But here’s the thing, even though I’m fortunate enough to have witnessed Jordan’s heyday and was reared knowing who Stan Smith is (my dad’s a tennis nut), for the longest time, I didn’t know Chuck Taylor was anything but a shoe, I just thought they looked good. In 2007, I spent the better part of my time trolling message boards like SuperFuture and StyleForum, where dudes would wax nostalgic about everything from Dior Homme denim, to Band of Outsiders oxfords, to Cloak jacket buttons. Menswear blogs didn’t exist in the way they do now, and while I was no stranger to NikeTalk, these places elevated clothing to a different level, appreciating it not from the mindset that dressing well helps you get promoted at work or more attractive to women, but rather that thoughtfully-made clothes that looked good were already worthy of admiration.