Welcome back to the Gentleman's Gazette. In today's video, we're going to gaze down
to our feet and ask the question: why did we start wearing sneakers?
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Now, regardless of where you're at in your clothing journey,
it's pretty clear that sneakers are sort of the ubiquitous choice of
footwear throughout the world. You might remember that, not long ago,
we asked the question: why did men stop wearing dress shoes? So, you could think
of this as the sartorial sequel. Normally, at this point, we dive into the history of sneakers,
but we wanted to leave this up to our viewing audience. Do you want to see us do a history
on sneakers and athletic footwear or not? Leave it down in the comments below. Even
though Kyle and myself like classic sneakers, we understand that it's not for everyone.
So, please, let us know. But, in the meantime, let's take a dive into today's video. I'll say
this at the outset: we've determined eight reasons as to why people wear sneakers now
more than ever. And as we go, I want you to keep a running tally of if our reasons
match up with yours. And as always, if there's any additional reasons that you can think of,
feel free to leave them in the comments below. First up is utility. This might seem obvious,
but the main reason why sneakers have increased in popularity over recent years is for their main
purpose, which is sportswear function. With a boom of physical fitness starting in the 1980s
and continuing on to now, it's no surprise that sneakers are becoming more and more
prevalent. And I think this is the only time where you'll hear the Gentleman's
Gazette say that modern clothing actually has more function and makes more sense than
it did back then. Although there are many great fashion illustrations from
back in the day of men wearing classic garments while doing athletic pursuits,
it's very clear that things have changed; and I would argue, change for the better.
For example, modern sports like football are played with cleats that are designed
for peak athletic performance. No, Raphael, not that type of football,
and if you ask me, personally, it would be hard to tear across the gridiron wearing a pair of
Oxfords. And, of course, American football is not the only example. Many other sports
have specific types of footwear that are designed for it and have evolved from classic men's shoes;
with the classic English football boot being a pair of work boots with the sole removed and a
pair of studs added to the sole. And while I might admire the history of a pair of classic
football shoes, there's no denying that today's modern footwear Innovations are much better.
Modern athletic shoes have benefited from changes in design, making them lighter and
more perfect for athletic performance. In addition, sneakers represent footwear that
has also benefited from years of development and redesigned to get us to where we are now: a pair
of shoes that are built with the sole purpose of being reliable during sporting activities. And,
actually, there is one iteration of a classic
sport shoe that can still be found today: the spectator.
This lace-up shoe was originally designed with pieces of canvas and leather and were
designed for sporting activities. We go more into the history of this shoe here,
but suffice it to say that this would not look good on a modern baseball field. Also,
I personally wouldn't be comfortable wearing these while playing sports,
which brings us to point number two. Simply put, sneakers are designed to be comfortable. Unlike
a leather dress shoe, sneakers are designed for maximum flexibility and comfort. I mean,
after all, could you really start a race on a track wearing a pair of Goodyear-welted
shoes. I mean, after all, keeping your toes bent like that while wearing a nice pair of
dress shoes would bring a tear to your eye. Not only are sneakers designed to be flexible,
but weight is also taken into consideration and you'll find them weighing much less than dress
shoes. Having a lighter weight shoe on foot as well as having a greater range of motion will
lead to more comfort and a shorter break-in time than a typical pair of dress shoes. These reasons
not only make sneakers an attractive choice, but a necessary one for people with medical conditions
who can't use regular dress shoes; as a pair of sneakers will provide a
more reliable sense of comfort than a typical dress shoe. Now, another factor at play here
is the sneaker's ability to breathe well due to its typical use of soft, spongy,
open-weave textiles. Let me make a disclaimer here: not all sneakers fit into this category.
Obviously, ones with a more open-weave texture are going to be better at breathing but, if you buy a
cheap crappy pair of sneakers, they're not going to breathe better than leather dress shoes. But,
before we move on to point number three, I will state that quality dress shoes are comfortable.
