The Old Soft Shoe: Comfy Kicks to Get You There

by Owen Edwards

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Go into any Nike Town or Athlete's Foot store these days, and you might think you're at a major auto show. The running and gym shoes are often as futuristic as concept cars, with designs and engineering that would not be out of place in a new Lexus or BMW -- and prices to match. But a quiet counter-revolution has been making small, rubber-soled steps among admirers of classic gear. Manufacturers of the very latest in athletic footwear are finding that they can also market earlier models, like reprints of great books or re-issues of great rock and roll albums, and find plenty of retro-minded buyers. To which we say, "Give it your best shot, Dude!" What follows is an Edutopia Hall of Fame for sneakers with a noble pedigree.

Credit: Adidas

Adidas Superstar II

$60-$65

Nothing flashy here, just the kind of white-on-white decorum that once was de rigueur at Wimbledon. Soft leather upper, "shell toe" rubber cap, cupsole design.

Credit: Simple Shoes

Simple Old School

$60

With squishy insoles, suede uppers with cork and rubber outsole, these venerable sneaks long ago rose above mere fashion.

Credit: Vans

Vans Classic Slip-on

$30-$40

Long a fashion and function must for the skateboarding and surfing cognescenti, this combination sneaker/boat shoe/loafer, with its unmistakable checkered flag upper, is the essence of counterculture "kewl."

Credit: Converse

Converse Jack Purcells

$50-$95

White uppers, a rubber cap toe, thick (and heavy) smooth soles, and a trademark "smile" on the toe instantly identify the "must" choice for people who consider innovations in tennis shoes a frivolous business. Converse is offering a "re-invented" version, lighter with some strategic padding, for those who simply must have progress.

Owen Edwards is a contributing editor for Edutopia and Smithsonian magazines.

This article was also published in the April 2006 issue of Edutopia magazine .