That’s it, the dad shoe trend is officially post peak. While a lot of labels are still scrambling to get their version of the trend at retail, the fact that Ash just launched a $300 take down of Balenciaga’s Triple S is a sign that the beginning of the end is upon us.
Known for its knock offs of popular high-end shoes, who can forget when Ash made a copy of Isabel Marant’s popular wedge sneaker. Marant debuted the shoe in 2012 and within less than a year, Ash and Steve Madden had produced their version of the trend, leading Marant to tell WWD in 2014, “I don’t wear them as often as I [used to] because I see too [many bad copies] in the street. I’m not saying mine are the most beautiful shoes, but they have a certain [style]. And on the weekends, I’m so happy to have them because I feel so good in them. I don’t want to throw them out.”
And while the sneaker wedge trend soldiered on (Nike jumped on the look for a hot minute), the silhouette lost its appeal among fashion snobs and Marant was forced to move on.
The 2018 silhouette has changed but the dynamic remains the same. Yes, the Triple S is evaporating upon arrival, but we predict the trend is going to very quickly get boiled down to a few winners and a whole bunch of losers. Already we’ve heard the Prophere, a chunky shoe Adidas Originals debuted this year, is shaping up to be a flop.
We will even name names. The Triple S will remain the gold standard for men and women who have the time and money to chase down a pair, Fila’s Disruptor will be the go-to “mom” shoe for women and the Yeezy Wave Runner 700 will be the chunky shoe of choice for guys.
