The cyclical and lightning-fast pace of fashion means industry watchers have a tendency to make broad, sweeping generalisations: something that’s much in evidence when it comes to the ‘ugly shoe’ trend.
The days of unapologetically grotesque sneakers (famously, the Balenciaga Triple S) might well be behind us; but that doesn’t mean that the entire ugly cool footwear movement has disappeared. Far from it.
In fact, based on how bullish Lacoste is about its new L003 2K24 — a unisex silhouette that the brand just released in 7 different colourways — you might say that the whole ugly cool sneaker wave is evolving. After all, it’s an aesthetic niche in fashion mature enough to have now permeated a label like Lacoste — a brand that has always existed at the nexus between heritage and modernity.
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Of all the colourways (4 of which are online exclusives) the classic ‘White & Green’ L003 2K24 gives wearers the most insight into the direction that future Lacoste footwear will be trending.
To the brand’s credit, there are some solid echoes of great design from other prominent competitors: the overlaid synthetic mesh uppers bring to mind Adidas’ beloved JET trainers of the early 2000s; while the aggressive beveling on the outsole is a look we’ve seen echoed in the New Balance 327.
There’s not a ton of info about the shoe’s technical performance — both the traction and sole unit seem solid enough — but then again, this new Lacoste silhouette really feels to us like a cultural play for sneakerheads’ dollars. “From the court to the streets”, indeed.
