Knot's An Option: Bow Down To All These Glorious Ribbon Sneakers

Remember how you used to differentiate your old pair of sneakers from your friend’s by drawing designs on them with a fabric marker, painting on them, sticking on rhinestones, or even easier, swapping out ’em laces for a neon/glitter/garishly-coloured pair? Hey, at least they’re unique! Well, it seems like the fashion set’s just as obsessed with upgrading their laces too, with versions of slip-on shoes or sneakers now adorned with pretty, oversized bows.
And why not? It’s a feminine take on sporty styles, right on trend with pastel and pink colourways popping up all over our feeds, and come on, if RiRi’s willing to take them on, especially with her recent Fenty PUMA drops, you’re damn right that we want in too. So here goes, knot’s an option; we’re rounding up all the ways you can wear bows on your feet.

   PUMA Basket Heart, in Black and White, $139 each
Alright, we’ll start from the obvious. The PUMA Basket Heart, the most straightforward one, which debuted early this year as a court classic “refreshed with a feminine twist”. It’s an OG silhouette that probably stole your heart because of both its shiny patent leather and oversized satin bow — the mix of sheens definitely upped the glam appeal of the humble pair of sneakers.
PUMA Basket Heart Denim, in Twilight Blue and Oatmeal, US$96 each
In more recent news, we’ve got the PUMA Basket Heart Denim, that now come with subtle polka dot details, and are less monochromatic than the original pair. In pleasing shades of cream and denim blue, and with an all-denim upper, hence its name, they’re still in versatile enough shades that you can wear them every single day — which is how we like to wear our sneakers anyway.
PUMA Basket Suede Heart Reset, in Aruba Blue and Prism Pink, US$99
If you’re a more daring dresser, or believe in bright pops of colour on your feet, then these PUMA Basket Suede Heart Resets will definitely be your go-to style, what with the more unusual shades of teal and a bright pink, and texture-on-texture as the satin bows now make way for velvet ones, on suede uppers too. Other than wearing them all day, you might now be tempted to run your fingers along them all the time.
    KEDS x Kate Spade New York CHAMPION GLITTER, in Rosegold Glitter, Rosebloom and Pewter, $109 – $119, available at The Social Foot
Alright, let’s take a break from PUMA, shall we? Not that these are any less subdued though — here, KEDS collaborates with Kate Spade New York to put out a collection that’s bright and bold and glittery, complete with satin laces that you can tie into a bow as well. They’re in a more casual style, though also dipped in crushed glitter “for an extra dash of glamour” and obviously, “a sparkle to your step”. There’s also the option of switching up your laces old-school style as each pair of shoes comes with a tonal ribbon lace and a cotton lace, both with metal anglets. You’ll definitely be a shiny, happy person after this shiny, new purchase.
Joshua Sanders Bow Sneakers, available at On Pedder
On to a more casual shoe style that you don’t have to be below 30 to carry off — nah, actually, sneakers are for everyone — but okay, you’ll find Joshua Sanders’ a welcome departure, without the laces too so you can just slip these on. The huge, knotted bows have become quite a signature for the New York-based designer, other than pop culture elements among his cult footwear that is, and you can be assured of top quality too since they make use of fine Italian craftsmanship.
Aldo Cadassa Shoe, available at Aldo stores
For a similar play on the knotted style, we like Aldo’s denim version that’s a more grunge take on the trend. With the frayed ends and dark wash, these elements form a nice contrast to the implied girliness of ribbons and bows, and can be just as easily paired with ripped jeans and bomber jackets.
    Buscemi Women’s 40mm Bow in Purple Red and Black Suede, $1,208
For more of top-notch quality, you also have these two from Buscemi, an American-based luxury footwear and accessories brand whose shoes are handcrafted by artisans in Civitanova, Italy, right down to the details like their signature 18k gold locks. The low top styles are made using supple calf suede and leather, featuring a large wraparound bow and thick white soles that put them in the league of comfy street shoes.
Lanvin Low Powder Two Leather Sneaker, US$625
And to round off the luxe sneakers section, we hunted down a pair of nude Lanvin sneakers, crafted using a mix of smooth calfskin and patent lambskin, with tone-on-tone top-stitching to match the subtle wash of colour. The laces are flatter and wider than the usual options, so it passes off as a bow sneaker as well, while still looking utterly refined.
Fenty x PUMA in Beige and Purple, from 13 April ; Fenty x PUMA Bow Sneaker in Olive Green, available at PUMA stores, On Pedder and authorised retailers
Alright, you know we’re not leaving these out right?
Trust Rihanna to start a phenomenon, so it’s no surprise that her Fenty PUMA sneakers have gained so much love, both online and offline, especially now that the full blast of Spring/Summer sneaker drops are upon us. Despite how there seems to be new releases every single day, we can’t get these out of our heads, and hearts — they’re the perfect blend of sweet, feminine and sporty, and heck, just put on these statement shoes and you can wear a potato sack as your outfit and still be cool.