’s love for canvas shoes began with the first pair of CN brand in my life - milky white low-top ’s All Star.
I was only 12 years old at the time and didn’t know about the CN brand and the national trendy culture it represented. I just felt that this This pair of shoes is different from all the styles of shoes I have worn. They are not as serious as leather shoes. Compared with other ordinary casual sports shoes, they are more delicate. They look baggy, but they are extremely comfortable on the feet.
Many years later, after wearing out countless canvas shoes, I slowly realized that my inexplicable fondness for the CN brand at that time was not only because of the design of the canvas shoes itself, but also from the CN brand itself. Combining a thick but soft wrapping feel with a simple but self-explanatory temperament, canvas shoes have an elusive magic that makes everyone who comes close to them fall in love with them and feel unable to stop.
’s pair of CN brand milky white All Stars have long been discontinued, but I am still looking for better-looking canvas shoes with national fashion culture. And it has to be said that the rise of street trends and replica culture has made the pursuit process full of surprises.
Let me bring you four pairs of such "surprises" today. They may not be popular shoes in the general sense, but as long as you come into contact with them, you will definitely know why you love canvas shoes so much - just like in life Like all good things that make people want to stop.
01
made in China "Shoes Like Pottery"
Made shoes like pottery
China has always had no shortage of craftsmen. The decades-old shoe brand 'made in China' is a vivid representative of the spirit of Chinese craftsmen.
Collection pictures
Born in 2003, CN brand is a brand that you will encounter sooner or later in your pursuit of better canvas shoes. On the one hand, excluding luxury brands and hype premiums, the CN brand, with an average price of nearly a thousand yuan, is almost the most expensive canvas shoe on the market; on the other hand, the vulcanization process that has lasted for more than a century has made the CN brand one of the most expensive canvas shoes on the market. It has the most craftsmanlike temperament and may also be the most wearable canvas shoes, almost one of them.
Milk canvas shoes is the most famous series of CN brand. As the name of the shoe suggests, "as nutritious as milk" is not only the biggest feature of this series, but also one of the characteristics of the CN brand. The simple steps to make
: Craftsmen hand-sew the cut canvas shoes into uppers, then put the uppers on the shoe lasts, integrate them by hand, and attach the toe and outsole. Then comes the most important "sulfurization" step - craftsmen put the shoes into a kiln at a high temperature of 100°C and bake them for 80 minutes, using high temperature and high pressure to make the canvas and soles strong. The traditional vulcanization process, hand-made shoes that have lasted for a century, and the foot shape data of 260,000 people accumulated since its inception, give the CN brand a near-perfect wearing experience: soft, fit, durable, and better than imagined. of lightness.
▲ Hand-sewn - vulcanization process
Milk canvas shoes Another feature is the sole of the canvas shoe itself and the prominent CN logo on the side of the sole. People who prefer a simple style may think this is a redundant design, but I like this design very much - it's a bit like the personal seal left by a craftsman after completing a work, which is a sign of confidence in his craftsmanship. A symbol of beginning and end.
02
Converse "Addict"
Converse as a collectible
For a long time, Converse was in an embarrassing position of being able to buy or not, until it declared bankruptcy in 2001.At this point, Converse was split into two parts - the main body of Converse acquired and dominated by Nike, and the Japanese operating rights that were sold before bankruptcy, which is what we often call the Japanese line "Converse Japan" now. Addict is the high-end branch line of Converse Japan founded in 2008 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the brand’s birth.
It is from this branch line that the Japanese line has changed from a more refined and fitting Converse to a trendy series with high collectible value. Behind this is of course the creative director of the Addict series and the manager of Japan's top trendy brand N.Hoolywood. Daisuke Ohana Relatedly, with his own traffic, he and Fujiwara , Nishiyama Tetsu, Shawn Yue and other trendy people's personal endorsements have made Addict's reputation soar. However, the reason why it can be praised by so many big names in the industry is that the Addict series can be called a luxury material function. It’s a must.
▲ Converse Addict x N.Hoolywood co-branded
Addict shoes are lined with Outlast® temperature-regulating fabric derived from NASA technology, which has a remarkable breathable and sweat-wicking effect; the midsole is equipped with a removable PORON polyester cushioning module, which has outstanding cushioning shock effect; the outsole uses the famous Vibram® outsole, which is not only non-slip and wear-resistant, but also very lightweight. The purchase price of such a pair of non-customized outsoles is almost the same as a pair of ordinary Converse All Stars, which also explains why the cheapest pair of "Addict" costs about 1,000 yuan.
