Even ASICS' Dad Shoes Are Over-Accessorized Now
Bentgablenits huge collection of vintage Cracker Jack charms and antique gumball charms could easily belong in a museum. However, instead, it’s being used to decorate a series of 1-of-1 ASICS sneakers.
Including charms that date back 75 years, the Toronto-based upcycling label has meticulously hand-sewn a selection of its antique charms onto the back of ASICS’ signature old-school running shoes.
From cute little animals, to clocks, to silver cowboy boots, a range of charms hang off the back of the light-colored running shoes, attached to various chains or ropes added to the backs of the shoes by Bentgablenits.
There are only so many of the vintage charms to go around so, naturally, this is quite a limited release.
While Bentgablenits hasn’t disclosed how many of the 1-of-1 sneakers it has made, the fact that they’re only releasing at Dover Street Market in Ginza, Japan, on July 19 infers that there's only a select number of shoes available.
The charms dangling from these sneakers build on a wider trend for over-accessorizing. Handbags from the likes of Balenciaga and Miu Miu have been wearing their clutter on the outside, walking the runway with decorative charms and keychains clanging around.
Plus, since Sonny Angel keychains have gone viral, I can’t stop seeing them attached to people's bags.
Having a charm attached to a bag is one thing, however, the trend is slowly creeping its way into footwear: Dr. Martens and Marc Jacobs’ grunge-inspired shoes are embellished with large charms and Basketcase’s collaborative New Balance 1906A sneakers have the brand’s logo hanging from a pendant on the end of a safety pin.
A dangly chain filled with charms is, naturally, not the most practical accessory to have on a sneaker, however, that hasn’t stopped designers from experimenting with over-accessorized footwear.
