ALL GUM EVERYTHING — EMMA BLAKE MORSI
IN THIS 'EDITOR'S OBSESSION' FEATURE EMMA ADDRESSES A PHENOMENON THAT HAS TAKEN OVER HER LIFE AND CLOSET: GUM SOLES. GOING BACK TO BASICS SHE EVALUATES HER HATE-LOVE RELATIONSHIP AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE INFAMOUS STAN SMITHS
by EMMA BLAKE MORSI
An accomplished man by the name of Fiddy Cent once said “hate it or love it, the underdog’s on top” and I feel, if shoes could talk, that’s all Stan Smith Gum-Sole would say before dropping the mic and walking out into the light without looking back.
Stan Smiths have an unmatched history of sneaker inheritance. From the French tennis player Robert Haillet, to his professional successor Mr Stan Smith himself, Adidas Robert Haillet was regenerated into Adidas Stan Smith after Haillet’s retirement. With nearly a whopping three and a half decades of production since Smith’s endorsement in 1971, during his World No. 1 ranking at the time, it’s safe to say these shoes have done more than simply stand the test of time. Whether it be the omitted three Adidas stripes for the unique three rows of perforation or its history as the first ever leather tennis shoe, its illustrious following continues to capture the hearts of many.
Everyone’s, it seems, but mine.
EDITOR'S OBSESSION:
GUM SOLE EVERYTHING