YouLookFab Forum » Topic: Cons vs Stans : Rockers/Artists vs Preps/Jocks

YouLookFab Forum » Topic: Cons vs Stans : Rockers/Artists vs Preps/Jocks https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/cons-vs-stans-rockersartists-vs-prepsjocks Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Thu, 30 Apr 2026 10:39:54 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 <![CDATA[Search]]> q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php cindysmith on "Cons vs Stans : Rockers/Artists vs Preps/Jocks" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/cons-vs-stans-rockersartists-vs-prepsjocks/page/3#post-1806688 Tue, 09 May 2017 02:52:34 +0000 cindysmith 1806688@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I've only recently come around to sneakers. I had some kswiss in the early 2000s but that was a shirt lived thing because I couldn't keep them white and I really loved my high heels. Lately, I've been obsessed with slip on sneakers like the finds. What stereotype do slip on sneakers come with? LOL Aida on "Cons vs Stans : Rockers/Artists vs Preps/Jocks" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/cons-vs-stans-rockersartists-vs-prepsjocks/page/3#post-1806592 Mon, 08 May 2017 23:47:39 +0000 Aida 1806592@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Interesting thread! I suspect the associations are similar and strong among many of us specifically because these are, as Angie says, iconic shoes. Iconic things tend to hold their associations over time. I'm rocker, arty, and sciencey (and was athletic in high school) -- but feel silly in Cons (do OK in Pumas but still overall silly). Give me Vans any day :D (Another who finds art/sci/math all on the same side of the coin.) Gaylene on "Cons vs Stans : Rockers/Artists vs Preps/Jocks" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/cons-vs-stans-rockersartists-vs-prepsjocks/page/3#post-1806489 Mon, 08 May 2017 19:43:30 +0000 Gaylene 1806489@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Trolling through my memory banks, it seems the first time I heard of Doc Martens was in connection with the Mods and Rockers back in the 60s. Docs were a working class boot, similar to the Marlon Brando motorcycle boot, worn by the Rockers as a counterpoint to the Italian Chelsea leather boots favoured by the Mods. The first time Docs registered with me was when I saw Peter Townsend of The Who wearing a pair. At that time, I thought they were rather cool. What gave Docs their unsavory connotation for many of us in the 70s, though, was their popularity with the skinheads and punks, especially the fringe violent, far-right, racist factions. The more mainstream skinhead/punk movement was largely apolitical, but it was this smaller faction which garnered all the media attention. Seeing an blood-soaked immigrant being kicked in the head by a pair of Doc Martens is a pretty hard image to erase. I'm finding this thread utterly fascinating because the perceptions of younger YLFers regarding the images conveyed by these iconic types of footwear is so different than mine. I remember the the first time I saw a girl wearing a pair of Docs with a flower-patterned dress--fashion transforming a violent image into something girly--but, unfortunately, not enough to remove the bloody taint from my mind. So, just like Cons maintain their basketball origins in my mind, Docs keep their violent image in my head. But isn't it fascinating to think of how enduring these images are in our minds? I'm now a bit more sympathetic to my mother's dislike of herringbone tweed because she could never move past the image of a baggy, labourer's jacket. Fashion can transform quite a lot, but it seems some connotations remain with us forever. Jenn on "Cons vs Stans : Rockers/Artists vs Preps/Jocks" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/cons-vs-stans-rockersartists-vs-prepsjocks/page/3#post-1806485 Mon, 08 May 2017 19:26:20 +0000 Jenn 1806485@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Gaylene and Aziraphale, I so agree with your thoughts about arts and sciences vs. business majors! It was like that when I was in college in the early 90s, as well. I think that's all changed for Millennials, though. It's almost a given now for creatives to start their own businesses, and the lines have gotten blurry! I used to see business majors as Wall Street types and realtors, but my (16yo) son sees business classes as a gateway to starting a YouTube channel or managing large-scale creative/social projects. LaPed on "Cons vs Stans : Rockers/Artists vs Preps/Jocks" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/cons-vs-stans-rockersartists-vs-prepsjocks/page/3#post-1806478 Mon, 08 May 2017 19:08:22 +0000 LaPed 