Sneaker Culture

Soon after arriving in Paris, Glenn commented to me one morning that he was the only person on our train car not wearing sneakers.  I hadn't really paid too much attention to menswear--of course I had noticed that lots of women wear sneakers here with all kinds of outfits--but then I started noticing.  Casual empiricism suggests that 80% of men and 65% of women you see on the street in Paris are wearing sneakers at any moment.  This crosses (almost) all demographics and ages.  It also crosses seasons and styles of dress.  You see 70-year-old men wearing new, white Adidas with trousers and a sport coat.  Likewise, it would not be unusual to see a 50-year-old woman in high-top Chuck Taylors and a dress.  Or a stylish 20-year-old in an oversized sweater, leggings, and sneakers.  The one identifiable group that does not seem typically sneaker-clad is immigrant men above a certain age. 

Here are some photos I took recently in Luxembourg Gardens.  (These are taken from a distance, and none are very good-quality photos because, obviously, I didn't want people to notice that I was photographing their feet.)  The first shows three men and one woman walking together, with only the woman in something other than sneakers.  I love the couple of a certain age (second photo) in their matching Stan Smiths.  It's difficult to see detail in the third photo, but when I zoomed in, I was able to verify that only one person under the pavilion  was not wearing sneakers. 

 

They do not call them "sneakers," of course, or "trainers," like the British do.  Their term reminds me of my childhood when we used the term "tennis shoes" to refer generically to any athletic footwear.  They call them "baskets," short for basketball.  

I suspect some of their popularity has to do with the weather.  It rarely snows in Paris, so the prudent move in Boston of heading out in boots every day during the winter seems like overkill here.  (Women do wear boots for fashion reasons still, of course, but they're less practical than sneakers in a climate where it doesn't snow and a city where walking is the default means of transportation.)

Adidas would be the most popular brand, I would guess.  Six years ago, everyone was wearing white Adidas Stan Smiths, often with unusual colored laces or trim (instead of the standard white laces and green trim).  Stan Smiths are still in evidence, but Sambas and Spezials, both Adidas, have made a big comeback this time.  They are available in more colors here than in the US, so you see people in green and white Sambas or dark blue suede Spezials with light blue stripes, or other cool combinations.  

Supergas were big six years ago and seem to have faded.  As have Vejas.  One still sees them on the street, but less often.

Some American brands--Converse, New Balance, Nike--are fairly popular but still don't seem as ubiquitous as Adidas.  I have not seen any Hokas (I'm happy to report--sorry).  I spotted these British Golas recently in some very nice colorways.  (Love the gum sole!)

No surprise that I have hopped on the sneaker train, so to speak, and find myself wearing my loafers and oxfords less often and sneakers more often.  Glenn still has not given in.  He has running shoes, hiking shoes, and tennis shoes here, each of which he wears for their intended purpose.  We'll see if he adapts ...