Jerry's 'Seinfeld' sneakers back in style
FOR THE PURISTS: Steve Madden's Maze sneaker for women, with easy-on, easy-off Vel-cro straps, comes in five colorways, but in all-white it packs the most retro '90s punch; $99.95 at select Steve Madden stores and stevemadden.com. Credit: Steve Madden
"Seinfeld" is making a comeback — at least, when it comes to sneakers. Young women and men are traipsing around in plain white, chunky sneakers — the kind you’d more expect to see on their fathers mowing the lawn — that Long Island native Jerry Seinfeld's character made ubiquitous on-screen in his '90s sitcom.
The trend — now seen on designer runways, and having very little to do with actual visits to the gym — seems to be evolving just like the fashion sense of good ol' Jer’ himself.
Check out “Seinfeld” reruns and you’ll see the comedy icon sporting an array of sneakers — mostly Nikes, mostly white.
“Seinfeld’s character and the show ended up being a platform for showcasing Nike’s high-heat products of the time — the Air Tech Challenge, Air Huarache, Air Jordan 6,” recalls Bernie Gross, art director and brand manager of Extra Butter, a popular sneaker emporium known for its shops in Rockville Centre (which, alas, closed last winter) and the Lower East Side in Manhattan.
Flash forward to today and you’ll see Seinfeld's still got the same fondness for sneakers, wearing them in episodes of his web series “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee” as well as in paparazzi shots. These days, his choices are more colorful, in keeping with the larger "Dad sneaker" trend that saw Burberry hitting up fall high-tops with bold red polka dots while Gucci delivered a sparkly rainbow logo.
The self-confessed sneakerhead's not just on trend, he seems to be leading it.