1806478@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Sara L -- I could never afford Docs either, but scoured the thrift stores for them in college. Ended up with red patent boots and white/navy brogue oxfords, both made in England, not China. Boots are long gone, but I still have the oxfords. The other boots I really loved in college, also thrifted, were black pointy-toed lace-up boots from Santana Canada. More "granny grunge" than combat. Those boots really helped me feel like I had my own style, not just a set of cultural signifiers. I love hearing all the different regional/ generational names for All Stars! Aziraphale on "Cons vs Stans : Rockers/Artists vs Preps/Jocks" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/cons-vs-stans-rockersartists-vs-prepsjocks/page/3#post-1806469 Mon, 08 May 2017 18:57:02 +0000 Aziraphale 1806469@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Lisa, it may be a regional as well as a time period thing. I was in high school from 85-90, just before the tipping point for the grunge invasion of mainstream America. I mean, you did see Docs on boys with eyeliner and that sort of thing, but lots of mainstream kids wore them too. Sara L. on "Cons vs Stans : Rockers/Artists vs Preps/Jocks" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/cons-vs-stans-rockersartists-vs-prepsjocks/page/2#post-1806468 Mon, 08 May 2017 18:56:30 +0000 Sara L. 1806468@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Hmm, when I was in high school everyone wore Ked's.  Maybe the guys wore chucks though - I can't remember.  I've never been much for wearing sneakers.  I wore black flat boots in college - not Docs though.  I couldn't afford Docs - I made it through college without any loans, but I was flat broke most of the time.    I majored in engineering.  I'm not sure how that fits into your categories.  I don't think I fit either one. Anonymous on "Cons vs Stans : Rockers/Artists vs Preps/Jocks" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/cons-vs-stans-rockersartists-vs-prepsjocks/page/2#post-1806466 Mon, 08 May 2017 18:51:40 +0000 Anonymous 1806466@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ AZ - the Docs issue has never been on  my radar. I knew no-one who wore them in my high school years (75-79). And certainly not in university (unless you were in Art School).  I'm not sure if it was a regional thing, or maybe a time period where they weren't ubiquitous, but again, the only Docs wearers I saw were the goth kids who also wore long black trench coats.   Aziraphale on "Cons vs Stans : Rockers/Artists vs Preps/Jocks" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/cons-vs-stans-rockersartists-vs-prepsjocks/page/2#post-1806465 Mon, 08 May 2017 18:49:54 +0000 Aziraphale 1806465@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Gaylene -- YES! That's what I just said too. The arts and sciences are flip sides of the same coin; business isn't even the same currency. ;-) Gaylene on "Cons vs Stans : Rockers/Artists vs Preps/Jocks" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/cons-vs-stans-rockersartists-vs-prepsjocks/page/2#post-1806462 Mon, 08 May 2017 18:45:38 +0000 Gaylene 1806462@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Actually, back in the sixties, Arts and Science were usually in the same division and, as an Honors English major, I took both chemistry and physics courses as part of my program. The big division was not between the liberal arts and science but between us and the "Schools" of Business/Management and Engineering. Computing science courses were options for both Arts and Science majors, as well as Engineering students, but not for Business/Accounting majors. I wrote my first program on punch cards in my undergraduate years as an English major; at that time, I figured computers might be handy if I decided to go into Library Science. Aziraphale on "Cons vs Stans : Rockers/Artists vs Preps/Jocks" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/cons-vs-stans-rockersartists-vs-prepsjocks/page/2#post-1806458 Mon, 08 May 2017 18:27:44 +0000 Aziraphale 1806458@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ @JAileen -- yup, yours is definitely a weirder combination than a BSc/BFA! JAileen on "Cons vs Stans : Rockers/Artists vs Preps/Jocks" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/cons-vs-stans-rockersartists-vs-prepsjocks/page/2#post-1806454 Mon, 08 May 2017 18:22:44 +0000 JAileen 1806454@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Aziraphale, I have an accounting degree, but I'm probably not typical, because I also have a geography degree. I know, very odd. Gaylene on "Cons vs Stans : Rockers/Artists vs Preps/Jocks" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/cons-vs-stans-rockersartists-vs-prepsjocks/page/2#post-1806445 