Thanks to Jane Fonda, fashion's most divisive trainer could be back in style
Hailed as comfortable and practical, it's no wonder that the trend trickled down to the yummy mummy circuit, being ubiquitous with glamorous mamas from Notting Hill to Brooklyn Heights donning them while running from Pilates to school pick-up. Unfortunately, that's when rather predictably the fashion cognoscenti turned their nose up at them, with fashion oracle and journalist Lauren Sherman recently writing about them in her must-read newsletter, Line Sheet, that they were over 'thank goodness'.
'I've never understood the allure of Golden Goose Super-stars,' says stylist and brand consultant Flossie Saunders. 'I hate a scruffy trainer and the signature star feature to me feels childish and uncool. As a stylist, I'm open to new ideas and would like to think I understand or can get on board with usual trends of ironic fashion jabs, but I just don't see the point of buying a pair of shoes which look battered and bruised before you've even taken to the pavement in them. If you're willing to spend on trainers, in a similar price bracket I'd opt for the Maison Margiela Replica sneaker or Loewe Ballet Runner style which both give a similar understated aesthetic whilst still feeling interesting and elevated.'
But could the Italian designer's fortunes be about to shift again? After all, its latest ad campaign stars none other than 87-year-old actress, activist and style icon, Jane Fonda, looking especially chic. Styled by Gro Curtis, the brand's official stylist, alongside Fonda's official stylist Cristina Ehrlich, she's photographed in one image wearing a loose-fitting black trouser suit, while in another she's in a white tux with a contrasting black leather jacket draped across her shoulders. Our favourite styling element though is the ankle-length red, white and blue striped socks – surely a come-on to Gen Z customers, whose opinions on all things hosiery length are well-known.
Joining Fonda in the 25th anniversary campaign, which is being dubbed 'Born To Be A Super-Star' are a diverse bunch of trailblazers, including Australian skateboarder and double Olympic gold medallist Keegan Palmer; Italian Paralympic athlete and Inclusive Padel Tour founder Alessandro Ossola; American restaurateur and entrepreneur Joe Bastianich; and renowned fashion stylist Cristina Ehrlich, designed to highlight the universality of the brand.
Of course, the Super-Star's rise, fall and rise again in popularity is very much in keeping with what we know about the life cycle of the shoe. Just look at the Adidas Samba, for example, which was effectively cancelled (but was it really?) when the former prime minister Rishi Sunak wore his with a navy trouser suit last year (he was later forced to issue a 'fulsome' apology to the Samba community). Once ubiquitous on any given train carriage, the relatively simple style went from being so cool it had a sell-out Wales Bonner collaboration, to being a persona non grata in fashion circles.
Since Sunak's faux-pas, searches for the shoe have plummeted to half of what they once were, and according to the payment app Klarna, sales of the style fell by 11 per cent in the month in which Sunak wore them. Yet, the Instagram account Data But Make It Fashion recently shared that positive sentiment around Adidas Sambas was up by 20 per cent this month, proving fashion's collective memory is very short indeed.
Another example is Uggs. In the 2000s, you couldn't move for Uggs, which were the unofficial uniform of red brick university students and A-listers including Sienna Miller and Kate Moss alike. Having reached saturation point by the early 2010s, they were considered extremely un-chic again – not least because they aren't actually very practical in the winter (they were originally designed as indoor slippers and aren't waterproof).
Now, in the past six months, they've been re-hailed as the comfy footwear du jour with a reinvention – including heeled styles – loved by Jennifer Lopez et al. Go figure. According to Footwear News, Uggs had a 16.1 per cent increase in sales in the final quarter of last year, up to £980 million. That's a lot of soggy toes.
Of course, some shoes deserve to remain in the annals of fashion history (gladiator sandals, we are looking at you), but we'd personally quite like the world to rediscover the joys of Steve Madden's slip-on platform sandals (dubbed 'slinkys') or Vivienne Westwood's pirate boots, both Y2K icons ripe for a renaissance. Perhaps they can see if La Fonda is free to model them.
Our pick of the flock
As modelled by Fonda, this classic white pair with grey suede inserts and a gold glitter star is an instant update on the iconic style, and will dress up any outfit.
Super-Star with gold glitter star and ice-gray suede inserts, £445, Golden Goose
Swap the intentionally messed-up off-whites for these in black leather, which feature a fun zebra print star – a modern update on the leopard print version.
Super-Star in black nappa leather with zebra-print pony skin star and beige leather heel tab, £485, Golden Goose
Red accessories are trending again, so why not subtly nod to it via these Super-Stars, which feature a rust effect star and heel?
