“You a bad B you yeah?” – asked the assistant store manager at the shop I used to work at. It’s 2019, I’m crouched down sorting out the Carhartt beanie display when I get asked that. I’ve got a pair of Air Monarchs on my feet in the black and red colourway. I was hesitant to wear them that day as it’d been a while. “The age of the Monarch is over. The time of the 990v5 is now.” I was considering retiring so that little education on the Manchester Bad B Monarch crowd was the final nail in the coffin. The Monarch had served me well during my time in Bristol but now the day had come. It was the pinnacle of the Dad Shoe era in 2018, a time when pairing up white tube socks and some classic white trainers would get you far. Far in what, however, is yet to be defined.
There was a time in 2018 when all the Bad Bs in your local area were wandering into Sports Direct and sifting through a pile of orange Nike boxes to find their right size. I know this because I myself did the same on my lunch break one day, not that I’d consider myself a bad B in any sense of the term. This era was loaded with bulky silhouettes, a much-needed change from the Sock Shoe era that had just been. NMDs and Ultra Boosts were on their way out as the Air Max series made it’s way back into the fray.
Now, in hindsight, I feel like the bulky shoe movement spawned the era we are currently living in today or at least the one that is almost over/teetering on the edge. To my recollection, the cycle over the last 10 years has somewhat been as followed: Vintage, Sleek/Modern, Bulky/New and looks to be like we might be heading back into vintage runners again with the Mexico 66 slowly simmering under the influence of fashionable Tik Tok’ers. The Monarch, particularly the fourth iteration, embraced the bulkiness of its silhouette as a by-product to comfort. Who didn’t mind this? Dads and Grandpas who’d wander in, see their size already out on the shop floor and walk out the store chuffed with their brand new set of kicks that’d last them for the next 10 years. Plus, they did this all before the Monarch IV was considered ‘cool’.
This bulky look went on to inspire the design language of high-end sneakers such as the Balenciaga Triple S and Versace Chain Link 2, both of which featured huge midsoles. Then Buffalo Boots slowly crept into the mix, with the ‘alternative’ crowd making these look cool enough for a larger female audience to be enticed into picking up a pair. Nike collaborations with sacai did much of the same with its LD Waffle, then building on that stacked midsole again with the Vaporwaffle. Meanwhile, the New Balance 990 series started gaining huge popularity as people were no longer put off by its high price point, having already picked up numerous pairs of Air Max 98s which were only £50 cheaper, yet nowhere near as sophisticated.
That year saw the Dad shoe trend evolve and mutate through the various footwear camps, all while the Monarch’s shadow grew smaller and smaller. I still own a pair of the original white and blue colourway, a choice I’m happy about considering it was rumoured that Nike stopped production on them in 2020. Although a quick Google search reveals that they’re still available on the Sports Direct website, albeit at the eye-watering amount of £57, and that’s their sale price too! I remember the good old days when you could pick them up for £32 pounds at your local Sports Direct. It’s nearly doubled since! Now that’s one example of inflation that no sneakerhead seems to be talking about. Long live the Monarch IV.
My original reason behind writing this was the idea that the New Balance 2002R and 1906R are merely extensions of the Dad shoe trend. Both silhouettes, had they come out during that time in 2018, would have perfectly fit the programme. Yes, both have hit the mainstream audience, but you can’t tell me that they wouldn’t look out of place on your Dad’s feet at the next family barbeque. Just look at the Up There Store x New Balance 2002R “Backyard Legends II” pair, the perfect Dad shoe (granted the inspiration behind the shoe is very Dad shoe-inspired). I wouldn’t go as far as to say as this is the hill I’d die on; it just might take me some convincing.
Side Note: Does anyone remember the MK2 Teknos – talk about a flash in the pan moment.
Check out this fun Wedding-related story about the Monarchs!
wear shoes, write poems 