Right now, the most exciting shoes are the ones that push aesthetic boundaries and stand out from the crowd. And nothing stands out more than designs that abandon the age-old traditions of leather uppers, pull tabs, and in some cases, laces.
The history of the sock shoe dates back to 2000, when Nike debuted the Presto (although back then it was made of mesh, not Flyknit). Yet 17 years later, it's hard not to see the Presto's DNA in sock-like sneakers, as in the Adidas Ultra Boost, which debuted in 2015 and, like the Presto, combines a comfortable design and a tab with a plastic structure (called the "cage").
The performance roots of sock shoes (or as they're known in the US edition of GQ, 'snockers') lie in athletics (as with the Presto), but more recently, the style has taken a leap from the tracks to the basketball courts. It's been over 100 years since Chuck Taylor invented the All-Star, and over 30 years since Nike released the Air Max. For basketball sneakers, the next paradigm shift will be that of knitted uppers.
A good example of this trend are the Adidas Crazy Explosive, which have been worn by players like Nick Young, of the Golden State Warrior. At first glance, they're basically a sock-top attached to a rubber sole, with a three-stripe design incorporated into the upper. Not only do they not have any leather details at all, but they don't even have a structured lacing system; instead, the laces are woven through small knitted loops.
As is the case with so many sock-inspired shoes, the need for laces in the Crazy Explosive is minimal. They are there more to fix the structure than to keep them on the foot of whoever wears them. But thanks to the density of the knit upper and some clever cushioning added around the heel and ankle, the shoe doesn't sacrifice performance for the athlete who wears it. In fact, they're no less effective than their leather and mail ancestors.