Mon, 08 May 2017 18:16:32 +0000 Gaylene 1806445@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Hey, Lisa, those Chucks were considered top-line basketball shoes in the 60s! Their big advantage over other athletic shoes of that period were the non-skid soles, ample toe room, and ankle support. Those rubber side disks were designed to be tightly laced over the ankle to prevent it from turning over when your foot hit the floor after a jump. The rubber toe box was also easier on the toes when you came to a quick stop and pivot. Very high tech in those days and the sign you weren't just a casual player on the courts. ;) That's why it cracked me up when the artsy group grabbed onto those Chucks. I had to hide my Chucks at the bottom of my shoe pile in my university days so my Liberal Arts and Drama friends wouldn't realize they had been infiltrated. ;) I can still smell that distinctive mix of sweat and leather basketballs when I see this picture. Aziraphale on "Cons vs Stans : Rockers/Artists vs Preps/Jocks" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/cons-vs-stans-rockersartists-vs-prepsjocks/page/2#post-1806435 Mon, 08 May 2017 18:05:15 +0000 Aziraphale 1806435@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I just read what Jules wrote about Doc Martens -- have to add that my experience wasn't at all that Docs were for the "scary" kids. They were nearly ubiquitous in my neck of the woods, if not in high school, then certainly in university. I wore pretty much Docs, Birks or hiking boots for most of the early 90s. But I live in the Pacific Northwest, so maybe that's why.  Lisa, if you had posed the question, "are you a sneakers woman or a Docs woman", I'd have identified more with the latter.  I'm also surprised at how many people are either arts/liberal arts OR science. I don't see them as being all that different. I see it more as art/literature/science as being kind of the opposite of  business/accounting. Aziraphale on "Cons vs Stans : Rockers/Artists vs Preps/Jocks" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/cons-vs-stans-rockersartists-vs-prepsjocks/page/2#post-1806430 Mon, 08 May 2017 17:52:05 +0000 Aziraphale 1806430@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Fun thread! I prefer Cons, but I like Stan Smiths too. But while I'm never without a pair of Cons, I've never owned any Stan Smiths. (However, in high school, I used to borrow my younger brother's occasionally!). I think I'd feel at home in both. I'm also good at both science and art (now with a bachelor's degree in both, haha!). So maybe my experience supports your stereotype. Or maybe not! I was already a "true Cons girl" in my youth, when I was more of a scientist than I am now. I liked badminton and tennis back then, and yet was convinced that preppy golf shirts and flippy skirts were deeply uncool. (I am less opposed to them now). I agree that Converse have zero arch support, though. :-) Anonymous on "Cons vs Stans : Rockers/Artists vs Preps/Jocks" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/cons-vs-stans-rockersartists-vs-prepsjocks/page/2#post-1806421 Mon, 08 May 2017 17:34:10 +0000 Anonymous 1806421@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ JAileen - how anyone plays/played basketball in Converse is beyond me. I die when I see it.  I LOVE basketball shoes, and sometimes wish i played . I'd have the wildest collection around   Suz on "Cons vs Stans : Rockers/Artists vs Preps/Jocks" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/cons-vs-stans-rockersartists-vs-prepsjocks/page/2#post-1806401 Mon, 08 May 2017 17:03:15 +0000 Suz 1806401@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Fun topic and discussion! Thanks for starting this, Lisa.  I'm in Group Three -- the "no sneakers in school" camp. I was singularly unathletic. (Which is hilarious when you consider that I grew up-- eventually -- to work for a fitness company for a while and became something of an expert on different types of exercise and exercise nutrition!)  I was similarly incapable (or uninterested) in math and I was scared of the artsy types (even though I secretly longed to be one). That left me on the fringes of everything, pretty much. What did I wear? Mostly platforms of some kind or another.  I did wear Docs in my college years, but the more refined monk-strap kind. Loved them at the time... I do admit to have tried Converse on a few times, but they did not fit me or feel right -- I was never good in a completely flat unpadded shoe. The first ones I owned were my beloved Hi-Ness (with the little wedge) and I adored those and felt perfectly happy in them until they died.  