Footwear for the Stages

posted by Johnny A on Friday January 19, 2007

Filed under: Improv, Ranting

On the subject of improv footwear, there’s the Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars and then there’s everything else. Many an improv troupe logo is based on the design of these sneakers or their logo. Heck, on any given night, as many as 3 Trophy Wives might be wearing Chuck Taylors.

Chuck Taylors are fine shoes for the stage. But I want to talk about a few bright lights in the ‘everything else’ category of what to wear on your feet when you’re improvising. My sister bought me a pair of Nike Dunks for Christmas ’03.

They’re a mix of leather and suede. They don’t call attention to themselves and they’re very comfortable. They’re available ‘over-the-counter’ at finer shoe stores.

A few months ago, my friend Paul gave me a pair of Nike Bruin Air Maxes that he custom-designed on the Nike website.

Paul’s a designer and a serious runner so he knows how to put together a good sneaker. The Bruins are a little more comfortable and plush than the store-bought Dunks. Also, the soft-tumbled full-grain leather is elegant without being flashy. And they remind me of the UCLA Bruins, the greatest program in college basketball.