Skechers SportKnit Modern Jogger looks chic with a cuffed pair of denims

Sports shoes don’t go with denims. Everybody knows that — even the ones who have been trying to spin the fashion faux pas into a revivalist trend. Sneakers have come a long mile to meet the aching feet halfway, but the fashion tour de force, more often than not, is a technical snafu. There has been, thus, an urgent need to dress those comfortable soles into a pair that answers the cry of a sharp dresser’s dragging feet.

Skechers, the brand that has some of the most comfortable running shoes in its GoRun line, has forged flexible outsoles into dress designs in its Mark Nason collection. The mix of shoe designer Nason’s experience of dressing up celebrities and Skechers’ own of arming athletes is the kind of experiment that athleisure is made of. Together they have a DressKnit range for formal and semi-casual wear and SportKnit for a fashion conscious active lifestyle. 

The pair I wore to work, at the gym and on casual runs is named the SportKnit Modern Jogger National — a versatile shoe in all respects. It is slip-on with token laces, has a breathable, single-piece knitted upper, air-cooled memory foam insole and a lightweight and responsive outsole. The upper knit, finished in a combination of black, blue and white in asymmetrical stripes, has an unusual breadth and height, which is especially comfortable for slightly broader feet like mine. And in my experience, there is no better way of cushioning the sole than memory foam, like the one this shoe stitches.

Better yet, the upper, while it stains easily (a problem with most knitted pairs, but you can wash them), doesn’t crease at all, keeping the shoes in a neat condition even after clocking many miles. You can run in it, but this pair is not for runners. It’s too roomy and well-cushioned for that. The Modern Jogger looks chic with a neatly cuffed pair of denims or tracks. It is not the most innovative in style, but is most comfortable. And given the sky-rocketing price of designer sneakers from legacy shoemakers, at Rs 6,999, this one is a value-for-money buy.