If you’re anything like me, you get attached to your kicks. Some people like to shop, enjoy searching out the latest-greatest, and revel at any excuse to go out and shod “Moe & Joe” with new sneakers. I am not that guy. I also live in South Korea with size 11+ feet, so my options are limited. I did however recently have to retire my totally awesome limited edition Star Wars Storm Trooper shell-toes, which are no longer available anywhere. This of course prompted me to have a conversation with myself about my favorite sneakers of all time – my own personal top ten list if you will. Now this isn’t a list of the greatest, most technologically advanced, or the most influential sneakers ever made. These are just 10 great classics, available pretty much across the globe for both ladies and men, and work well with just about anyone’s wardrobe. Most importantly these are always stylish, even if they’re not in fashion.
In no particular order…
- Adidas Gazelle
- Puma Suede
- New Balance 420
- Vans Slip-Ons
- Adidas Stan Smith
- ASICS (Onitsuka) Tiger Mexico 66
- Converse Jack Purcell
- Nike Bruin
- Converse All Star Chuck Taylor
- Nike Cortez
Adidas Gazelle (image courtesy Adidas)
Puma Suede (image courtesy Puma)
New Balance 420 (image courtesy New Balance)
Vans Slip-On (image courtesy Vans)
Adidas Stan Smith (image courtesy Adidas)
Onitsuka Tiger Mexico 66 (image courtesy ASICS)
Converse Jack Purcel (image courtesy Converse)
Nike Bruin (image courtesy Nike)
Converse All Star (image courtesy Converse)
Nike Corte (image courtesy Nike)
My three most recent purchases? The Gazelles, the Vans, and the 420s. That’ll keep me covered from the beaches of Busan to the nightlife of Seoul – and all the traveling I do in-between – regardless of whether I’m sporting shorts, jeans, chinos or even a casual suit. Oh, and I recently discovered that dry cleaners offer sneaker cleaning/refurbishing, so maybe there’s hope for my old shell-toes yet.
***
Image Courtesy of Balazs Kovacs Images/Shutterstock.com
