The cyclical and lightning-fast pace of fashion means industry watchers have a tendency to make broad, sweeping generalisations: something thatโs much in evidence when it comes to the โugly shoeโ trend.
The days of unapologetically grotesque sneakers (famously, the Balenciaga Triple S) might well be behind us; but that doesnโt 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 โ a unisex silhouette that the brand just released in 7 different colourways โ you might say that the whole ugly cool sneaker wave is evolving. After all, itโs an aesthetic niche in fashion mature enough to have now permeated a label like Lacoste โ 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 โWhite & Greenโ L003 2K24 gives wearers the most insight into the direction that future Lacoste footwear will be trending.
To the brandโs credit, there are some solid echoes of great design from other prominent competitors: the overlaid synthetic mesh uppers bring to mind Adidasโ beloved JET trainers of the early 2000s; while the aggressive beveling on the outsole is a look weโve seen echoed in the New Balance 327.
Thereโs not a ton of info about the shoeโs technical performance โ both the traction and sole unit seem solid enough โ but then again, this new Lacoste silhouette really feels to us like a cultural play for sneakerheadsโ dollars. โFrom the court to the streetsโ, indeed.
