On trend with Smith, Stan Smith

Turns out I was on trend. Pure chance, mind you, a happenstance due to dogged loyalty that has lasted nearly 40 years. So allergic to trendiness am I, the moment may have already passed. But it doesn’t matter to me and my Stans.

My Stan Smiths are, as the British call them, trainers. They are dazzling white out of the box and wrinkled and tired at the end of their life; an apt metaphor really for everyone’s journey.

The choice, way back when tennis absorbed my life, was between purchasing one of two Adidas brand shoes – one named after American Stan Smith (who won two majors) and the other named after Australian Rod Laver, widely considered one of the greatest players of all time. The Stans, obviously, won. Back then, price probably played a role but since then they’ve become the one staple of my wardrobe that has survived the decades.

To me, they have been great for court, tennis and squash. They were amazing the summer I spent shingling roofs, with unparalleled grip. When others drooled for Air Jordans, I stuck with Stan. Other attempts to jazz up runner were lame: no buttons to pump them up; no garish colour schemes; and no soles so high a broken ankle seemed likely to occur. Just simple and sleek, that was Stan’s secret to success. They were timeless, with shorts, pants and suits.

Over the last 40 years, I’ve cycled through quite a number of Stans. Each time there was a growing fear they were becoming harder to find (in Victoria, when I first moved here there was one small running store that carried them) and Adidas just might scrap the line.

Seems like little fear of that now.

Stans now come in a variety of designs, some by acclaimed designers who are putting their spin on this classic shoe. They come in black and brown and you can design your own. But I say nay! The traditional version – white leather, green trim and unadorned by anything else – will always be the one for me.

But it did make me think if there was anything else hanging in the closest that was about to make a comeback and make me look hip. Turns out, not really.

Levis, never really went out of style – more of a question about how blue the jean is and how wide the leg. Slogan t-shirts, making a comeback for sure but most of my slogans are a little dated and not ready for prime-time anymore.  Mao collars are funky, if you can pull them off – couldn’t do it last time, so not going to try this time. Maybe turtlenecks, but it is tough ensuring the look doesn’t look too college professor-ish.

So it turns out being on trend was a one-time occasion. Which is fine, my Stans and I will just keep waiting till the next time the classic look makes a comeback – when I will likely be as wrinkly as the shoes.