Cool quarterbacks, skilled soccer players, speedy water polo prodigies, hell, even brainy chess players all got to rep that ever-so-stylish high school varsity jacket back in the day. The jacket has stayed a timeless hallway companion throughout its history and continues to drape the backs of high school’s most elite to this day.
Whether or not you owned one of these jackets yourself, we can all agree that varsity apparel has an effortless coolness to it that’s hard to come by. From the best rugby shirts to classic white sneakers, varsity apparel is an unchanging style that’s lasted as far back as our grandparents walked the high school hallways.
The only issue? It’s hard to come by a stellar varsity piece to rock post-high school without feeling like a washed-out townie trying to relive their glory days.
That is until now.
Today, Rothy’s is back with their third ever men’s sneaker drop. Meet The Varsity Collection.
For those of you following along with us at SPY, you’ll note that Rothy’s stepped their toes (no pun intended) into the mens’ footwear space back in May with the release of their Driving Loafer and RS01 Sneaker.
Sure, we were completely stoked to finally see Rothy’s stretching their iconic, eco-friendly footwear line out for dudes, but we’re gonna keep it real for a minute. We were slightly underwhelmed.
Don’t get us wrong, both shoes were pretty legit. They were cozy, comfortable and cool, but they were expected. We wanted something a little more out of left field. Something with flavor. Some spice.
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And then, they gave it to us.
Rothy’s Varsity Collection is borderline perfect. The toned-down yet bold jewel tones really bring the original RS01 design into a brand new light. The sneaks are essentially an American classic — a shoe that transcends time so well that if you squint hard enough at Grandpa’s 1941 high school yearbook, you might think, “are those Rothy’s?”
These retro-spun sneakers play well with the fact that what goes around comes back around in fashion. They hit the nail on the head with what’s popular in modern-day men’s style by bringing us back to the 80s without us even asking. To put it quite frank, the sneaks are genius.
There are only three pops of color available that include a Hunter green, Crimson red and Hudson blue against a white upper atop a classic orangey outsole. Although the colors really bring the shoe to a whole new level, they aren’t overwhelmingly bright, which gives them the power to pair well with just about any casual outfit you might throw on in your day-to-day. The toned-down coloration also gives them that vintage look we love so much, too
Because it’s Rothy’s, you should obviously expect a knit-to-shape design made with virtually zero waste and 100% recycled materials. Each sneak is extremely cushy for walking miles upon miles. When it’s time to give these sneaks a wash, Rothy’s ensures that these bad boys are 100% machine washable. So, throw ’em in with your load and let the magic happen for fresh-looking feet heat whenever you want to stunt around your city.
It’s quite clear when we say we’re fans, so don’t be so shocked if you see any of us out on the streets of NYC or LA clad in Rothy’s Varsity Collection this season. Mind your business.
If you’re ready to keep your feet in style, be sure to check out this brand-new launch right now below. Each pair will cost you $175 in total, which is essentially a steal given how they’re made.