In the world of footwear, there is no silhouette more controversial than the sneaker-high-heel hybrid. For a certain segment of the population the very concept, whether wedge or high heel, actually gets their blood pressure moving in an upward direction.
Even in the case of Rihanna whose furry slides and creepers have been well received, when she showed lace-up booties with athletic detailing and a Puma logo on the runway, a certain, aw-hell-no segment of the population voiced its displeasure. For them, sneakers are sneakers and heels are heels and never the twain shall meet.
Enter shoe designer Jeffrey Campbell, who’s entire business model is built around defying shoe design decorum, and the reason he’s adored by many is precisely because he creates with an eye on creating shoes that push boundaries and in many cases are downright weird.
Case in point his recently launched Stark WDG wedge platform sneakers ($200) and Tempo lace up heel bootie ($220), which NiceKicks have astutely pointed out are clearly inspired by Nike’s famous Air Bakin basketball shoe, first launched in 1997. For the shoe purists, the Stark and Tempo are not acceptable not only because they’re hybrids, but also because they’re inspired by Nike, which for some reason gets people even more worked up.
The funny thing is, the people buying the shoes probably have zero clue that the red and black upper has its roots in a Nike sneaker. For them, they’re just some rad looking boots, and indeed, the Stark WDG is already sold out in several sizes.