That comfort comes from a structured sole and sometimes, if you get a Goodyear-welted shoe,
having cork that molds to your foot. In fact, I'll go as far as to say that a dress shoe will
actually be comfortable for longer because the cork molds to your foot versus the padding in
a sneaker will eventually wear out and flatten. Number three: fashion. With utility and comfort
being at the top of the list, the third one is quite obvious, which is fashion. I'll go
out on a limb here and say that sneakers can actually be quite a fashionable item and,
of course, the Gentleman's Gazette can be seen as a fashion channel because we spend a fair amount
of time talking about clothes. But, we also like to think of ourselves as a channel that supports
style rather than the one that chases fashion, which sneakers and sneaker trends typically do.
Fashions change constantly over time as we can see throughout history. It's possible to see
how the classic two-piece suit evolved from the sack suit, which evolved from the morning suit,
which evolved from the frock coat, and so forth. And as sneakers have evolved
in terms of their construction and use, so has their design with pretty iconic models in the
sneaker world being imitated by their legendary designs, such as the Stan Smith, the Air Jordan,
or the Common Project's Achilles. As styles change, it's only natural that sneakers would
eventually become a part of fashionable footwear. As it's really no different than other footwear
trends throughout history - from pointy medieval shoes to an elegant pair of Oxfords. Number four:
sneakers are getting smarter. One of the brands that I just mentioned is known for their smart
and dressed-up take on the classic sneaker. And, of course, I'm talking about the Common
Projects and their Achilles model. The Achilles and other brands that model its design have not
only made its way into the streetwear scene, but also into classic menswear.
Common Projects are not the only ones in promotion of a more classic and well-designed sneaker;
there are a hosts of other brands that have rushed into the market to capitalize on what
Common Projects has developed. Also, with the Common Projects Achilles being nearly $500,
there's a whole host of other options for a lot less, which are great as well. Regular
viewers of the channel will remember my well-worn Beckett Simonon sneakers,
the pair of Crown Northampton that I received, as well as the cordovan pair that Preston has.
And of course this video is not sponsored, but it just goes to show that there are many other
brands out there that are doing great things; that have a similar take on the Common Projects
Achilles design. These brands are also reaching a much wider audience than ever before. I mean,
after all, they captured Preston's heart. I mean, after all, a stylish guy like Preston
wouldn't be caught dead in a pair of $30 sneakers. It took an $800 cordovan
pair to really make him fall in love because Preston balls like that. Overall,
the dress sneaker is becoming more and more popular and acceptable with a wide
range of clothing options. Whether you want to try to dress them up,
which we don't personally recommend, or have a great casual option for the office,
it turns out that a pair of dress sneakers might be right for you. And you can find out
if we think a pair of dress sneakers is timeless or a trend here. Number five: peer pressure.
This one can seem like a bit of a downer, so apologies up front. Simply put,
sneakers are popular because of FOMO or fear of not being accepted.
Since formal clothing and classic dress shoes have been relegated to formal events, oftentimes,
it can be hard to wear those items without judgment from others. This is part of the whole
pack mentality of human beings and human nature that, if we wear something that doesn't fit in,
we want to get rid of it in order to fit in. Naturally, no one wants to be left out
so it's easy to see why more formal options of footwear are being ditched for more casual ones.
