SeaVees: The Tragedy?

As brands revamp their lines to meet consumers interest in 'heritage' and the like, some will miss the boat as their impressions of what their consumers want. Given the amount of times I've seen SeaVees with the label, 'on sale', and the cold shoulder from the blogging community, I think it's reasonable for me to say that SeaVees is one of these brands. Sort of like a washed up salesman who does not understand a new trend, SeaVees attempted to re-invent themselves and created product that few want. SeaVees products don't remind me of the business class from days by gone, they remind me of sneaker hybrids that have been shunned as of late.



First, we've got the basic white sneaker. JCrew stocked these in the past, but this spring we haven't seen them yet on the web. If I were more obnoxious, pretentious, and ill-informed, I'd call these "iconic". Unfortunately, so are all white sneakers. Where a brand like Alden can sell their shoes based on quality, and sneaker brand has to find a good blend of quality and price. Converse and Vans have found their sweet spots, so more than $60 is too much to charge for a canvas sneaker. SeaVees have better quality? That's debatable, plus, unlike a wingtip or a penny loafter (or, erm, a tassle loafer), nobody buys white sneakers to last them 20 years. Give them 2-3 years and then they're cast away like a Disney star that hasn't learned to juggle their movie career and their cocaine addiction at the same time.



Too much stitching and too much suck. Looks like they were made in Malaysia for Gap's in-house shoe line.



Obviously a Wallabee knock-off, these should do well, right? They look more stable and lighter than the Walla' low boot. That is, until you consider the mark up. And, if you look real close, the sole continues up the heel. Dumb as hell? Dumb as hell.



Yep, that's their interpretation of a chelsea boot. If you haven't figured it out, SeaVees, like Detroit of a few years ago, just takes old cars, puts some crap on them to make them look new, and sells them to the public. Or if that simile doesn't satisfy you, they rape the classics and have some babies that are traumatized for life.



Ok, this one isn't bad. It's a desert boot that stands fairly true compared to the classics. But it doesn't stand true to the classic $100 price point. Also, you can tell the sole isn't real crepe, which would make critics cringe. You don't have to be an expert to know that the rubber sole cheapens the look. That won't win you any battles... times your mom.



Here we are, the only boot that SeaVees offers that I think may deserve consideration for any guy. Though, to consider it, you have to hate the bean boot and the LL Bean return policy (which is impossible) and you have to do a whole lot of sloshing around. Spend much time wading around in the mud, digging for shellfish? Plus the whole completely rubber boot thing gives off more of a 'lesbian fisherwoman' vibe than a masculine 'I'm all about America and the Adirondacks' vibe.

So what made SeaVees miss the target? It looks like they were under the impression that streetwear guys converting from sneakers to wingtips would need some help bridging the ravine. SeaVees made a bunch of sneaker hybrids that they thought would win them sneakerheads who couldn't dig wingtips. It turns out that those sneakerheads could dig wingtips. So now SeaVees is producing shoes that look like sneaker hybrids for business casual. Count me out. JCrew carried a number of SeaVees for the last few seasons, but this season has less. I'm sure you've perused the sale sections. I don't know about you, but I saw a number of SeaVees. SeaVees attempted to create a 'heritage' but missed with the execution and the price point. Guys want "classics" but SeaVees hasn't been able to deliver.