New Season Men’s Canvas Trainers

Following on from the reader incentive that seems to be a massive hit, I gained an idea for a story from Elewis last comments about ditching the Converse and expanding your horizons with other forms of canvas trainers. I agree with him that there is a lot more in the world of canvas trainers than just the mighty monopoly of Converse, but not all of you will know this or where to look.

I have seen more and more new season canvas shoes coming out recently that have all caught my eye. From brands like Superga, Vans, Common Projects, PF Flyers, Clae and even Adidas getting in on it and producing more fashion ranges than ever this season. I know what the appeal with Converse are – the old school styling, the comfort and even just the overall look is perfect – plus you have the benefit that they are inexpensive and can pick up 2 or 3 pairs at a time in different colours for around £30 each. I have seen some of the basic monochrome colours go for as little as £15 in bargain sports stores!

However, it is right that you should all be looking to expand your look whilst also separating yourself from the masses – introducing a few of these new collections today will hopefully allow you to consider a new brand as an alternative and mix up your collection a bit. In the end most of the canvas styles are basically in the same format, but the styling is what sets them apart – you may want a more chunky sole than the Converse, a chunkier upper material construction, or simply different colour ways for your personal style. I am going to show you quite a few examples today of only NEW drops, however you may have seen some before because they release the best-sellers each and every season.

Let’s do it

New Season Canvas Trainers

Vans
Vans make great footwear. I featured some of the new drops a week or so ago but it’s worth showing some more… they are so comfy and really well constructed. Come in a more chunky style compared to Converse but adds some more masculinity. Remember it doesn’t just have to be canvas material either, you can go for a lovely suede material in the same style as a normal canvas trainer.

Superga
These definitely seem to be the brand of the moment within the fashion circles. They make a great canvas shoe but again with a slightly bigger sole than the Converse and seem to have more “shape” than them within the upper too. Personally I LOVE the monochrome varieties and the Cotu Hi versions which are a mid fit between the hi-top and low canvas trainers. If you haven’t had a pair of these trainers before I recommend you try because they really are great and don’t cost much more than a limited colour way Converse.

Adidas
Some of you may feel more at home in a trainer brand you are familiar with and trust. Adidas have started coming into the fashion market more and more recently, producing limited editions and classic pairs of true fashion footwear. I managed to find a few of the better examples below, these would look and feel as great as any other of the Adidas you own, plus have more subtle branding and a true canvas look to them.

Common Projects
These canvas trainers come at a cost. Common Projects are a premium men’s brand and these are not your traditional canvas trainers – the quality of the materials they use are just not skimped on. Whether it is beautiful brushed canvas, suede or luxurious perforated nubuck leather, these trainers just ooze quality. They keep the same basic styling as a traditional canvas trainer with the vulcanised rubber sole and shape of the overall boot, but looking at the pictures below do not do them justice. If you want to splash out, make a statement or are looking for an investment trainer, then these will last multiple seasons and if you go for the monochrome colours especially, then they will never go out of style.

PF Flyers
These take a lot of styling from the Converse boots and you can really tell by the slim shape and overall feel. They have a much more reinforced construction to them though which helps keep their shape well and again just keeps the lines a little more cleaner. Very much the same standard as Superga, these make some great versions of the classic canvas trainers which never really go beyond just classic fashion trainers. There are a couple of bright colourways but otherwise its just in the details like the piping throughout the shoe and the separate built on fabric for the top lace holes. Again a great trainer that is a definite alternative and should be tried – especially when they come in around £40 a pair.

So there is an introduction to a few new brands who you may or may not of heard of. Next week I will throw a few random examples together along with some of the new Converse collection for a comparison.