The result is an unfortunate divide that makes it seem like a classic pair of dress
shoes is a hundred times dressier than a sneaker. Ultimately, if everyone else is wearing sneakers,
it's nice to know that if you wear them you won't get made fun of or feel like you're left out. But,
regardless of whatever shoe you want to wear, if you don't feel like you fit in,
we can help you out with this guide here. Number six: status. Being tied into sneakers
being a fashion piece, status also comes into effect. Whether it's an exclusive designer model,
a collaboration between brands, or a good old-fashioned limited edition run,
there is an undoubted level of cachet that comes from owning the right pair of sneakers. And,
nowadays, there are even heritage brands making status simple sneakers. I mean,
John Lobb makes them. Whether or not we buy them is a different story altogether,
but I actually might. Those are actually kind of cool. Normally, you would hear me talk about
this same sort of thing in the world of luxury watches. For example, take a brand like Rolex;
I'm sure that most people on the street have heard of such a famous brand. But,
these days it has less to do with the quality of the timepiece and more about the status symbol
on your wrist. After all, saying that you have a Rolex is a universal flex. Just like owning
a status symbol watch, sneakers can be very much the same nowadays. For example, take the Nike Air
Jordan One Chicago in its iconic white, red, and black colorway. If you're unable
to get these coveted shoes at retail, you will pay a hefty premium. Regardless
of what they look like, the fact remains, if you have an envyable pair of sneakers,
you have a status flex. Our next point is cost. It comes at no surprise that
most sneakers can be made quickly and cheaply compared to making a
pair of handmade dress shoes. A pair of sneakers can be made simply with
cheaper materials and with a simplified process. This means several things. First,
they can be sold at a price that greatly undercuts the MSRP of classic dress shoes or,
when it comes to status symbol sneakers,
they can be made cheaply but have a giant price tag slapped on. Therefore,
increasing the brand's profit margin. Plus, iconic designs can cheaply be copied and
manufactured that capitalize on people who can't afford the original one. Sneakers are a
great product for most retailers as society has deemed them to be an acceptable shoe;
not to mention desirable. And as we've determined today, it seems like everybody wants to wear
them. The fact that sneakers take less time, effort, materials, and skill to make, sets
up an interesting conundrum. A sneaker retailer can target those on the lower end of the market
and on the high end. All at the same time, perhaps more than any other clothing item,
sneakers can be found at a similar quality level but with a very wide range of prices.
Not only that, but I'd argue that you could wear a pair of cheaper sneakers
and they would look better than a cheap-looking dress shoe. Take the Adidas Stan Smit. On sale,
you can find them for about 60 bucks and, with a casual outfit,
they look a lot better than an ugly, chunky square-toed shoe for the same price.
Let's just say, this part of the script stirred up a lively debate in the office. Simply put,
we think that cheap dress shoes look awful, and it's hard to take that $60 chunky, square-toed
dress shoe and make it look good. However, cheap sneakers actually look relatively passable. So,
all this links back to our previous point that a person can buy a pair of sneakers that actually
look passable and look good for a much lower price than a classic dress shoe. Now, to our last point:
sneakers don't often use leather. So, relating to our point about cheaper manufacturing costs,
the reality remains that sneakers don't often use leather. As more people take a hard look at what
they buy and sustainability becomes more front of conscious, people begin to think about buying
things that are not made of animal products. Since the sneaker market really became the first one to
focus on sustainable products, they are lightyears ahead of the dress shoe market. As we've already
explored, there really aren't many great alternatives out there for vegan leather
in a dress shoe. Sneakers offer a wider selection using products that don't involve animals. As we
put a wrap on today's video, one thing is quite obvious: sneakers are here to stay. They offer
a wide range of benefits to many people and they are a unique contrast to the classic dress shoe.
You might wonder where we stand on this classic style debate. Do we support sneakers or do we
absolutely trash them? Ultimately, sneakers are not a bad product. They were created to serve a
purpose, and they do that well. And the fact that they've been more acceptable outside the gym,
only gives us more sartorial choices to enjoy. You might say that we think
of sneakers in a similar way to sugary snacks; they're great fun in small doses,
when enjoyed as part of a well-balanced, sartorial lifestyle. In today's outfit,
I'm wearing something casual that you can find me in our office in.
I'm wearing a tweed overshirt with three pockets - all them are patch pockets - and I got this last
fall from Spier & MacKay. Underneath, I'm wearing a white Spier & MacKay long-sleeve
polo shirt. It has a button-down collar, which helps dress it up quite a bit. Also,
because the collar is buttoned down, it actually stays up, which frames my face and dresses up
the outfit. I'm wearing a pair of dark wash blue jeans from Everlane and, on my feet,
are a pair of white leather sneakers. These are one from Oliver Cabell, a similar brand to
Common Projects that deliver a similar level of quality for less price. I also like these shoes
because they're not the typical white. They have some blue patches on the tongue and on the heel,
which add a fun contrast. Also, on my feet are something brand new. These are new socks from
Fort Belvedere. These are navy blue with khaki stripes. We felt that this was a great addition
to the Fort Belvedere sock line as many guys wear combinations of blue and brown together. If you
want to check out these socks or any other Fort Belvedere products, the link to the shop is here.
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