I have always been a sucker for corduroy. So much so, that I have two bespoke suits in it ;-). Funny enough, I do not have my shoes in it though, but that is mainly as I think that it would be a harder sell in dressier footwear so am hesitant to release them. But these corduroy sneakers by Ankari Fluross are super cool, particularly the dark brown one. I almost felt tempted to buy one when I saw them but as the last thing I need is another pair of sneakers, I maintained my strength against my shoe addiction.
I cannot say that I know much about the brand. From what I gathered on IG, he is an influencer that used his following to launch his own clothing range. The story of many modern-day brands. I am not crazy about his dress footwear, as you would all imagine and probably agree with, but I think that his sneaker range is pretty cool. There are so very cool offerings in there, such as the bi-material two tones, these corduroy ones and the teal and orange suede ones. It’s different and we all know that while I may not like a brand’s quality or style, I always respect them if they are doing their own, unique pieces. I never liked Jefferey West shoes. In fact, I hate them. But I have a lot of respect for their owners for having the balls to make those style of shoes and be vastly different than everyone else.
So while so many other sneakers look exactly the same, to me, i.e. a direct copy of Common Projects, at least AF is out here offering combinations/materials that no one else is! And these brown corduroy ones are fire to say the least!!
The light brown ones look good. I just cannot bring myself to pay more than $100 for any sneakers. Perhaps if I took up tennis in a serious way, I might spend more for a truly good tennis shoe. Years ago when I was in to bicycle racing, I spent significant money on cycling shoes – the same ones the professionals used. My main point is that I see no value in expensive “fashion” sneakers. For actual sport activities, where an appropriate shoe helps – spending the money makes sense. For casual use, I can find sneakers on sale at the discount stores – with attractive offerings from Adidas, Puma, Nike, etc. These are often available for less than $75.00.
Thanks for sharing Steve. While I understand your sentiment, the issue with wearing Adidas, Nike and the like is that they are just casual wear whereas a smart leather sneaker can be worn dress-causal with smarter clothes. Just my two cents. But I get it.