Reader Shannon writes in to say, “This new shoe from Marc by Marc Jacobs looks a lot like Vans to me. Or is it only egregious when the infringement is trickle-down?”
Well no, it’s not, but this definitely requires some discussion.
On the one hand, Marc and his team are clearly referencing Vans’ Old Skool style.
But it’s not like the Foley + Corinna knockoff dres, which looks exactly like the original.
Instead, it’s a nod to the skater and street community that Marc constantly references in his collections, sometimes blatantly (Stephen Sprouse graffiti prints), and sometimes a little more under-the-radar (like, did anyone else notice the Shepard Fairey kickback in his recent runway show?).
So some style fans might see this shoe as a clever, backhanded shout out to the kids who fuel Marc’s fun…
And some will think it’s just a glorified, overpriced Van (which, for the record, we wore every day in high school).
Care to choose sides?
posted by Elizabeth
Sep 14, 2007 9:30AM
Marc Jacobs designs shoes for Vans sometimes- could these be from his next collection for them?