Five trendy sneaker brands you'll never see again and fans are nostalgic for the past
SEVERAL trendy sneakers once ruled the shoe scene only to disappear years later.
Fashion brands have launched many successful tennis shoes that caught the attention of shoppers everywhere, but not all were meant to last.
As styles change and shopper demand wanes, however, many of the once iconic shoes found themselves off market.
While it’s still possible to find some vintage footwear online, many customers are begging for their favorites to return to stores.
The U.S. Sun outlined the full list of iconic sneakers that no longer are produced, but there’s still hope these beloved shoes will come back for a limited time.
1. BRITISH KNIGHTS
A pair of British Knights brings back a sense of nostalgia for millions of shoppers.
Read more about discontinued items
Many remember these shoes worn by famous rapper MC Hammer and basketball player Derrick Coleman.
The shoe quickly made its allure as a status symbol well known after several hip hop endorsements.
Coleman’s love for the brand also saw the appeal of the BK Knights skyrocket under his spotlight, and soon enough sports fans everywhere were looking to get the iconic style.
“All I know about BK Knights is that they'd always give them away on Nickelodeon game shows,” one shopper recalled on Reddit. “To 5 year old me, that was the high watermark of quality.”
Most read in Money
2. KANGAROOS
KangaROOS made their debut in 1979, and consumers quickly flocked to the brand for its unique athletic shape and comfort.
The shoe also had a notable side pocket that many used to actually hold their change or keys.
This design element distinguished the KangaROOS from many other styles on the market, but the sneakers did not stay in vogue for long.
By the mid 1980s, ROOS were all but gone from the shoe scene, and now you can only find a rare pair at Payless or eBay.
Shoppers still share their nostalgia for the now beloved product:
“I had a navy blue and white pair. My mom made me keep a dime in the pocket for an emergency phone call,” one former KangaROOS owner said on Reddit.
3. JOX
At the time of its release, Jox was one of the most noteworthy lifestyle sneakers on the market.
Its tagline was “Jox: the shoe named after you.”
It had the weight of a performance tennis shoe while still offering the fashion appeal that shoppers were looking for in their everyday 1980s wear.
It’s not clear what got Jox axed from stores, but changing style trends likely saw the excitement for this brand dwindle as shoppers looked for something newer and flashier.
4. TRAVEL FOX
Shoe enthusiasts once knew Travel Fox to be the original high fashion sneaker.
Now, the shoe is mostly forgotten, often taking up space on thrift store shelves.
Especially savvy sneaker shoppers remember Travel Fox was made with specialty Italian leather and had a unique printed text and logo that set it apart from others.
Some of its style might have inspired modern shoe brands like Common Projects.
Despite Travel Fox’s name not being well known today, it made its mark on the sneaker scene for generations as many other companies use it as inspiration.
Travel Fox now sells for between $100 and $200 online, so there’s still significant demand for the vintage shoe.
5. HI-TEC
Hi-Tec made a splash on the shoe scene after its famous 1989 advertisement caught the eye of shoppers.
The brand was marketing its Badwater 146 shoe, with a “fresh from our lab” slogan that quickly enticed consumers.
Hi-Tec mostly targeted runners who wanted a durable pair of shoes to get them where they needed to go, no matter the terrain.
While the tennis shoe had a stylish look to it, many felt the brand could never get past the inevitable comparisons to top-selling Nike sneakers.
“Hi-Tec was the brand kids would get picked on at school for wearing because their parents couldn't afford Nike,” one Redditor wrote. “No amount of remarketing is gonna shake that association round here unfortunately.”
Read More on The US Sun
In other product news, seven popular Costco products are going to be discontinued in the months to come.
Meanwhile, Aldi shoppers have been horrified to find out a favorite breakfast item will be disappearing from stores.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTEZqqupl6YvK57zKilnrFfbIV3gZdpbmiekaK8tr%2BMrKWemZuav7R5w6KqnKeeqbavwcSdZJuqkaOxtHs%3D