Why Is Our Legacy’s Super-Flat Shoe the Ultimate Non-Sneaker Sneaker?
Creating a flat shoe that stands out in a post-Samba world is no easy feat when just about everyone is already cranking out barely-there soles. But Swedish fashion label Our Legacy has found a new way to make flat sneakers interesting: Don't make them sneakers at all.
Our Legacy's well-titled "Sneak In" shoe is incredibly of-the-moment, looking like a spicy bowling shoe mashed up with a lace-up low-top sneaker in the vein of adidas’ Japan. The Sneak In’s square toe and semi-shiny Italian leather give the shoe an obvious luxe factor that makes it feel more posh than sporty but its sleek Vibram sole and integrated lacing system maintain the athletic aura of a sneaker.
The Sneak In's luxe leanings are balanced by a fairly approachable price. At $470, Our Legacy’s new shoe is significantly more expensive than famous flat shoes like the adidas Samba and PUMA Speedcat but compared to luxury slim sneakers like Miu Miu’s $1,200 New Balance and Dries Van Noten’s $800 Seude sneaker, it's quite reasonable.
The price tag certainly hasn’t cut into the shoe's popularity, either way, as Our Legacy’s Sneak In is perpetually sold-out online, despite zero marketing. Commenters on Our Legacy’s Instagram are even begging for restocks under totally unrelated posts. Shooters shoot.
Sneakers that aren't quite sneakers don't often look as fashionable as Our Legacy's Sneak In though there are a good number of them out there.
New Balance's 1906L loafer was a recent catalyst for a separate but similarly minded shift, one that inspired peers like HOKA, Camper, Vans, and PUMA to fuse formal footwear with sneakers. And the one-two of the Samba boom and Miu Miu New Balance hype has inspired high-end flat sneakers like the Bottega Veneta Sawyer and Prada's Collapse sneaker.
These are very stylish shoes but hit a different high than the Sneak In, which is cool because it’s barely a sneaker at all.
Where most other flat shoes ape the appeal of traditional sneakers, the Sneak In's unexpected mix of luxe leather and streamlined silhouette hits like a breath of fresh, hype-free air. The draw of the Sneak In comes from its elusively ordinary presence, giving it a certain "If you know, you know" quality that can't be bought. Unless you pony up $500, that is.
