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Prada Linea Rossa?

Xericx

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How are the Prada Linea Rossa sneakers? I want some good, travelling walking shoes/sneakers that are a bit more upscale. I'd like the traditional black so I can wear them going out without getting hassled. I imagine that they wouldn't fade or get too worn appreciably, just a guess that they use higher quality leathers. I've seen these around forever and was wondering if anyone had firsthand experience with them. http://www.neimanmarcus.com/store/ca...0550cat3260731
NMN04AV_mn.jpg
Any suggestions or alternative suggestions?
 

kiya

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In all honesty that looks like a nurse's shoe in black with a red prada tag.
Why not just get a pair of UK edition New Balance shoes in a cool color?
It'd cost you a fourth of the Prada shoe and look far better too.
 

Xericx

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Originally Posted by kiya
In all honesty that looks like a nurse's shoe in black with a red prada tag. Why not just get a pair of UK edition New Balance shoes in a cool color? It'd cost you a fourth of the Prada shoe and look far better too.
Would I be able to wear them to a nightclub or upscale bar/lounge? I think with these Pradas, I can pull that off. with nice jeans, shorts, etc. I have a lot of running and tennis shoes, but they look ratty after a while. With these, I also assume the wear would be much less noticeable over time.
 

kiya

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I'm not meaning to be rude in any way, just an honest question..
Why would you wear your "traveling and walking shoes" to a nightclub?
If you can afford Prada shoes like the ones above you can afford to get some walking shoes then something nicer to wear to a club.
Combining the two isn't a great idea, you'll end up with mediocre walking shoes and terrible looking dress shoes.
 

Xericx

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Originally Posted by kiya
I'm not meaning to be rude in any way, just an honest question..
Why would you wear your "traveling and walking shoes" to a nightclub?
If you can afford Prada shoes like the ones above you can afford to get some walking shoes then something nicer to wear to a club.
Combining the two isn't a great idea, you'll end up with mediocre walking shoes and terrible looking dress shoes.


I like to travel light, and these shoes seem versatile as it could serve two purposes, they're slightly plain looking, but i'm not looking to be super dressy by any means. I think they'll look pretty nice with a nice pair of jeans and something I can throw on in a pinch without having to pack a pair of nicer shoes on a quick weekend trip or something.

I'm wondering if people have experience with their fit, cushioning and durability. They have been around for a while, so it must be a classic design.
 

Gus

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I had a similar pair of Prada shoes with a toggle closure. They were great for travel and very comfortable. The look is a personal thing. I liked them, but I was also wearing black zip neck sweaters and jeans with them for a modern minimalist look. They also looked good with a dark T shirt.
 

Xericx

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Originally Posted by pocketsquareguy
I had a similar pair of Prada shoes with a toggle closure. They were great for travel and very comfortable. The look is a personal thing. I liked them, but I was also wearing black zip neck sweaters and jeans with them for a modern minimalist look. They also looked good with a dark T shirt.

How do they wear-out? Both the shoe itself and the soles? At $330 a pop, i don't want to have the soles wear out quickly.
 

Sprezzatura2010

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Those Pradas are cheap garbage. While also chronically overpriced, Bally's sneakers are considerably better made. See http://www.zappos.com/n/p/dp/19750905/c/91604.html I have those in white, and while they're not as good as my Reiter Sport sneakers or Helmut Lang sneakers made by Reiter, they are at least full grain leather both on the upper and the sock and well stitched together.
 

rach2jlc

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^Agreed.

If you found a pair at 95% off, then perhaps I'd say go for it. That's about all they are worth... the new Prada Sport sneakers like the above are Made in Vietnam and total crap; the older America's Cup sneakers, made in Italy, weren't bad... though overpriced at $295 (though my pairs held up fairly well), so I can't imagine how Prada thinks that $330 for shittier made Vietnamese sneakers is a good idea.
 

academe

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I had a pair of the America's Cup Made in Italy sneakers a few years ago. They held up quite well for 3 or 4 years, as part of a rotation... Good for casual wear, with polos, tshirts, jeans, etc., but really really overpriced. The quality of the leather (often corrected grain, although granted, slightly higher quality than the norm...) isn't worth the price. I've developed an aversion to expensive sneakers in recent years. I'd rather just get a pair of Converse or Pumas then spend a whole lot on a pair of sports shoes. The quality is often simply not there. Why would I spend ~£200 on a pair of Prada sport shoes when I could get a pair of Crockett & Jones for the same price? I know it's an apples to orange comparison, but the point I'm making is really with respect to quality and care of manufacturing... I'd rather just spend <£100 on a pair of Pumas or Campers if I wanted something a bit more casual. The quality-to-price ratio is just atrocious.
 

bleachboy

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My "Travelling and Walking shoes" are a pair of Heschung Bluchers from Barney's. Great shoes. But if you're just wanting a plain black sneaker, the Air Force 1 Supreme black-on-blacks are nice.
 

Babar

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The America cups are quite comfortable after they've been broken in and they seem to hold up well with wear too. I have a pair in a different color-way (as I have an aversion to black sneakers) that I got quite cheap that I use strictly as a rain weather shoe.

Although some of Prada's most recent offerings leave a lot to be desired, it was my understanding that the classics like these are pretty much made to the same specs even after they've moved production to Vietnam but I could be wrong.. It wouldn't surprise me if they've cut some corners in leather qualities etc but the pair I have is from Vietnam and they seem pretty good.

However I'd much rather get another designer sneaker if it was something to wear as a go-to shoe.. The Margiela army sneakers are really nice and understated but still much more luxe than a regular pair of Nike/Adidas. Common Projects also have some very nice classic designs that are definitely a better value than the Prada's.
 

v0rtex

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I have a pair which has stood up to about 4 years of wear quite nicely - impressive considering I can burn through a cheap pair of sneakers in about a year. The leather still looks great and hasn't got scuffed or lost it's luster.

The soles are thick, solid rubber so rather than wear through they've just started to get stress cracks across the horizontal middle of the sole. I put some gel insoles in as I found they rubbed when I first got them, but they become very comfortable with breaking in. They're quite heavy, so they're not that good as athletic shoes.

I got mine at a steep discount, wouldn't pay full retail for them.

They're also the only pair of shoes I've ever had that women will obviously check out/recognize, if you care about that kind of thing.
 

evanrose

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In New York, that style Prada is becoming associated with a more urban crowd, but that may be what you're into. If money's no object and you like 'em, who cares? Get 'em. You also might want to think about some Filas - they're making crazy knockoffs for far less money (http://teamsugar.com/group/75096/polls/1102826), probably to appeal to the aforementioned demographic.
 

Xericx

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Originally Posted by Sprezzatura2010
Those Pradas are cheap garbage. While also chronically overpriced, Bally's sneakers are considerably better made. See http://www.zappos.com/n/p/dp/19750905/c/91604.html I have those in white, and while they're not as good as my Reiter Sport sneakers or Helmut Lang sneakers made by Reiter, they are at least full grain leather both on the upper and the sock and well stitched together.
I'd like those better if they didn't have the stripe on them. I do have a pair of leather-type sneakers, a few in fact...the problem though is that the soles on them are quite thin, and for heavy walking they are not the best. Overall the reviews have been negative, but I'll look at alternatives for a shoe that can fit multiple requirements. several have mentioned Pumas, I've hated every pair of Pumas I've had....I like the Adidas tennis shoes much better. perhaps a pair of Mephistos, but they'll look like Grandpa's shoes......some of the camper's look interesting, but I've had bad luck with those kind of shoes in the past......
 

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