Twinkima.G has just launched a new spectator model, which I dare say is among the coolest spectators I have seen in a long time.

Spectators are one of those shoes that you simply don’t find very often anymore. They can be quite bold and, for many people, quite difficult to wear—especially in this day and age when dressing up is almost frowned upon and dressing down is all the rage.

The spectator has therefore become that maverick shoe, almost like a unicorn in today’s world. You see them in magazines. You might see them at a style event. But how often do you actually see someone walking down the street wearing a pair?

Almost never.

And that is partly why I love seeing a shoemaker like Twinkima.G actually make them.

Wearing Spectators Casually

Twinkima.G launched this new model in two spectator colorways, and what I particularly like is how they styled them.

One was worn with jeans. The other with proper trousers.

No suit. No overly formal outfit trying to make the spectator feel like some relic from another era. Instead, they styled them in a way that essentially says: It’s okay to wear these casually. Because it is.

If you can wear Hokas casually—which, to me, look horrendous—why can’t you wear a very cool pair of spectators with jeans?

I know the super style snobs will probably frown upon the idea, but us shoe snobs will say, “Hey, it’s all about the shoes.”

Dress up your casual look. Highlight the shoes. Make them the interesting part of the outfit instead of simply throwing on some Hokas or whatever easy pair of shoes happens to be sitting by the door.

Or even a suede loafer.

And don’t get me wrong, I love a suede loafer. You all know that. But sometimes it is cool to wear something different, and a great pair of spectators with jeans can look fantastic.

It is certainly better than many of the alternatives.

A Different Take On The Spectator

As for the shoes themselves, I absolutely love what Twinkima.G has done here. They are super slick.

The suede detailing on the vamp is particularly cool and gives the design another dimension beyond simply taking a traditional full brogue Oxford and making different sections contrasting colors. There is a lot going on, but it works.

And this is also the type of model where customization could become very interesting. I would love to see what people come up with if Twinkima.G allows customers to play around with the different materials and colors. I would also love to see the brand introduce additional colorways of its own.

There is a lot of potential here.

And If Spectators Aren’t Your Thing…

For those who like the actual design but don’t want the boldness of a spectator, Twinkima.G also has an all-black version.

And in black, you really get to appreciate the underlying shoe.

It becomes a beautiful full brogue Oxford, but one that is uniquely done and unlike most of the full brogue Oxfords you tend to see. The detailing gives it its own identity without relying on the contrasting colors of the spectator versions to make it interesting.

That, to me, is the sign of a good design.

The spectator versions are naturally going to grab the attention—and they certainly grabbed mine—but the shoe underneath all of that color and contrast is still a very cool shoe in its own right. And I bet they sell the all-black version a lot quicker than the spectators. As disappointing as that is, I get it.

It is good to see Twinkima.G continuing to push the line and doing something a little different.

We need more of that. And maybe, just maybe, we need to start wearing spectators again.

Even with jeans.

Find out more: www.twinkimag.com

—Justin FitzPatrick, The Shoe Snob

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***Twinkima.G is a supporter of The Shoe Snob Blog, and you can consider this a sponsored post***