Now I love my Eccos, which are basically comfort shoes, but that is okay with me. I am seriously considering adding a pair of the high tops this fall...or a red pair of the Soft 7s or 8s.... Anonymous on "Cons vs Stans : Rockers/Artists vs Preps/Jocks" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/cons-vs-stans-rockersartists-vs-prepsjocks/page/2#post-1806398 Mon, 08 May 2017 16:53:56 +0000 Anonymous 1806398@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Puma girl here.  Meow. Gaylene on "Cons vs Stans : Rockers/Artists vs Preps/Jocks" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/cons-vs-stans-rockersartists-vs-prepsjocks/page/2#post-1806367 Mon, 08 May 2017 15:45:38 +0000 Gaylene 1806367@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Fascinating the associations we have with these shoes. I'm totally off course here because I've always associated those black Chuck Taylor All-Stars with my sixties BASKETBALL playing years. I loved basketball and played on teams in high school and university--and went on to coach both girls' and boys' teams in junior high when I first started teaching. Always the hightops, though, for the ankle support. To this day, the lowcuts just look weird to me. My non-basketball shoe in university was the Adida Gazelle--the original OG, not the Gazelle 2. I loved the sleeker look, and, in my undergraduate years, a pair in dark blue or black suede was a essential part of my English/Drama major style. The Stan Smith's had too much of a tennis, preppie vibe and were reserved for the sorority/fraternity group. Pumas were the choice of the PhysEd majors with Nike just on the horizon as a track and field shoe. I found it amusing when my students started wearing my former basketball shoes as part of their "edgy" look. To me, those high-top, black canvas Cons will forever be associated with smell of a basketball court. Angie on "Cons vs Stans : Rockers/Artists vs Preps/Jocks" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/cons-vs-stans-rockersartists-vs-prepsjocks/page/2#post-1806303 Mon, 08 May 2017 14:08:31 +0000 Angie 1806303@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Fun thread. Both sneaker looks are ICONIC.  Psychology & Fashion Majors here. Almost majored in Fine Art. I'm not  a Science gal.  I'm a Converse gal, but like Tanya, it's a Euro thing more than anything else. We grew up wearing Chucks - my brother too. But for sports - we wore Adidas. I have a soft spot for Adidas because it's a very nostalgic brand for me. THE '70s brand. But I can't wear the sneaker as a fashion look today. Too wide and too sporty. So I have the Fryes look-alike, which I am WEARING TO DEATH. Less sporty, prettier and narrower. Just ordered them in pink.  Aesthetically, I LOVE the way Converse look. Those white soles are magical. Modern Retro.  Christina F. on "Cons vs Stans : Rockers/Artists vs Preps/Jocks" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/cons-vs-stans-rockersartists-vs-prepsjocks/page/2#post-1806301 Mon, 08 May 2017 14:04:00 +0000 Christina F. 1806301@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I used to wear Cons - I had a pair of purple ones about 10 year sago that I loved. Always low tops, all the way. I'm a humanities girl, and I was in grad school at the time. I wasn't really a big sneaker person otherwise, until this year. In HS I wore dress shoes with my uniform or combat boots, or whatever sneakers someone got me from Payless or KMart. Now I occasionally covet some more Cons, but they don't give me the support I need for all the walking I do. I like the look of the Stan Smiths, but since they're so ubiquitous here in NYC I may not bother. A pair of PF Flyer/Kate Spade Saturday sneakers in a black and white check (comfy but I have trouble pairing them up despite the neutrals). A pair of mint green New Blance with kelly green accents Hot pink & purple Sketchers memory foam walking shoes - purchased for an upcoming amusement par trip in the hopes of keeping my feet happy Sperry turquoise sneakers - new purchase and so comfy (I also have canvas boat shoes from them in a kind of silver animal print) Merrell running shoes, strictly for working out ETA: I forgot I have two pairs of Keds slip ons! One is blue and perforated canvas, the other black in a shiny woven fabric. RobinF on "Cons vs Stans : Rockers/Artists vs Preps/Jocks" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/cons-vs-stans-rockersartists-vs-prepsjocks/page/2#post-1806278 Mon, 08 May 2017 13:10:02 +0000 RobinF 1806278@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Hmm, another third groupie here - not a big sneaker wearer, more of a clog girl. I did have some Converse in 6th grade and spent class coloring on the rubber soles in different color inks. I consider myself the arty group but am a CPA so have always been a bit of both. When I