A $850 sneaker that looks like it’s been through a war
Luxury brands are charging extra for shoes that look like they've been used, but not too much.
The story
The article discusses the rise of distressed white sneakers as a trend, with brands like Celine, Reebok, and Coach incorporating them into their collections, and experts suggesting the trend is here to stay.
Source: wwd.com
Our reading
The Celine/Reebok Freestyle Lo sneaker is described as having a ‘worn-out effect,’ which is basically the fashion equivalent of a ‘I didn’t sleep in this’ lie. It’s not just about looking used—it’s about looking like you’ve been using it, but not too much, because that would be unrefined.
So now, to be considered stylish, you have to look like you’ve been living, but not too hard. It’s the same logic that makes a luxury hotel charge extra for ‘authentic’ rustic decor, but not for actual dirt.
The sneaker is $850, which is the price of a decent used car, but with less reliability and more fashion guilt.
