THE ERA OF THE HYBRID SNEAKER

UNVEILING THE VERSATILITY: WHAT A HYBRID SNEAKER IS AND WHY THE CATEGORY NOW DEFINES CONSIDERED MEN'S STYLE

THE HYBRID SNEAKER IS NOT A NEW IDEA. IT IS A NEWLY NAMED ONE. THE COMBINATION OF DRESS SHOE CONSTRUCTION WITH SNEAKER EASE, LEATHER UPPER, CLEAN SILHOUETTE, COMFORTABLE SOLE, HAS BEEN THE DIRECTION OF CONSIDERED MEN'S STYLE FOR OVER A DECADE. WHAT IS NEW IS THE MARKET'S CLARITY ABOUT WHAT IT WANTS AND ITS WILLINGNESS TO SPEND SERIOUSLY TO GET IT.

WHAT DEFINES THE HYBRID

THE BEST HYBRID SNEAKERS BORROW FROM BOTH TRADITIONS WITHOUT COMPROMISING EITHER. FROM THE DRESS SHOE: LEATHER CONSTRUCTION, CONSIDERED PROPORTIONS, A SILHOUETTE THAT SITS CORRECTLY BENEATH TAILORING. FROM THE SNEAKER: A SOLE UNIT THAT PROVIDES COMFORT OVER EXTENDED WEAR, A CONSTRUCTION THAT ALLOWS FLEXIBILITY, AN EASE IN THE UPPER THAT ALLOWS ALL DAY WEARING WITHOUT THE FORMALITY OF A TRADITIONAL DRESS SHOE.

WHERE THE CATEGORY FAILS IS WHEN IT TRIES TO PLEASE BOTH CONTEXTS BY SATISFYING NEITHER. PAIRS THAT LOOK LIKE SNEAKERS BUT WEAR LIKE DRESS SHOES. OR PAIRS THAT LOOK FORMAL BUT PERFORM LIKE FASHION OBJECTS. THE GENUINE HYBRID EARNS ITS PLACE IN BOTH WARDROBES BECAUSE BOTH DESIGN DISCIPLINES HAVE BEEN APPLIED WITH EQUAL RIGOUR.

THE 1812 POSITION

THE LUXURY HANDMADE SNEAKER IS, BY DEFINITION, A HYBRID OBJECT. IT CARRIES THE CONSTRUCTION METHODS AND MATERIAL STANDARDS OF ENGLISH DRESS SHOEMAKING AND APPLIES THEM TO A SILHOUETTE DESIGNED FOR THE CONTEMPORARY WARDROBE. THE RESULT IS A SNEAKER THAT SITS CORRECTLY BENEATH A SUIT AND CORRECTLY WITH JEANS. THAT DOES NOT REQUIRE A CONTEXT TO JUSTIFY ITS PRESENCE.

THE ERA OF THE HYBRID SNEAKER IS NOT A TREND. IT IS AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT THE MODERN WARDROBE MOVES BETWEEN CONTEXTS AND THAT THE SNEAKER SHOULD MOVE WITH IT.