What’s up with the BIG sneakers revolution?

It’s not the first one… Once upon a time we wore them with pantyhose. No kidding, it was the early 60’s and back then we wore skirts to school. Pantyhose had just come on the scene and the fad was black Keds and pantyhose. We knew we looked extremely cool and utterly fantastic. Now keep in mind the only pantyhose color was “flesh” which was a funky, orange-y color. You beginning to get the picture? Sneakers as a style item aren’t new. This time around, should you, or should you not, to buy in?

The current trend is toward BIG shoes, not high heels, just BIG shoes. Whether they are boots or slides or loafers or sneakers the shoes are oversized. The eye gets used to seeing a style and then it becomes more and more exaggerated as the designers push the envelope to get as much mileage as they can from the trend before it fizzles. If you are under 20 anything can look cute, even sneakers the size of shoe boxes. There is also the comfort-first mindset. Some of us no longer wear heels, and for valid health reasons. No one should wear shoes that are an endangerment to their health. HINT to the design community: Pay attention to the enormous market available for elegant, cute, sexy, amusing, sophisticated, flattering, comfortable low heel shoes.

I expect sneakers will always be part of the fashion lexicon, they allow us to move quickly and surely through our active lifestyles. But the proliferation of BIG sneakers in LOUD colors has added up to many people buying into a trend that isn’t very flattering because it isn’t proportional to the human body. Before investing (not cheap!) do consider whether you are the athletic or athleisuretype, whether you want all attention on your feet and whether you are old enough to know better than to wear sneakers with a cocktail dress. I look on this trend and say, “This too shall pass.”

Please chime in and share! I would love your comments.