White Women's Super-Star LAB with rust-effect star and heel tab, £610, Golden Goose
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
28 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Anne Nolan shares heartbreaking bucket list goals after cancer update
Anne Nolan has shared her bucket list goals after announcing huge cancer news this week, revealing that it might be "too late" for her to complete them. Speaking on Good Morning Britain this morning, Anne revealed that she is now cancer-free for the second time - and has a few milestones to tick off her list. "I'd love to go to Krakow and visit the camps. I sent my daughter there as a gift for her wedding. She went and said it was so moving," she said. "I've always wanted to go there. I've always wanted to learn an instrument but I don't know if it's too late for me," she added. "I'd love to learn an instrument. Piano or acoustic guitar. With acoustic guitar, you go to parties and can take it out to play along for the family. "I'd love to learn a language - French or Italian. I don't know if it's going to happen. I've also never learnt to swim so I would love to learn to swim."
The Herald Scotland
2 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Horrid Henry and the wives he cut off in their prime
In other words, it's a bit like watching a River City re-run on BBC iPlayer. History is also similar to River City as it's populated by very bad people doing very bad things for very good reasons. Mark Shaw teaches the subject (History, not River City) and knows a thing or two about ancient times. He once worked in a Californian school where the curriculum was focused, understandably, on America's glittering (and often grizzly) past. Occasionally Mark grew weary of reciting tales about George Washington's wooden teeth, and for the sake of variety would throw into the mix the odd anecdote celebrating Brittania's gloriously gory backstory. Most students were enthralled when Mark told them about Henry VIII and the tragic fate of his six wives. Though one girl was visibly appalled at the behaviour of England's much married monarch, and couldn't stop herself from shouting out: 'That Henry VIII… I didn't realise he was such a diva.' Lot of bottle While studying at Edinburgh Uni, Karen Lawson had a part-time job as a waitress in an Italian restaurant. A rude drunk once staggered into the premises, flopped down at a table and demanded a bottle of wine. 'What year?' asked Karen. 'I better get it this year,' slurred the drunk, 'or there'll be trouble.' Road to ruin While learning to drive, reader Bill Fry had a wise instructor who educated him in the ways of motoring. This chap once said to Bill: 'If you don't swear while you're driving, that just means you aren't concentrating on what's happening on the road.' Bedtime story The teenage son of Patricia Smith was vacationing in Ibiza with buddies. While the other lads soaked up rays at the beach, or knocked back drinks with fancy-schmancy names at the bar, Patricia's son spent most of his time snoozing peacefully in his air-conditioned room. This behaviour did not go unnoticed, leading his pals to reward him with the entirely suitable moniker… half-man half-mattress. Jobbing along It's been years since Paul Wright retired from a career working in a Glasgow office, though he still misses that feeling of self-worth a job gives a chap. He recalls one boss rewarding him with a memorable 'compliment', when he said to Paul: 'I go to you when I can't go to my go-to guy.' The hardest word 'I don't apologise for anything,' says reader Sue Cunningham. 'I'm sorry, that's just the way I am.'
Times
7 hours ago
- Times
Death Comes to Pemberley review — bloody deeds and country dances
In this murder mystery the stately characters are familiar with the intricacies of country dance steps, and one is even willing to try his hand at an Italian aria. There's no shortage of period atmosphere in Duncan Abel and Rachel Wagstaff's adaptation of PD James's journey into the realm of Pride and Prejudice, even if the plot tends to meander towards a genteel conclusion. Abel and Wagstaff, who are best known for their stage versions of The Girl on the Train and The Da Vinci Code, have here collaborated on a more low-key venture, directed by Jonathan O'Boyle, which is the first touring production mounted by that resourceful Berkshire dinner theatre venue, the Mill at Sonning. It made a reasonably snug fit at Windsor Theatre Royal, thanks in part to Sean Cavanagh's discreet set design, which uses sliding panels to ease the transition from the staid domestic interiors to the Pemberley estate where a bloody deed on a suitably dark and stormy night prompts the arrival of Todd Boyce's quizzical magistrate Sir Selwyn Hardcastle. Suspicion immediately falls on that handsome ne'er-do-well George Wickham. Jane Austen admirers will no doubt be hoping to hear from a firm and manly Darcy, and James Bye (who recently bowed out of EastEnders as Martin Fowler) duly obliges, although the script doesn't allow much in the way of conversational duelling with his demure wife, Elizabeth, played by Jamie-Rose Duke. Sam Woodhams makes an exceptionally chiselled, bare-chested Wickham and doubles as the ailing young local Will Bidwell. • Read more theatre reviews, guides and interviews It's never going to be easy to replace the authorial voice of Austen or James; the pace often sags as the leisurely investigation unfolds. Sarah Berger, though, supplies a pinch of wry humour as the perpetually indignant Lady Catherine de Bourgh, a doughty matron who is determined to put everyone in their place. David Osmond's piano score adds a welcome touch of elegance too. Osmond had also been due to play the character of the gently pining Henry Alveston, but his place was taken at the last moment by Joe Bence, who more than rose to the challenge. He deserved all that applause.★★★☆☆ 140 minutes Touring to Sep 13, Follow @timesculture to read the latest reviews
