Issue #4 | Over to Poon
Five classic sneakers that go with any wardrobe
Sneakers are a blind spot for me. I haven’t paid much attention to them since the Jordan XI. I’m a simple canvas shoe guy. I’ve owned dozens of Vans and Sperrys over the years, and my current go-to pair are white Doek trainers from Japan. I love them for comfort and style, but sometimes you just want something a little more fun.
So for this week’s issue of Front of Book, I turned to my longtime friend Allan Pulga for guidance. A bonafide sneakerhead, Allan, a.k.a. Poon, has 111 pairs of sneakers in boxes in his basement, an encyclopedic knowledge of kicks, and an Instagram account (@pulgaknows) devoted to his collection.
I asked Allan to come up with five classic sneakers that go with almost any wardrobe. “The key to an elite casual sneaker or lifestyle shoe is versatility,” he explains. “Can you wear it with jeans, khakis, shorts, or sweatpants?”
Here are Allan’s five recommended kicks with maximum versatility. Over to you, Al.
1. Adidas Stan Smith
“Esquire’s Nick Sullivan calls this 1964 tennis shoe ‘the only sneaker you can wear with a suit,’ and he’s right. Clean lines and simple construction give it a timeless look luxury brands like Gucci and Lanvin replicate, but you needn’t shell out for those.”
2. Nike Air Max 1
“The first-ever shoe with a visible Nike Air cushioning also happens to be one of the most streamlined casual sneakers of the modern era. The Parisian Centre Georges Pompidou origin story behind this Tinker Hatfield design is also the stuff of legend.”
3. New Balance 576
“Now the 574 is more common, but it’s also bulkier. The 576 is sleeker but also features premium materials and is Made In England. A higher price tag, sure, but the result is a shoe that dresses up better and will last you longer.”
4. Nike Dunk
“Once a basketball shoe, eventually a skateboarding shoe… always a classic. People will accuse it of being played out in recent years, but a classic can’t get played out. Just ask any Chuck Taylor enthusiast.”
5. Asics Gel-Lyte III
“First released in 1990, this Shigeyuki Mitsui design features Asics Gel cushioning and a distinguishing split-tongue. But streetwear devotees understand why it’s one of the most collabed-upon silhouettes—done in simple or complex colourways, this shoe always looks dope.”
Thanks, Al. You’re a legend.
Weekly Inspiration: Dad Style
He goes by the Instagram handle @kidonmyshoulders and he’s living proof that being a being a dad is no excuse for looking like a schlub. This guy makes it look easy. A few rules for effective Dad Style: neutral colors, relaxed fits, a few decent pairs of sneakers and boots, and layers. Kid puke washes off a vintage denim jacket nicely.
Afterword: Speaking of Dads, Here’s Another Note From Mine
Last week I wrote about wearing white jeans after Labor Day. My dad had this to say about his first encounters with white denim.
That photo you posted was of me on The Empress of England en route to a job in Scotland. It was 1963, and at that time I did not own nor had I ever owned a pair of blue jeans. Why [they were called] blue jeans I do not know, since they were never any colour but blue, or so I thought. Having no job, and finding out that travelling could be done on the cheap, I headed to France. There, I fell in with a couple of fellow travellers who straightened me out on the matter of jeans. The fashionable young man in Vancouver, where they were from, wore white jeans. My two new friends were making a fashion statement to the world by wearing their jeans every day, and many nights. As the months went by the white jeans faded to a particularly ugly shade of grey, but never washing your jeans does give them a startling durability. They both were still wearing those jeans when we parted company back in Canada many months and 21 countries later. P.S. I’m not applying for a regular column.
Thanks for the note, Dad.
See you all next week.
Mitch
Question? Comment? Suggestion? Caught a typo? Email me at mitch.moxley@gmail.com
