Asics

These Asics Gel Lyte 3s take their cues from popular lace-up styles.

The world of men's footwear looked rather different in 1907: consider that the Converse Shoe Company didn't even exist yet. But it was that year that a store called Packer Shoes opened for business in Yonkers, New York. There were no sneakers on the shelves back then. But in 2004, after nearly a century in business, the brand picked up, moved to Teaneck, New Jersey, and became known as one of the best sneaker stores in America—especially after it started collaborating with sneaker brands on exclusive versions of kicks. Now, Packer is looking to its past—and the kinds of shoes it stocked before sneakers became most guys' first choice footwear—by teaming up with another American style staple, J.Crew, as well as classic Japanese sneaker label Asics. Together, they're releasing versions of the Asics Gel-Lyte III that pay homage to classic footwear styles of yesterday like bucks and loafers.

There are four new Gel Lyte III styles in the collection: a "white buck," "navy buck," "charcoal suede," and "oxblood leather," each of which is done up in colorways and materials designed to mimic those old school-footwear options. This isn't the first time Packer has made a sneaker inspired by a buck; they served up the "dirty buck" Asics Gel Lyte III back in 2015. But this time around, the range of four shoes do an even better job of representing the color schemes of the styles they're based on, creating kicks that, at first glance, look way more like dress shoes than most other business-casual-aspiring sneaks we've seen. (It goes without saying
 that they're a smart pair for a suit.)

While these Asics are a loving homage, it's hard not to see the modern-day symbolism in making sneakers that are meant to looklike dress shoes. Sneaker culture is so pervasive in today's menswear market that J.Crew—a retailer that used to make a killing selling bucks (and still sells them)—now sells just as many sneakers on its site as it does dress shoes. Or just consider this: J.Crew's hottest-in-the-streets menswear item right now is also a sneaker. This won't be the final nail in the coffin by any means for bucks, oxblood leather loafers, or tassel loafers. Guys still gotta lace-up for work, interviews, court dates, weddings, and the rest. But these kicks do feel like a sign of the times. Nostalgia is popular, but sneakers—even ones that harken back to yesteryear—are an even better sell.

l.