We all know that Katie Holmes is a dyed-in-the-wool menswearhead. But did you know she’s also a bit of a sneakerhead, too? Yeah, it’s true. