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Original poster

William Morris Sneakers - okay or frumpy?

90 replies

HyancinthsAndTulips · 26/03/2023 16:46

I bought a pair of William Morris print sneakers from Next (yeah, I know...urgh) and really like them (they also make my big feet look smaller) but wondering if they're a bit on the frumpy side? It shouldn't matter, but I'm mid-thirties and just starting out in a fairly 'young' industry, so would like to avoid looking too staid. I've added a picture of the type of outfit I would wear them with.

Finding summer shoes is such a nightmare for me - I have wide size 8/9 feet which I prefer to keep hidden as they aren't exactly my most attractive feature. Really hate white sneakers (they also make my feet look huge) and can't get on with most sandals (they all rub and do nothing for me). I like vintage look Converse, some loafers, espadrilles and ballet flats, but most of my shoes are dark colours and never look quite right with summery clothes. I also don't like bright colours or anything too 'loud' and live in neutrals and muted colours. I used to to find so many nice shoes in my early 20s but now seem to return just about everything I order....not sure where it all went wrong for me. 😩

William Morris Sneakers - okay or frumpy?
William Morris Sneakers - okay or frumpy?
OP posts:
Thread gallery
16
Twopea · 26/03/2023 23:30

Love them, and at £26 I think I might need a pair! (I am a few years younger than you and definitely not an art teacher if that helps 😂😂)

HoneyPotBee · 26/03/2023 23:52

I love them which probably makes them frumpy 😂

EL8888 · 27/03/2023 00:03

They are a yes from me.

NatashaDancing · 27/03/2023 01:25

I like them. I loathe trainers and genuinely can't tell the difference between all the apparently "on trend" brands that get mentioned on here. They're all ugly lumps of rubber with stripes.

It is occasionally necessary to have a pair of flat, comfortable, cotton shoes. The sort of shoe that used to be called sneakers or plimsolls and nobody ever "trained" in them. Those shoes are in the sneakers/ plimsolls style rather than "trainers". They're nice.

Lycanthropology · 27/03/2023 04:09

I like them!

HelloBunny · 27/03/2023 04:18

I love them! But I know what you mean... I shop in M&S now & often consider “lady” clothes that I wouldn’t have touched a few years ago!

SquirrelsAreStinky · 27/03/2023 04:53

Oh yikes, sorry OP but I’d not say they’re the type of shoe a 30-something who wanted to stay youthful would typically wear. I’m not a fan.

I see these as very similar to the classic Next style of safe, middle of the road, slightly conservative clothes - one step younger than M&S. The kind of clothes your mum or Nan would like to see you wearing 😫😫

Genuine apologies, I wanted to like them! - the thing is though, if you like them, you should wear them! Confidence is far more cool than the “right” pair of shoes.

HealthyFats · 27/03/2023 05:03

I wasn’t expecting to like them but actually I really do, especially with jeans as on the mod.

MarshaMelrose · 27/03/2023 05:15

I really like them. But they're very flat so they would hurt my feet.

NatashaDancing · 27/03/2023 06:38

SquirrelsAreStinky · 27/03/2023 04:53

Oh yikes, sorry OP but I’d not say they’re the type of shoe a 30-something who wanted to stay youthful would typically wear. I’m not a fan.

I see these as very similar to the classic Next style of safe, middle of the road, slightly conservative clothes - one step younger than M&S. The kind of clothes your mum or Nan would like to see you wearing 😫😫

Genuine apologies, I wanted to like them! - the thing is though, if you like them, you should wear them! Confidence is far more cool than the “right” pair of shoes.

