Canvassing support: from Shoreditch slippers to Peckham pumps, why location is key to your kicks
There's an old proverb that says “you can tell a lot about a person by their choice of canvas shoes”. At least it’s something along those lines. And they’re wise words. Not only is there a whole plethora of brands to get to grips with – see for starters Vans, Converse and Superga – there is also an immeasurable variety of shapes and sizes from high tops to skater styles and beyond.
In London, a city that has sustained an appetite for “era” Vans and Chuck Taylor All Stars for the best part of three decades, the popularity of each plimsoll variety is often linked to geography. For instance, the Chuck has always enjoyed more airtime on the feet of Camden dwellers than it has out west, while stark white unbranded plimsolls, commonly known as Shoreditch slippers, were once the only surefire way to spot those with an East End postcode.
Of course, as with all area trends, the matter of which shoe belongs in which borough is subject to constant change and transformation — a fact that is compounded by Londoners’ reluctance to be typecast where their footwear options are concerned.
Here’s how the land lies this season.
Vans SK8-Hi
The current trainer of choice among those who know their Raf from their Vetements, this black Vans style is a hit with the fashion crowd and, as a result, is currently cleaning up in Dalston.
Much like North Face T-shirts and logo-splayed Fila hoodies, this old-school skater shoe has found itself elevated from streetwear to stylish fodder. Notably because new adopters are enticed by its credibility.
For the most up-to-date way to wear yours team with straight-cut raw-edge jeans or a slip dress.
NB: a classic low-top pair of Vans in an upbeat shade are, for now, limited to the under-25s. If you’re over 30 and an East End dweller, the white highlighter stripe is essential.
(£57, vans.co.uk)
Superga 2750 classic
In stark white or plain black this normcore trainer style is catnip for millennials. If you’re a man who owns a Penfield jacket and a pair of Nudie jeans, the chances are you’re wearing them in a mid-top version of the style.
Women rely on their Supergas (most opt for low-tops in off-white) as a substitute for Stan Smiths which, frankly, are a bit too common to be stomping the streets of Peckham in. The point of this shoe is that it should be seen but not heard. Keep it in neutral lads.
(£50, superga.co.uk)
Converse Chuck Taylors
Black Converse are the new white Converse. Don’t believe me? Look down. London is pebbledashed with floaty bohemian types returning to the style this season.
From the boho babes who float around Notting Hill in printed kaftans to the Primrose Hill mums who wear theirs with a neat Breton and boyfriend jeans, the black Chuck has never been more in demand.
To wear yours well, do as Alexa does and team with an evening dress.
Boys should opt for sawn-off jeans.
(£50, converse.co.uk)
Shoreditch slippers & Peckham pumps, why location is key to your kicksChuck TaylorsProfessor GreenAlexa ChungChris BrownHailey BaldwinPrimrose HillStan SmithsPeckhamNotting HillCamdenKaren Dacre maps London’s plimsoll postcodes