The Seventies trend that shows little sign of slowing (how’s your chest-fro coming on?) focuses on the sexier, sleazier, Starsky & Hutchier vibe of the decade. That is to say, trousers that are tight up top and loose down below, distressed denim, dusty-shade corduroy, and boots with heels big enough to make even the littlest lads feel leggy.
But the Seventies wasn’t all about cowboys and body hair. There were trainers, too. In fact, many of the pillars of the modern trainer canon were first released in the Seventies. Adidas unveiled the Stan Smith and the Superstar at the start of the decade, and Nike’s Cortez came quickly on their heels. Puma’s Clyde – a modern stalwart of the terraces – arrived in 1973. And where would the feet of cool dudes be if Vans had never created the #95, now better known as the Era, in 1976? It doesn’t bear thinking about.
Thankfully, the Seventies revival has extended to the athletic end of the footwear scale, too. Adidas’s Superstar was the recent recipient of an extensive relaunch campaign, featuring Pharrell, Jonah Hill and Paul Pogba, among others, and new iterations of Nike’s Tailwind, which debuted at the Honolulu Marathon in 1978, are suddenly everywhere. (As are the equally Seventies-y Daybreak and Waffle Racer.) Even the Commes De Garcons X Converse Chuck 70 is getting a refresh.
And Seventies trainers have been ‘elevated’, too. In addition to Gucci – who recently launched the Tennis 1977, above – John Lobb, Church’s, Prada, Lanvin and Dunhill have all created shoes for 2020 that wouldn’t look out of place had they been released forty years ago. Gucci’s is inspired by a shoe in its archive, while Lanvin’s takes inspiration from the broader ‘runner’ aesthetic for its Bumper sneaker. At Common Projects, mesh and Italian leather are combined into a super clean (obvs) Seventies tennis shoe, and at Dunhill and Church’s – two traditionally conservative brands that are becoming more and more progressive – the sneakers are multi-coloured and easy-wearing.
Styling wise, all of the above will look good with washed-out denim (ideally something slim and cropped, or maybe even flared) and white socks. You could also match your Seventies shoes with suitably Seventies tailoring, but don’t be disheartened when all the flares and big collars and brown fabric make you like you’re auditioning for Saturday Night Fever. That’s cool now.
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