…but still appealing. Beyond the Vines introduces cotton canvas sneakers

Beyond the Vines has done good things with the humble cotton canvas. Their Carryall 01 in this fabric, for example, is an east-west tote that deserves much more attention than it really gets. It’s simple and smart, and those are the qualities that the brand has extended to their debut line of footwear, Type 01 (never mind that Nike, too, has a ‘Type’), also made with similar cotton canvas. In view of the unceasing love of bombastically-designed footwear, these lace-ups may look a tad too low-key, even juvenile, but their classic construction would stand them in good stead, in the face of constantly shifting trends.

Made of a 12-oz plain-weave canvas, also known as cotton duck, these sneakers are available only in one style, but it is the colour-blocked pair that spoke to us. Sure, they are nothing like the more daring chromatic schemes of Moonstar X Fennica kicks (available at Beams, Japan). Or the whimsical Comme des Garçons Play X Converse All-Stars, with the now-recognisable smiley-hearts, or the ‘Converse Addict’, which is N.Hoolywood reimagining the Chuck Taylor with archival fabrics of Undercover. Or, for those with edgier taste, the more advanced silhouette of the OAMC ‘Inflate’, with the exaggerated rubber corridor. Nope, Type 01 is not cast against type. They are, without doubt, classic plimsolls, but the subtle colour blocking does set them apart. And with the nicely rounded, slightly pointed toe box, perhaps the ideal shoes to strut into the New Year.

Beyond the Vines Type 01 canvas sneakers, SGD139, are available for men and women, in stores and online. Photo: Chin Boh Kay