John Kim Nike was on top of the chunky dad shoe movement…before it was a movement. By now you already know about the Nike Air Monarch line, the budget-option leather sneaker that appeared to be made exclusively for the fathers of the world who preferred the spatial freedom of cargo pants over the “with-it” bravado of boot-cut jeans. It was created to battle the lower-priced casual shoes in a space dominated by brands like New Balance; the dad-shoe market is not to be belittled because this model brought in eight figures of cash annually into Phil Knight’s pockets.
Mayden recently took to Instagram to share one of his earlier sketches of the shoe – one that doesn’t seem too far off of the final product. At the time of its creation, nobody at Nike (Jason included) could have foreseen this weird trend. Now, Monarchs aren’t only mainstays at the Pep-Boys and Bass Pro Shops scene – they’re footwear centerpieces on fashion show runways.
The Nike Air Monarch may be responsible for one of the biggest ripples that caused the current wave of demand for chunky “dad” shoes. It’s clear that Nike is looking to deliver on this ironic trend by stylizing this sneaker that is best known for its EEEE widths for the broad-footed patriarchs of the world. Before all this, there has always been a cult following around this bulky beater. Nike even made some PEs for Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, and loyalists within Nike, who have the access and means to create some crazy 1-of-1s that would melt Instagram feeds, have chosen to make Monarchs inspired by the Air Jordan 3.
It appears the Monarch is here to stay, for now. And whether you’re aboard the Monarch hype train or watching it unfold afar, please don’t wear cargo pants unless you really have to.
