crooked tongues magazine News Features

It's one thing to get all excited over the shinier end of the sneaker spectrum, but there's plenty of mileage in a good pair of trainers that are hype free. That's not to say that Le Coq Sportif's current heritage output like the Eclat doesn't deserve equal amounts of coverage to whatever's got people going ham but it's a quieter breed of shoe release, and one that's all the better for it. The Eclat's early 1980's looks represent a time when the technical runners from each brand were primed in a race for dominance. The Eclat's looks are pure Euro athletics of the time and it's a look that can run and run into a contemporary market. Some brands attempt the comeback late on the day after clocking the blog love for heritage pieces, but more often than not, their product was shabby in its day compared to other offerings. That's not the case with Le Coq Sportif, who offered a Gallic vision in a market filled with Americans and Germans, as well as maintaining a certain exotic feel to their offerings that was appealing to those seeking less obvious modes of one-upmanship during a golden era for sports footwear.

Dense nylon mesh and suede is a combination that we'll never tire of, but you needed more back in the day to stand out when one killer app after another was hitting the shelves and you sure as hell need something notable to weather the retro onslaught and still sell over 27 years later, but that shape, the heel counter with the miniscule embosses, the plastic eyelets and those angular overlays at the rear that allowed for extra colour options deliver that point of difference. The Footpatrol edition was strong, but having seen these during a visit to Le Coq Sportif's Paris HQ early last year, we were hoping the Eclat would be an accessory in the brand's UK activity. These are on sale now in the Crooked Tongues store now and we think the traditional reds and blues are good, but the grey and yellow is the best of the trio.