WACKY LACES - WORLD'S CRAZIEST SNEAKERS!

WOVENS
2000

Mike Aveni’s clever and bizarrely brilliant lattice design
known as the Woven managed to ignite the Tokyo
sneaker scene with terminal ferocity. Whilst the first
series of handmade Nike Wovens were hungrily snaffled
up by Japanese enthusiasts, the fire quickly spread to
London and beyond as the stylish and functional design
attained heavy-duty cult status. This was another
outta-tha-park home run for the laceless division!

Despite looking like it would unravel at a moment’s
notice, the Woven was cleverly constructed. The nylon
uppers were strong yet extremely lightweight and
although the Zoom Air sole was sturdy, they were
flexibile and immensely comfortable. Snug, but without
the constricting qualities of predecessors such as the
Seismic, after a short while it felt like you were wearing
nothing at all on your feet. You could always sling them
in the washing machine when they got dirty as well!
Low tech never looked so futuristic.

Early models are still super collectable, mainly because
they were produced in such small numbers. And while the
Woven model itself has fallen by the wayside in recent
years, the criss-crossing upper innovation has continued
with a number of different models (from many brands)
now featuring the familiar woven aesthetic. 

Photo: SNEAKER TOKYO