think about it though, my two older kids are more the Adidas/Puma types and they are science/sport minded and my youngest wears Converse and is more the artist. So you may just have something there Lisa. lyn67 on "Cons vs Stans : Rockers/Artists vs Preps/Jocks" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/cons-vs-stans-rockersartists-vs-prepsjocks/page/2#post-1806275 Mon, 08 May 2017 12:39:50 +0000 lyn67 1806275@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Very interesting  & weird enough. Been a sporty european girl and  wore Adidas and Puma while in  college (engineering science)-but never felt OK in Cons! Now I know why:-). Dianna on "Cons vs Stans : Rockers/Artists vs Preps/Jocks" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/cons-vs-stans-rockersartists-vs-prepsjocks/page/2#post-1806214 Mon, 08 May 2017 05:39:23 +0000 Dianna 1806214@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ When I was in middle school and high-school in Mexico, Nike's were the cool sneakers to wear.  I didn't like them.  I wasn't sporty at all, although I loved and still do love to to watch sports, any sport, but I am a big soccer fan, like Tanya.  That said, I was a nerdy type, I barely wore any sneakers at all, and when I did, I wore adidas.  Never wore docs either.  Now, I am more into sneakers than I was in high-school (I am also more active), and I love both types. Carla on "Cons vs Stans : Rockers/Artists vs Preps/Jocks" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/cons-vs-stans-rockersartists-vs-prepsjocks/page/2#post-1806197 Mon, 08 May 2017 03:48:21 +0000 Carla 1806197@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Blue suede Adidas Gazelle's for sneaks in high school, though I wore SL's for running X-country and track, until our coach ordered a batch of the first Nike Waffle trainers! I don't recall sneaks being a big deal, but FRYE boots sure were! I never owned a pair, though. When I met DH in uni, he was a hardcore All Stars wearer for b-ball, but called them Connie's! I bought him a leather pair (for b-ball) our first Christmas as young marrieds. I'm wearing my first Converse this spring, and loving them. FWIW, I majored in English/Sociology! Desmo April on "Cons vs Stans : Rockers/Artists vs Preps/Jocks" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/cons-vs-stans-rockersartists-vs-prepsjocks/page/2#post-1806194 Mon, 08 May 2017 03:12:30 +0000 Desmo April 1806194@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Total rocker chick here. I've pretty much always had a black pair of cons in rotation. Generally other colors and finishes in the mix but black is a constant. I wore my solid black rubber chucks to a rock show last night. I wore classic black ones to jam with a bunch of other rocker chicks at a rehearsal studio last week where I played drum and guitar. I wore the rubber ones the week before that to play drums at a local venue for a showcase. First time playing drums out!!! I also wore red canvas chucks to band practice before the show. So yes, I fit that stereotype. Style Fan on "Cons vs Stans : Rockers/Artists vs Preps/Jocks" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/cons-vs-stans-rockersartists-vs-prepsjocks/page/2#post-1806140 Sun, 07 May 2017 22:19:23 +0000 Style Fan 1806140@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I think I wore cons in high school.  I definitely wore Docs.  I am not scary.  I am as far from being a jock as you can get.  I don't know a thing about football, baseball, basketball, or any other ball.  I do know a tiny bit about hockey because I am Canadian.  Greyscale on "Cons vs Stans : Rockers/Artists vs Preps/Jocks" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/cons-vs-stans-rockersartists-vs-prepsjocks/page/2#post-1806139 Sun, 07 May 2017 22:08:43 +0000 Greyscale 1806139@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Yeah, I called them all stars, and then my college friends called them chucks. But I like our YLF name for them too. rachylou on "Cons vs Stans : Rockers/Artists vs Preps/Jocks" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/cons-vs-stans-rockersartists-vs-prepsjocks/page/2#post-1806082 Sun, 07 May 2017 18:11:58 +0000 rachylou 1806082@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Lol, Lisa! Ah, the good ol' days! Liz A. on "Cons vs Stans : Rockers/Artists vs Preps/Jocks" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/cons-vs-stans-rockersartists-vs-prepsjocks/page/2#post-1806078 Sun, 07 May 2017 17:58:57 +0000 Liz A. 1806078@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ @Lisa yes, it's obvious that Cons are Converse sneakers. The point is no one calls them that except on YLF as far as I can tell. They were always all stars or chucks growing up.