▲ Converse Addict anatomy diagram
However, the price of 1,000 yuan does not mean that you can buy it for 1,000 yuan. Because it is only sold in Japan and only for two seasons each year, the price of almost every pair of Addict has been raised to more than 2,000 yuan. Even so, if you have the opportunity, it is still recommended to buy it. After all, as a top-quality Converse, how can we not live up to the many years we have loved Converse if we don’t own a pair?
03
Eytys "Mother"
in the name of self-expression
If you like canvas shoes and care about the self-expression function of clothing, then you definitely don’t want to miss Eytys. This one comes from Stockholm niche trendy brand.
Although it is called a "trendy brand", Eytys is not a brand that likes to cater to the market. The birth of the brand is a very personal story. Founder Max Schiller couldn't find the shoe type he wanted to wear on the market, so he decided to design his own - a pair of vulcanized canvas shoes with a sole thickness of 3.8CM. This pair of canvas shoes named "Mother" later became the brand's first single product, and after its rapid popularity, it unexpectedly set off a trend of thick-soled shoes in the entire fashion circle, even earlier than Balenciaga's Triple S .
▲ Eytys “Mother” canvas shoes
However, leading the trend is not the reason to recommend Eytys, but staying true to the brand spirit of self-expression is. When most brands were satisfied with classic canvas shoes, Eytys decided to add thick soles to canvas shoes; after Balenciaga made dad shoes popular, Eytys turned its attention to clothing - the reason was that designers could not find them. I have found the denim jacket I want to wear. For this kind of willfulness, the increasing brand influence is the best response to Eytys.
▲ Eytys latest denim series advertisement
Of course, the premise of being loyal to self-expression is that the product is excellent. Even without mentioning the unique thick-soled design, Mother itself is a pair of canvas shoes that is close to perfect comfort. It is also vulcanized, which not only makes the rubber outsole stronger and more durable, but also gives the upper and sole higher elasticity, ensuring maximum comfort. For a brand known for its "willfulness", this kind of comfort and durability is the biggest surprise in itself.
04
Reproduction of Found "US Navy Military Trainer"
Beyond the original replica
As long as you know a little bit about the fashion world, you will know how many of the designs are inspired by military uniforms - from overalls to pea coats to M51 The fishtail windbreaker can be traced back to the classic military uniform. The Japanese shoe brand Reproduction of Found (hereinafter ROF) is no exception, but what it is good at is not just drawing inspiration from military uniforms, but replicating them. Just like the brand name says: searching for classic military shoes in history, Then bring them back to life through reproduction.
is also a replica, ROF goes further than the Converse “Addict” series. The Addict series only reproduces Converse's 1960s All Star, and ROF not only reproduces classic military shoes in history, but also includes well-known classics such as the German training shoes , as well as those from Canada and Russia. A little-known military shoe style.
▲ Lady White Co. It is this strict and almost paranoid attitude that allows each ROF replica to restore the classics to the greatest extent, making all fans of replica culture and military style flock to it.
▲ ROF classic French military training shoes
US Navy Military Trainer The name of this shoe is also its source of inspiration - US Navy training shoes. However, strictly speaking, these shoes are not canvas shoes, because ROF extremely luxuriously uses Cordura® fabrics commonly used in high-end outdoor equipment as uppers. They are not only softer and lighter than canvas, but also wear-resistant and tear-resistant. The resistance is also 10 times that of ordinary cotton canvas. What's even more rare is that Cordura® fabric is also resistant to dirt and easy to clean. It is no exaggeration to say that all your requirements for a pair of replica military shoes can be found in this pair of "canvas shoes", regardless of the design style. In terms of wearing experience.
Collection pictures
For various reasons, these four pairs of canvas shoes are not easy to buy. But if you have the chance, whether you happen to meet them while traveling or see them in Guess You Like, I still hope you can own them. Not only because they are really easy to wear, but also because they provide us with a medium that gives us the opportunity to touch the part of life that is higher than daily life and experience the period that lasts longer than the present, and then look back and discover the things around us Those forgotten beauties, fall in love with them again.
The true meaning of good things and a good life is probably like this.
· The End ·
Written by Gao Mingming
Designed by Gao Mingmei
First picture of the article UGMONK.COM
