It’s the Women’s World Cup, blokecore is a thing, apparently, and we’re in the midst of the summer of Sambas. And while Tik Tok have just discovered the replica football shirt, reached for their dad’s straight-leg denim and raced to find a palatable pint of Guinness it’s beginning to feel a little washed out now. However, football-inspired sneakers get a yes from us.
Recently, football-inspired sneakers have arrived knee-sliding into our algorithms, with the support of some of fashion’s biggest names. Wales Bonner’s latest collaborative venture with adidas Samba arrived with a flappy tongue inspired by the beautiful game, slated by many to be the shoe of the summer.
Comme des Garçons have taken the football-inspired sneaker in a typically playful fashion. Not a football shoe in the traditional sense, Rei Kawakubo’s label raises the bar, incorporating a raised heel to the Nike Premier. Ancuta Sarca has been a leader of the trend with its hybrid sneaker heels, sported by Bella Hadid, Rosalía and Rihanna.
Another silhouette inspired by the beautiful game was teased by London’s kitsch styling king Kiko Kostadinov as part of his joint project with LA art gallery Morán Morán, Otto 958. Like the football boots of years gone by, a flappy tongue is the perfect canvas for brands to showcase their logo. This addition to a sneaker is the perfect promotion for Kostadinov to promote his sub-label, where a streamlined Asics sneaker received a fashionable makeover.
Aside from being associated with UK rave culture, Nike Shox technology has featured in the Swoosh brand’s football sneakers, such as the Nike Secutor. Partnering with Nike, London menswear designer Martine Rose said f*ck the patriarchy, championing women’s football through two conceptual reworks of the sneaker.
In the first campaign for the Shox MR4, a streamlined mule using Nike Shox cushioning, Martine Rose focused on nine women with love for the sport, including Brighton & Hove WFC manager Hope Powell. For the second Campaign, Rose became the official outfitter of the American Women’s National Football Team, with the Shox mule being worn alongside tailored uniforms to leave dated gender norms in the past.
Fashion has progressed from the ill-fitting jerseys of blokecore, ditching the muted style codes it borrowed from the football fans of yesteryear and instead fusing streamlined sports footwear with cutting-edge design qualities from the industry’s most exciting talents. It’s official, we’ve entered the post-blokecore world.
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