an ode to the platform sneaker: a 90s gal staple

Platforms worn by the Spice Girls 

 Anybody with even the vaguest familiarity with gyaru fashion can probably tell you how important the platform shoe is to a gal. In almost all the material I've read, the most common description of a gal tends to boil down to this: tanned, bleached hair, and wearing sky-high platforms. 

From the dust jacket of Ganguro Girls by Kate Klippensteen

Gyaru, as a subculture, has always stood for rebellion. Notably rebellion against how a woman "ought" to look. At a time when women were more or less expected to be small and demure, these girls chose to stand out and stand tall—literally and metaphorically. 

As a gal who loves her own platforms, I can attest to this. I'm already quite tall on flat feet (5'8" / 173 cm), but that doesn't stop me from wearing my massive, ten-to-twelve-inch shoes with nearly every coordinate. Affectionately, I've even started referring to myself as Godzilla Woman, stomping my way through Shibuya and Harajuku. 

Wearing platforms makes me feel cool and commanding, and I assume that old-school gals must've felt the same.

Of course, many types of platforms were and still are popular. 

The La Carte platform boots were especially iconic and swoon-worthy in the Heisei era, but today, I want to focus on one type of legendary platform: the sneaker. 

The history of the platform

The platform has a storied past. 

Early iterations can be seen in the patten of the middle ages, the Japanese geta and okobo, and the corthornus worn by Ancient Greek theatre performers to indicate the importance of certain characters. (Even back then, we knew the drama of a good platform shoe!)  

In the 1930s, Italian fashion titan Salvatore Ferragamo designed a pair of platform sandals (named The Rainbow for its colorful suede-lined base) for Judy Garland to wear. Many other stars of the decade were spotted in similar styles. 

The disco boom and glam rock scenes of the 1970s were critical for the legacy of the platform shoe. It provided disco dancers and rock stars alike with a solid foundation to boogie on, which was much sturdier than the precarious heel of a stiletto. They were often styled with bell-bottom jeans to cut a striking, long-legged figure. 

By the 90s and early 2000s, the platform sneaker had started to surge in popularity, favored by global pop stars like The Spice Girls and Britney Spears. Often paired with shimmery, skimpy stage outfits, the chunky shoes gave them this adorable, cartoon character-esque silhouette. It provided supermodel height while offering the steadiness needed to perform intricate choreography. 

Heisei Gyarus and platform sneakers

As I started learning more about 90s and early 2000s-era gal, I noticed that when the models weren't wearing their signature boots or wooden sandals, they dawned some pretty kick-ass sneakers. 

When I got the 1999 issue of Gal'sUp! concerning the "Charismatic Clerks" of Shibuya 109, I noted that these sneakers were especially popular among the staff at Jassie: 

The sneakers featured in the above and below scans are from Buffalo London. They are the brand's ultra-trendy "Cloud Sole" sneakers. They came in various designs ranging from animal prints to bright colors, but all shared the same iconic 10 cm sole. 

Every Jassie staff member seemed to own a pair. (I wonder if it was a requirement to work there???)

Unlike the resort casual stylings of Alba Rosa, Jassie was heavily inspired by African American hip hop culture (commonly referred to as B-Style in Japan.) Western R&B sensations such as TLC, Janet Jackson, and Mary J. Blige were among the style's most prominent fashion figures. These artists also had a significant impact on Okinawan idol and fashion icon Namie Amuro, who was likely Japanese society's entry point to B-style.

Aside from Buffalos, sneakers from Question Mark and La Carte were equally adored, though certainly gave off a different style impression:

My own personal pair of Question Mark sneakers

La Carte platform sneakers

These styles were more "cutesy" than the Buffalos, but they still maintained that convergence of sporty and sexy that attracted many to the platform sneaker in the first place. 

Platform sneakers today

What goes around comes around, and Y2K is getting its time in the sun. Again. 

Chunky sneakers are back en vogue. I've seen Filas and New Rocks on the feet of Harajuku's most fashionable, as well as an overwhelming interest in reviving the rounded shape of 90s Sketchers.

Yosuke also produces some great sneakers that are reminiscent of some of the iconic 90s styles. The tallest pair of platform sneakers I own are from Yosuke and remind me a lot of the classic Buffalos: 

I believe the platform is eternal. It's not going anywhere. And the same goes for the platform sneaker. 

It may receive a revamp or redesign per present fashion sentiments and interests, but the heart and soul will forever remain. 

Because, really, is there anything better than stomping around in some big-ass shoes? 

I don't think so.