According to another thread these are "cool"

At no time in my entire life would I have worn something this ugly no matter how "cool" they are supposed to be.

www.newbalance.co.uk/pd/327/WS327KB-B-055.html?cq_src=google_ads&cq_cmp=16737608117&cq_con=&cq_term=&cq_med=pla&cq_plac=&cq_net=x&cq_pos=&cq_plt=gp&gclid=Cj0KCQjw2v-gBhC1ARIsAOQdKY2T7WAJZGkKzIfvFfWbVm81AgIhNvt8P0LyBgBdp_4bTEHiDNwFsS0aAqsQEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds&awc=6533_1679895237_a65da23b14d39bdf1e7432e5f271bc66&utm_source=awin&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=Skimlinks#dwvar_WS327V1-34495_size=5.5&dwvar_WS327V1-34495_style=WS327KB&dwvar_WS327V1-34495_width=B&pid=WS327V1-34495&quantity=1

RampantIvy · 27/03/2023 06:47

I like them.
I dislike all the chunky "cool" trainers that the oh so cool mumsnetter like to feel so superior in.

UnaVaca · 27/03/2023 06:48

I think the fact you’ve started a thread here suggests you aren’t sure and would therefore be better returning them for something you love

artimesiasfootsteps · 27/03/2023 07:02

Putting my head above the parapet to say IMO they aren’t cool. I’m an artist that works in fashion, and to me they seem like something an OAP would wear.

Plain superga or even plain white plimsols would be an improvement. I understand though, I have big feet for my height. So the big clunky trainer trend is one I have to give a miss.

NatashaDancing · 27/03/2023 08:48

artimesiasfootsteps · 27/03/2023 07:02

Putting my head above the parapet to say IMO they aren’t cool. I’m an artist that works in fashion, and to me they seem like something an OAP would wear.

Plain superga or even plain white plimsols would be an improvement. I understand though, I have big feet for my height. So the big clunky trainer trend is one I have to give a miss.

One might have hoped an artist might be able to understand there is such a thing as individual taste when choosing clothes rather than just trying to be cool.

One might have hoped that an artist would avoid sweeping, ageist statements like "something an OAP would wear"

borntobequiet · 27/03/2023 08:57

They’re far nicer than I expected them to be. That said, I’d only wear them if they matched my wallpaper.

In over thirty years of teaching, I’ve not met an art teacher who dressed like an “art teacher”. However I have met Maths, English, and History teachers, and SEN support staff, who did.

borntobequiet · 27/03/2023 09:01

to me they seem like something an OAP would wear

Along with our Crimplene cardis, saggy lisle stockings and rigid perms you mean? I can tell you work in fashion.

BellatrixLestrangesHeatedCurlers · 27/03/2023 09:18

I'd wear them (33)

NatashaDancing · 27/03/2023 09:23

borntobequiet · 27/03/2023 09:01

to me they seem like something an OAP would wear

Along with our Crimplene cardis, saggy lisle stockings and rigid perms you mean? I can tell you work in fashion.

I'm rather surprised that the poster who said that, an artist in the fashion industry who seems to think she has her finger on the pulse of what is "cool" , is unaware that "OAP" is seen as a problematic term these days.

Perhaps she's not quite as with it as she thinks she is.

OldHouseLover · 27/03/2023 09:26

I'm 53 & work as a senior director in the visual arts & I would not wear these.

Of course we are all free to wear what we like but these hold zero appeal to me.

I find them to be twee & I'm not a fan of such flat plimsol style footwear.

To be honest I don't know anyone who works professionally in the arts who dresses like the MN mythical 'art teacher ' either....

RampantIvy · 27/03/2023 10:18

artimesiasfootsteps · 27/03/2023 07:02

Putting my head above the parapet to say IMO they aren’t cool. I’m an artist that works in fashion, and to me they seem like something an OAP would wear.

Plain superga or even plain white plimsols would be an improvement. I understand though, I have big feet for my height. So the big clunky trainer trend is one I have to give a miss.

This is why a lot of people are afraid to post on threads like this for fear of sneery ageist comments like this Hmm

It says far more about you than it does the OP.

Original poster
HyancinthsAndTulips · 27/03/2023 14:04

Hmm, I see, bit more of a mixed bag today! I’m not offended and very much unbothered by the OAP and art teacher comments (although dislike the ageism!) - I did ask and fully expected some negative comments. I’m still a bit undecided about them, but since they’re so cheap, I’ll probably just keep them and see if I like them.

