What is the big deal about Off White shoe laces? And how could a few tweaks by the legendary designer Virgil Abloh create such a fascination? Personally, I will never forget the day I got my first pair of Off-White sneakers. It was back in 2017, and all the world was obsessed over Virgil Abloh’s “The Ten” collection. Abloh’s recraft of 10 Nike silhouettes was so different and refreshing - from the deconstruction of some of the models all the way to adding the word, “Shoelaces” on the actual laces.
I was on a tour of the brand spanking new Nike NY Headquarters in December of that year, and one of my tour guides gifted me a pair of the Off-White Air Max 90. I couldn’t believe it. I loved this pair so much, and actually learned later that the person who gave them to me was not supposed to. Apparently I wasn’t meant to have such a rare and special sneaker. Oh well! That pair quickly became one of my most prized sneakers in my collection and I plan on holding onto them forever.
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Off White Shoe Laces Changed the Sneaker Shoelace Game
One of the most intriguing parts of the sneakers were the various laces you received with these shoes. The laces came in white, black, orange and green. If you wanted to keep it subtle, you just used the traditional white laces. If you wanted to go bolder, you could switch it up to the green or orange. And, if you wanted to go bolder still, you did one foot orange and one foot green. I remember seeing all the coolest “influencers” on Instagram going that route.
By adding the literal word “Shoelaces” onto the actual laces, Abloh created a completely new interest in an accessory that we oftentimes took for granted. It also became cool to take your Off White laces and put them on other sneakers that you own. I’ve done this with several silhouettes, including my Terra Kiger trail runners, to give them a bolder, more fun look.
Real vs Fake Off White Laces
Due to the wild success of Abloh’s laces, future Off-White Nike models also came with a variety of laces in different colors. It has, of course, led to bootleg versions of the laces as well. This has led to plenty of interest and conversation about real versus fake Off-White laces; does it matter whether yours are legit or not? Should you purchase them from sellers other than Nike or Off-White themselves? I would never do it, as I prefer the real thing, but I guess I wouldn’t judge someone for buying fake laces.
Overall, the success of Abloh’s Nike sneakers and everything down to the shoe laces proves how influential Off-White has been to sneaker culture. If the ‘80s and ‘90s was the era of athletes influencing the sneaker game, we are now about 10-15 years into artists, designers and rappers putting their definitive mark on the shoe world - all the way down to what it says on the laces.
Where to Buy Off White Shoe Laces
If you really have to have them, you can find fake Off-White shoe laces on sites like Amazon. I assume since Nike hasn’t put a stop to the sale of fake laces, these sites are fully authorized to sell them. Unfortunately, you can’t purchase real Off-White laces unless you buy the sneakers that come with them. I recommend trusted resale sites like StockX, but of course it’s going to cost you an arm and a leg. Personally, I feel that every true sneaker collector should own at least one pair of Off-White sneakers, as the Virgil Abloh phenomenon is going to go down in history as one of the greatest and most influential ever.
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