The unsightly shoe is absolutely nothing brand-new. We have actually seen it all: Cartoonishly beefy father tennis shoes, PVC-chic jelly shoes, heeled Crocs, and stylish ballet flat-sneaker hybrids. The hideous shoe does not differentiate– there’s a set for everyone.
The following ugly shoe ready to make it big? The wedge tennis shoe. Yes, those ones with the velcro straps that every It Girl Seemed to be using circa 2012. It’s the best embodiment of the incorrect shoe concept: set some Isabel Marant Bekett sneakers with a pair of torn micro shorts and a child tee, and you’re generally a TikTok fashion mini influencer. Ahead, read on to find out even more concerning the dissentious footwear pattern that’s providing us 2010s Tumblr fond memories.
The Fad
The golden days of Tumblr never left us. The “Indie sleaze” aesthetic is back completely force: Look to the rebirth of slept-in smoky eyes, rough Instagram filters, and cyclist jackets for proof. If Kate Moss used it to Glastonbury circa 2008, it’s most likely trending once more.
More recently, though, we’ve seen indie sleaze return through the lens of the early 2010s, many thanks to TikTok edits of Skies Ferreira readied to tune of G-Eazy’s “Tumblr Girls” and the return of Kylie Jenner’s King Kylie era. Knee high socks, mini shorts, and studded devices are having their minute in the spotlight. Certainly, so are tennis shoe wedges. They’re the best of both worlds– functional and fashionable, as style stylist Gia Knight tells Byrdie. “The 2010s rebirth has to do with wanting to be comfortable but still glamorous, wearing fits that work at the supermarket and the club.”
A quick lesson in fashion history: in 2011, Isabel Marant released the Bekett, a high-top tennis shoe with an overstated tongue, velcro straps, and a concealed three-inch wedge heel. They quickly generated a 6 month delay checklist and ended up being the embodiment of road design, with stars like Gisele Bündchen and Kim Kardashian found wearing the footwear. The last seal of star authorization? An appearance in Beyoncé’s “Love On Top” video.
13 years later, we’re seeing the resurgence of the wedge tennis shoe. Berlin-based designer Ottolinger added a chunky spin to the tennis shoe wedge for their Fall 2024 show.
On TikTok, the Bekett sneaker has amassed a cult adhering to, ending up being an if-you-know-you-know standing sign on Fashion TikTok. “About to use classic Isabel Marant wedge tennis shoes to a social gathering where nobody else works in fashion,” one TikToker posted. “Please maintain me in your petitions.”
How to Use It
Though wedge tennis shoes are famously associated with very early 2010s style, that doesn’t indicate you have to combine them with slim denims. Integrating the tennis shoe wedge right into modern-day attire with trending components is much easier than one could think. Blending in more feminine details like a pleated skirt or a ruffled mini gown can give a rejuvenating contrast to the more masculine silhouette of the footwear. Throw on a sleek purse and you’re offering design off obligation.
Alternatively, tennis shoe wedges provide you the opportunity to play around with percentages: You can style the beefy sneakers with a baggy jean and a basic child tee for a more tomboy-ish take on the fad.
