SNEAKER TREND: CHICKS DIG IT, AND DESIGNERS COPY IT.

Posted on May 3, 2012 by Rex

TO IMITATE OR NOT TO IMITATE? That shouldn’t be the question – yet here we are.

If you can’t see the parallels between this Monika Chiang sneaker and the Isabel Marant (not to mention the Asics-esque lines) chances are you’re blind or you’re choosing not to because you’re alternating this window with an eBay search for ‘replica’ Isabel Marant sneakers.

In fact, every day someone comes to our site to search for the fuckers (this is what they find). Isabel Marant is an excellent designer in her own right, but these sneakers have made her a household name and pressumably the Queen of Google.

Wow, sold out EVERYWHERE but they're cheap on eBay? This MUST be legit.

Now, I’m not claiming to be a sneaker veteran however some of the PRIMO fam practically walked out of the womb in a pair of AirMax 90′s, so they’ve taught me a bit about the big ol’ world of kicks.

As street style continues to rise until it takes its rightful place at fashion mecca to the masses, we will continue to see people beg, borrow and steal aesthetic values that define street style. In fact, it’s not exclusive to this genre – it spans them, as long as people like things they can’t afford, someone will copy them.*

In conclusion? I’ve already stated to tread carefully when shopping the wedge sneaker trend. We’re fast categorising ourselves to #ChicksinKicks – each to their own if you think that’s a good thing.

My stance? NOT TO IMITATE - The originals are hideous enough and the fakes are just a hideous copy of lesser quality. Not to mention the immense number of flat sneakers that are cool, have been around for a long time and have inspired everything we see in these hybrid bastardisations.

*Let us not confuse my argument with taking inspiration – there is a distinct difference between two things that look the same, something that’s had enough shit changed to avoid a lawsuit and something that borrowed some cool shit from the other.