Written by Alex Osorio
The Adidas Samba has been the most popular shoe within fashion, for two years now. The shoe has been seen a lot on Tiktok, Instagram, or YouTube in many videos about fashion. It has been able to reach this point for reasons such as its affordability, versatility, and familiarity with the masses. Due to its heavy presence online, it has reached a point where the shoe has been deemed “unoriginal” and “trendy” by those into the fashion conversation.
The Samba’s success over other previously popular shoes, like the Nike Dunk or the NB 550, can be attributed to its simplicity and adaptability but mainly it being an uncommon shoe choice was what brought it success (ex: blokecore). It was not associated with popularity but with selectivity. But on the other hand, it is now starting to become a repetitive choice in footwear. This can put off people from continuing to buy the shoe as seeing many other people wear the same exact model of footwear can get repetitive and tiresome. Given the negative connotation of the Adidas Samba, choosing another shoe such as the Replica German Army Trainer by Maison Margiela is a way to recoup the initial effect that the Samba held. With less people wearing the shoe, the G.A.T still holds a stronger image of sophistication and having selective taste in fashion.
The series of events can be understood through a writing named “Fashion” or “La moda” by German sociologist and philosopher Georg Simmel. Simmel is known for his work in sociological methodology, focusing on qualitative research with “La moda” being a work that discusses fashion in relation to wealth and economics. In “La moda,” he makes an important point: he explains how participating in fashion results in imitation and separation happening simultaneously. As you imitate a person, who you deem worthy of copying, you separate yourself from other groups and people, regardless of it being intentional. In the process of developing your own sense of style, there will be a degree of imitation, in order to filter out what works and what does not work for you. This concept also ties itself with politics and status as the rich are able to distinguish themselves by actively utilizing fashion to make themselves different.
While researching, I found an analysis on “La moda” by Sergio Benvenuto, an Italian philosopher and researcher, who currently works at the ISTC of the Italian National Research Council located in Rome. I bring this up because in his review, he made the point that Simmel’s argument of distinction and imitation is similar to that of intensity and extensity. He explains that as an idea or creation spreads, it loses its initial effect or meaning it once held. As an idea or piece of clothing spreads, more people will re-interpret it and mold the piece into their own personal style. This in turn causes the piece’s initial meaning to change in different contexts. As the Samba continues to be worn in more different places, it loses its original status of being more refined and sophisticated.
Applying both Simmel’s and Benvenuto’s points, the Margiela German Army Trainer will lose the status that it has now, like the Adidas Samba. As demand grows for the German Army Trainer, its initial connotation of exclusivity will diminish. Overtime, the demand for the shoe will gradually fall due to it no longer being seen as unique and will no longer be desirable.
Within fashion, imitation in style is immediately perceived as negative. The forming of this negative connotation can be traced to social media and the fashion content that is prevalent across TikTok and Instagram. Popular fashion content circles around trendy outfit templates, with videos showing what to buy instead of the current trend The common theme in these videos is to avoid being seen as someone who is copying or imitating. The Samba reached high demand, causing the German Army Trainer to be the shoe of choice for creators when offering an alternative to the Samba. There is no consideration for the shoe itself, driving viewers to imitate and buy the shoe because of the video.. The issue is that the wearer does not come to a conclusion about the shoe and how it molds to their own values of style. The only thing that matters to the wearer in this situation is whether it is overworn and saturated amongst other footwear.
Imitating a person’s style is not wrong as it is impossible to create a personal style without imitating. Understanding why you choose to imitate others’ styles will bring understanding to your own fashion taste and how it correlates to who you are. Designers and artists have all made it clear that originality stems from imitation. Yohji Yamamoto, a Japanese fashion designer, has said himself to “Start copying what you love. Copy copy copy copy. At the end of the copy you will find yourself.” Miles Davis, in an interview also put an emphasis on how jazz musicians have “to take what [musicians] hear now” but to be able to progress the state of music is to put your own knowledge and abilities at work. Otherwise, you’ll be stuck playing the same rhythms and patterns. There is no personal development in taste when the only source of advice is from major social media platforms that promote the negative perception of imitation.
Imitating the style of a person, for their character and style, helps understand that personal style is rooted in paying close attention to ourselves. Doing so, we filter out many unnecessary choices and determine what is applicable to ourselves. Imitations start to appear in small bits instead of entire outfits or pieces but have substance and relation to you. The reliance of fashion content disappears as fashion choice/taste is derived from living and becoming aware of how clothing choice connects to this. Your style becomes a continuous culmination of careful imitation that becomes distinctive to you.
This process becomes much more fluid as it is practiced. Because this practice becomes faster, it can be mistaken for carelessness, but what is happening is active learning and awareness making it easier to make decisions regarding fashion choice. Progressing personal style is not difficult when we know ourselves better. It is to care more-not to the clothing directly, but to everything else that surrounds it.
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