What’s going on? Could it be that Parisian designers are thinking about function as part of their next fashion move? Do we officially have an excuse to don sneakers for 3 days after a weekend in heels? Well girls, breath out a sigh of relief… sneakers are officially cool again. Wear them with your evening frock, with work trousers, or a skirt – it seems that your comfy (but stylish) walking shoes are more than acceptable….. they are tres chic!
A couple of years ago while on holiday, Antoine and I were sitting at our local café in the Marais district, sipping on our morning café au lait and authentic (cannot get them here!) croissants. As we watched all the naturally stylish Parisian men and women walk past us on their way to work, we couldn’t help but marvel at how the women seemed to have no problem navigating the cobbled roads and generally uneven terrain in their fabulous stiletto heels. As the week went on we continued to watch in awe women running down the stairs to the Metro or jumping over puddles with ease and grace. All without even the slightest wobble. How is this possible??
We came to the conclusion, Parisian parents must send their young into the wilds of the Parisian streets in their heels at a young age. Those that don’t return with a broken ankle are chosen to stay and continue to be chic. Those that don’t? Well they can move to the country and be equally chic with their cheese farmer partner and wear fabulous designer wellington boots. Seemed like a perfect hypothesis at the time.
Suffice to say, I am pleased to announce to those destined cheese farmers that their options are now broader and one can safely walk any Parisian street looking right on trend in their sneakers. From Gucci to Marant, the sneaker is officially a new staple item. Here is a sneak peak of what we have seen…
Brooke Testoni in Phillipe Model Paris Sneaker
Stan Smith, for the perfect street style
The Ace by Gucci – SHOP them on The Shoe Equation
The sneaker is perfect after a long night (or week) in your heels, giving the joints and soft tissue in your feet time to recuperate (remember #5 in our TWH Top 5 High Heel Hacks?). So go forth and invest in a beautiful pair – you’ll thank yourself later!
E&E.
(Images – pinterest.com, brooke testoni.com, mesvoyagesaparis.com)