Urban Sneakers

Urban gear is showing up on the streets of every town across America these days. To attest to its popularity, urban wear is often seen in even the most rural districts of the Mid-West. That is because both the clothing (threads) and shoes (kicks) have a unique style that will add flair and color to an otherwise dull look. Urban gear is especially appreciated during the dull days of early winter when the landscape is dominated by grey buildings, fields, and sky. Urban sneakers follow this trend of bright to outlandish styles that can be carried off by the attitude of the wearer.

Depending on who you talk to, there are between fifteen and twenty brands that produce urban sneakers. Some of the old standbys include Nike, Adidas, Reebok, and Puma. Newcomers to the market are Phat Farm, Ecko, Shmack, Black Label, and Zoo York. All of these shoes strive to combine the comfort and durability that you need in a shoe when your primary mode of transport is walking, with a distinctive urban style that you can customize to make your own.

Take a look at the Superstar 2 Limited sneakers put out by Adidas. These shoes walk the line between a sneaker and an office shoe. The bottom has a non-skid rubber sole and the interior is padded for athletic use. But the leather uppers have been polished and stitched to mimic a dress loafer. These are shoes you can wear on your bike messenger route and then trick your patrons into thinking you actually work in their office.

Some of the Nike urban sneakers come in bright colors like red or purple that stand out even more against a big white swoosh. Rocawear’s line is currently pushing the envelope on puffy shoes, a style is popular in both urban sneakers and jackets at the moment. A lot of urban sneakers are going for a throwback look this season. Blac Label has a lot of high tops out that wouldn’t look out of place on the set of Welcome Back, Cotter. As long as you can wear your kicks with style, any type of urban sneaker will suit you.