Hasta La Ideas

by Miriam Brafman

Modern soles with a vintage aesthetic help Rokin Footwear successfully blend traditional European craftsmanship with urban appeal for a stylishly simple and wholly versatile shoe.

Christoffer Brattin—the man behind the Gothenburg, Sweden-based company—launched the first collection of men’s shoes in the fall of 2007. “I started Rokin because I thought there was a need for quality shoes at a nice price for the young urban man. I wanted to do a broad collection of both sports, casual and dressy shoes” says Brattin, a former Tommy Hilfiger Europe footwear designer.

Choosing to work only with suppliers steeped in history, Rokin prides itself on delivering high-quality shoes made from natural materials. Design attributes such as the odor-preventing breathable foot beds bring function to sustainability.

The utilitarian and timeless air of each style is evident in the current Spring/Summer 2010 collection—an assortment of 66 designs spanning pink suede derby loafers to lace-up leather boots as well as sandals to sneakers.

A small selection of the shoes are available online at Ssense and Urbana.

These Campus 80s are infused with a phosphorescent dye which lets them glow in the dark. I want! They are available at Germany’s No74 Berlin

Spring has officially sprung here in NYC, with blue skies on our mind and blue shoes on our feet. With shorts season just around the bend, now is a great time to find a pair of kicks that perfectly compliment your bright personality, as well as the warm weather. There’s always the go-to classics like Vans and Keds, but here are some shoes that excel both in design and style.

A step up from average classic skate shoes, these Emerica Reynolds Cruisers manage to maintain an ultra-slim, low profile silhouette without sacrificing skateboard performance and padding. A perfect shade of blue kitted out with gold eyelits makes for a killer combination. Although these are from a past season, they’re still available from Active for $60.

An appealing blue-on-blue-on-blue color scheme, these Nikes tend to look as great on the ladies (including a CH editor who wears them constantly) as they do on men. The Quickstrike release might be hard to track down, but we found a pair here for around $90.

Blue suede boots by A.P.C., need we say more? The ultimate blue suede shoes, these desert boots look as beautiful as they wear comfortably (and are another pair we own and love). The hue perfectly suits the material—bright enough to stand out but rich enough to maintain a subtle elegance. Grab them online here or from your local APC store for $330.

While blue Chuck Taylors are a Converse classic, these kick it up a notch with their preppy skate shoes. The boat style of the Sea Star ($55) thoroughly embodies the spirit of the season while the simpler CVO ($50) promotes fresh vibes all year round.

A pared down approach to running, the ultra-lightweight Evo performance shoe allows the foot to fully flex, freeing it from superfluous padding while still offering strong support. Part of Terra Plana’s VivoBarefoot collection, the brand based the design on the biomechanical benefits of running barefoot—a method believed to strengthen the foot and ankle muscles while realigning the body’s natural posture.

We recently put the Evos to the test, tasking a runner with wearing them while training for NYC’s half marathon. While she reports that the initial barefoot feeling seemed slightly strange, overall she found the shoes extremely comfortable, even helping to alleviate an old foot injury.

Without the interference of a thick sole, the foot’s 2,000 nerve endings stimulate senses all over the body from the tonsils to the kidneys, making for a healthier and more complete workout. The structure compels the foot to land on the ball or mid-range area instead of the heel, not only reducing the impact on the foot (and potential injuries) but also allowing the runner to use energy stored in the Achilles tendon and longitudinal arch.

A collaboration between Terra Plana owner Galahad Clark and head designer Asher Clark (seventh-generation shoemakers of the renowned Clark’s family), Evo sells online or from Terra Plana stores around the world for $160.