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Let’s talk about Autry sneakers, with retro vibes that are driving every type of sneakerhead, both here and overseas, crazy. The reason? Never before has an aesthetic heavily characterized by the past dominated the market, overtaking the big players in the industry with the added significant detail of being crafted by Italian hands. But let’s go in order.

Texas, 1982. These are the coordinates of Jim Autry, the man who created sports shoes suitable for playing tennis, running, doing aerobics, and playing basketball, founded on a single philosophy, the timeless less is more. That is, with a focus on the essential elements for effective sports performance combined with a high level of responsiveness during contact with playing surfaces. The secret is called Action-Sorb, an insole capable of absorbing 99.4% of the impact compared to the 4% residual of competitor brands back then. Once again, fortunately, it’s the content that wins over form, which is also enjoyable, and is granted a single ornament that will become the brand’s trademark: the American flag placed on the outer side of the upper in close contact with the brand name. What pride.

Autry today, sneakers coming from the ’80s move towards retro-future

Today’s Autry sneakers are fresh because the return to the scene after years of obscurity only happened in 2019 when Italian entrepreneurs Marco Doro, Alberto Raengo, and Gino Zarelli re-founded the brand to bring it back to its former glory. They did so with the sensitivity of those who truly understand the product, respecting its characteristics with a renaming that says it all: Autry Action People and a slogan, “YOU DO YOU.” which implies the mission of being yourself, authentic, without the fear of expressing your personality.

Among the men’s and unisex Autry sneakers brought back into the spotlight, there are at least three main, super-cult models. Let’s start with the Autry Medalist, the first shoes of the relaunch project, where the perfect alchemy between American style and Italian coolness made in Dolo, Veneto, the brand’s headquarters, is evident. The Medalist combines a passion for tennis and running, as well as aerobics, thanks to a flat sole and a perforated toe optimized for thermal exchange. Speaking of a passion for tennis, there are also the Bob Lutz sneakers, a homage to the American champion bearer of 5 Grand Slam doubles victories, 11 singles victories, and 5-time champion of the Davis Cup with the American national team. The Autry Bob Lutz embodies all of this, including a reinforced rubber toe cap. The third most representative model is called Dallas, just like the Big D, the ninth most populated city in the United States. On Dallas is concentrated all the possible preppiness you can imagine. A low leather sneaker with visible stitching and a padded ankle collar that focuses on the available color variations (endless) and a luxurious interior padding in leather and sponge. There are also the Open and Autry CLC, two other equally sport-inspired models.

From the USA to South Korea, the Autry phenomenon knows no boundaries. Here, a star from BTS shows us how much groove an Autry Medalist High can add to your look.

One of the significant events for the Autry brand was a special and unique launch in London in October 2023: the launch of the new Reelwind sneakers in collaboration with the music platform NTS and the American rapper and singer Denzel Curry. The result? A running sneaker with an ’80s appeal in four colorways – red, green, blue, and ice white – concentrated in a mix of suede and nylon.

FUN FACT. On April 1, 2023, the Autry Reverse Medalist shoes were released on the market for a limited time with the logo flip of name + flag: a deliberate mistake that breaks the only rule that every brand should adhere to, “DON’T TOUCH THE LOGO.” Collectible value? Immense.

Start with the ultimate men’s sneakers, the white Autry

First of all, it must be said that the shade of white of the Autry shoes is not like any other. It’s special, layered, lived-in. Particularly noticeable in the soles combined with the leather uppers. That white is aged (well) over time, survived fashion and taste cycles to arrive intact and complete, in all its charm of sporty white, to us today. That’s why a pair of white Autry athletic shoes expresses an affectionate look back at a glorious past worn on tennis courts and college athletics fields. Understanding this is crucial to appreciate unfiltered the beauty of an aged white marked by time and wear on the Autry Medalist low and mid models and on the Bob Lutz, sneakers as a homage to the triumphant American tennis player of the late ’70s and early ’80s. White leather and beige rubber, a perfect match.