There’s something to be said about asymmetry in fashion. When something’s asymmetrical it’s more intriguing – you keep staring at it. There’s nuance and there’s dimension. Same thing goes for sneakers: it’s interesting to have a silhouette that’s a little off-centre, and that’s where side lacing comes in. The football shoe’s freaky little brother, the side-laced trainer is steadily rising in the sneaker industry. This lacing system is often seen on football shoes, giving the silhouette a bigger, smoother surface area to get a clean strike on the ball, but with the ongoing thirst for lower profile football-inspired shapes, brands are looking for new silhouettes to keep the momentum, and they’re tapping into this offbeat detail. 

Following the cult Nike Total 90’s major comeback last year – the early 2000s silhouette that became the football shoe for an entire generation and then got discontinued in 2013 – we’ve been seeing asymmetrical lacing on more and more shoes like On x PAF from last year and Our Legacy’s Gabe model. Puma’s also been pumping out V-S1 drops, a shoe saturated with a nostalgic 2000s-era football DNA, inspired by the brand’s V1 football boots, with collabs with KidSuper and SSENSE last year, and its newest V-S1 iteration being a collaboration with Korean designer JiyongKim (exclusively dropping in Korea, China and Japan). 

The Puma V-S1 in all-black

Modelled after the Puma V1.08 from the early noughts, the low-profile lifestyle silhouette brings a millennium cyberpunk vibe to the function. The all-black colourway with the different textures of mesh with glossy accents brings a minimal approach to this avant-garde design. 

The Nike T90 SP in black and silver

The shoe that launched a thousand drips, the Nike T90 has been consistently coming out with new colourways since its return – but it’s the OG hues we’re yearning for. The black/silver combination stays true to the original Total 90 colourway of silver and red – highlighting the 90 on the side – but with a more toned down approach. But, honestly, this is just a cry-out to bring back the silver/red. 

The Puma V-S1 in white and silver

The white base with metallic silver detailing and a touch of blue gives off a y2k football energy that’s straight off the pitch – the colours on this version really tap into the early 2000s techno-utopian futurism aesthetic.

The On x PAF Cloudventure in brown

A cult collab from last year, the On x Post Archive Faction Cloudventure is still available in its brown iteration. On x PAF takes on the asymmetrical lacing system of a football shoe and brings it to a trail running silhouette. The single layer mesh gives an ultra-light feel and On’s CloudTec® cushioning makes the shoe incredibly comfortable.

The Our Legacy Gabe in black

Stockholm-based label Our Legacy is known for its asymmetric silhouettes, reworking staple pieces with more of an experimental approach, earning a dedicated cult following among the fashion crowd. Made from a suede leather upper, Gabe follows Our Legacy’s design codes, taking on the side-lacing detail with a Vibram sole for a trail-inspired silhouette.

The Nike T90 SP in orange

For those of you, who want a bold and colourful sneaker, this colourway is for you. With a shade of orange reminiscent of Despicable Me 2 evil guy Vector, this one’s guaranteed to strike up conversation.