2009 - BEST OF THE BEST SNEAKERS

GARETH SKEWIS CONTINUED...

Now some shoe facts regarding the Tanju. Much like Lev it is made in Europe, Portugal to be exact, the shoe that is. Much like Lev, it is made from premium leather and is lined with pig skin. Unlike Lev, it is a full moccasin construction. The blue colourway pictured goes so perfectly with chinos and a white V-neck tee shirt, it actually pains me to think about it. Why is this my favorite sneaker of 2009? Very clearly put, it is because it is not a sneaker but comes from a sneaker-influenced background.

The way I see it is that shoes like the Tanju from Pointer or other brands are the way forward after sneakers and boat shoes. Go on, live a little. Try something new. There is a whole world of footwear out there besides sportswear brands and your regular sportswear silhouettes.

This might shock a few of the real diehard sportswear lovers out there, but if you looked a bit closer you would find some really interesting stuff out there that has been influenced by the regular brands you buy. I would much rather put product out there that creates an opinion and gets people thinking about what they are buying into style-wise than jump on some sort of corporate Powerpoint Marketing Plan. Embrace footwear with no laces...