Casual Shoes: A mix of traditional loafer and a sneaker by Tricker's from the Junya Watanabe MAN for Comme des Garcons

These are something for my more relaxed, casual days but as usual, I have not worn these yet. I suppose this is the bane of having quite a number for shoes and only two feet. They are Green Leather, rubber (sneaker) sole made in Italy for Trickers from the Junya Watanabe MAN for Comme des Garcons.. A mouthful.

What this means is that first of all, Comme des Garcon, A Japanese fashion label and engaged Japanese fashion designer to design their Junya Watanabe MAN series of clothing. Then for the line, they had engaged British shoemakers Tricker's to come up with shoes based on Watanabe's designs. Now Tricker's are based in Northampton, England. This is home to shoemaking in Britain. 

Some of the more traditional brogues under the MAN collection are made in England. But this loafer with a sneaker type sole was actually made in Italy. So we now get a Japanese fashion house, engaging another well known Japanese designer and then they engaged Tricker's in England to make this sneaker cum loafer from a factory in Italy. That's international to you.

Anyway, this loafer sneaker or sneaker loafer is the result. You can see that it combines the top or the uppers of a traditional penny loafer with the sole of a traditional sneaker. The leather is actually made of two very slightly different tones of green. Not by much as only if you actually look very closely you can see the slight variations of tone. I have not done anything to the shoe as yet as I have not worn it at all. 

What interests me about this shoe is that it is made in the traditional way sneakers used to be made. The sole is actually stitched to the uppers instead of how most sneakers or sports shoes are made today. These days sneakers are usually either made with an injection moulded sole or the sole is stuck on with glue. This is also why when you have a pair of sneakers lying around unused, the sole just drops off. This is especially so after you've used your sneakers for a bit and then left it to sit for some time. The lack of use causes the glue dry  up and it loses its ability to stick together.This is also the reason why it really isn't that advisable to buy lots of sneakers to wear at one time.

Now this pair by Tricker's is quite different because it is made in the traditional way. The sole is attached to the uppers by stitching. You can see that the sole is attached at the sides of the uppers. It misses the midsole here (which still uses some glue to attach itself to be bottom - no shoe is adhesive free). There is a removable insole which allows you to see the stitching inside. Quite unique in this day and age where everything is usually done with glue and heat when it comes to sneakers. Even some of my fancier 'dress sneakers' are glued together instead of constructed like this. 

So I actually like this casual shoe for two reasons. One, that long winded design to commission of the shoe since it went basically from Japan to England to Italy before it got made.  Secondly, the way it was constructed even though it is just part sneaker and partly a traditional mens shoe with the traditional way of constructing it.