the slender silhouette of Vans' classic skate sneakers and slip-ons but adds attributes more closely associated with retro running styles, like a German Army Trainer-style toebox and sporty flat sole.
To break with said athletic theme, Japanese customers who purchase Vans' Super LowPro shoes in-store — though they're available online for only $85 — will be granted cutesy accessory packets of ballet-esque bows and pearls.
If Vans' recent boat shoe and loafer-type releases are anything to go by, then the Super LowPro shoes, too, play into the Californian brands' pursuit of diversifying its portfolio.
By offering a shoe that resembles both Miu Miu's bedazzled low-top and the Dries Van Noten suede sneaker that also just happens to sit at a below-adidas price point, I'd say Vans is doing a darn good job at the above.