My new job is in tech, so nothing fashion/art related or particularly creative and stylish as such. Just a fairly young, quite casual crowd, and I tend to feel a bit overdressed there. I’ve added some pictures of the kind of outfits I’d typically wear in summer including shoes. I realise they’re all quite classic, safe, and possibly boring choices but am unwilling to massively change my style and don’t particularly care about being fashionable. I just think some sort of trainers might work better than the pointy flats and preppy loafers I would normally go for. Unfortunately, sandals are out, as I have spectacularly unattractive feet that I’d prefer to keep hidden. So trainers it is, but which?

Neither white nor those intentionally ugly dad trainers seem to work on me. Most make my feet look comically large and I say that as someone who generally doesn’t even care that much about how flattering things are. I also have no idea how people keep light trainers looking nice and suspect many just keep buying new ones at fairly regular intervals - which seems very much at odds with the focus on sustainability in most other areas. I’m also not keen on visible brands / big logos and many clumpy trainers feel too hot for summer. The only trainers I actually like are Converse (yeah, again not the height of fashion but quite timeless IMO) and I love that they look better when they’re a bit dirty and scuffed up. I’m certainly open to alternatives but have returned so many shoes lately and am a bit fed up!

OP posts:
Original poster
HyancinthsAndTulips · 27/03/2023 14:11

Sorry, the pictures were there when I previewed the post but seem to have disappeared now - let me try again!

William Morris Sneakers - okay or frumpy?
William Morris Sneakers - okay or frumpy?
William Morris Sneakers - okay or frumpy?
OP posts:
NatashaDancing · 27/03/2023 14:19

HyancinthsAndTulips · 27/03/2023 14:04

Hmm, I see, bit more of a mixed bag today! I’m not offended and very much unbothered by the OAP and art teacher comments (although dislike the ageism!) - I did ask and fully expected some negative comments. I’m still a bit undecided about them, but since they’re so cheap, I’ll probably just keep them and see if I like them.

My new job is in tech, so nothing fashion/art related or particularly creative and stylish as such. Just a fairly young, quite casual crowd, and I tend to feel a bit overdressed there. I’ve added some pictures of the kind of outfits I’d typically wear in summer including shoes. I realise they’re all quite classic, safe, and possibly boring choices but am unwilling to massively change my style and don’t particularly care about being fashionable. I just think some sort of trainers might work better than the pointy flats and preppy loafers I would normally go for. Unfortunately, sandals are out, as I have spectacularly unattractive feet that I’d prefer to keep hidden. So trainers it is, but which?

Neither white nor those intentionally ugly dad trainers seem to work on me. Most make my feet look comically large and I say that as someone who generally doesn’t even care that much about how flattering things are. I also have no idea how people keep light trainers looking nice and suspect many just keep buying new ones at fairly regular intervals - which seems very much at odds with the focus on sustainability in most other areas. I’m also not keen on visible brands / big logos and many clumpy trainers feel too hot for summer. The only trainers I actually like are Converse (yeah, again not the height of fashion but quite timeless IMO) and I love that they look better when they’re a bit dirty and scuffed up. I’m certainly open to alternatives but have returned so many shoes lately and am a bit fed up!

There's no reason to change your style.
If I were you I would continue wearing my pointy flats and preppy loafers and inwardly wonder why my colleagues are wearing such dreary and ugly trainers. I wouldn't say that but the fact I was the only person wearing pointy flats and preppy loafers wouldn't in a million years make me think I should change.

The sneakers are pretty.

Coastalvenues · 27/03/2023 14:22

I like them.

Re keeping trainers clean I stick them in the washing machine, certainly don't just replace when they get dirty. They get downgraded eventually to dog walking/gardening shoes until they disintegrate

ShittyPeasantsFromHampshire · 27/03/2023 14:31

inwardly wonder why my colleagues are wearing such dreary and ugly trainers.

Surely you realise that different people like different things? It's rare I wonder why someone is wearing a particular item of clothing, unless it's something really unsuited to the weather. Shorts in the snow for example. But some people on these boards have a real bee in their bonnet about other people liking trainers.