Hikers: How trekking boots capture cities
TELLING ABOUT TRENDS FROM PODIUM which can be adapted for your wardrobe in the next six months, and we continue to disassemble the trend into “tourist chic” and outdoor. This time it will be about hikers - in other words, hiking boots, which can now be safely worn not only in nature, but also in the city.
Text: Anna Aristova
How it all started
Hikers were widely spread at the beginning of the 20th century, when hiking was no longer a necessary necessity, becoming a separate form of leisure and a way of solitude with nature. Prototypes of trekking boots were worn by prominent climbers like Freda du Fort (massive models looked quite organically with outfits of the Edwardian era) and even designer Coco Chanel.
At first, the hikers were completely made of leather — right down to the sole — which made the boot slip. Later they began to produce a pair of rubber soles, but this did not help - until the Italian company Vibram introduced a non-slip embossed sole, which had excellent adhesion to the surface. Today Vibram participate in the creation of models of Rag & Bone, Henderson, The North Face, New Balance and other brands. The history of the invention, however, is tragic: friends of the founder of Vibram Vitale Bramani died during an expedition in the Alps - according to Bramani, unreliable shoes were to blame for everything.
It later became clear that the grooved sole did not solve all the problems of hiking enthusiasts - their feet still got wet in the rain, so in 1979 the American company Danner released the first shoes from the breathable Gore-Tex membrane fabric, which also made water-repellent, "turning wet feet into a relic of the past."
Why hikers are back in fashion
With the advent of fashion on "tourist chic" and autdor universal love for hikers is not surprising. Gigi Hadid, stylist Veronica Heilbrunner, singer Beyoncé and actress Blake Lively (once again demonstrating that ugly shoes can look great with more classic things) are already wearing massive boots. And one of the highlights in the modern history of hikers was the release of Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell in leather trench coats and massive boots at the latest men's show of Kim Jones for Louis Vuitton.
According to The Guardian, referring to Lyst search data, the number of requests for hikers for the second half of summer and the beginning of autumn 2018 jumped by as much as 43 percent - in particular, Ganni, Moncler and Off-White are the most popular models. Shoes based on authentic trekking shoes can be seen in the collections of House of Holland, Proenza Schouler, JW Anderson, Miu Miu, Chloé and other brands. The designer of the male Lanvin line, Lukas Ossendreyver, admits that he doesn’t like hiking, and uses hiking as an “abstract fantasy” and inspiration for his work.
How to wear it
As with other attributes of “camp life”, there are no prohibitions in wearing hikers - but most advantageously they will look in combination with skirts opposite to them in aesthetics (as here and here) and flying dresses, including in lingerie style, as in the show Ganni. These boots also look good with plain jeans and even a tuxedo. In general, we advise you not to limit yourself, especially in Russian ice, when the Hikers are simply irreplaceable - you can safely wear them in any situation.
PHOTO: loc, net-a-porter, shopbop, net-a-porter (1, 2)
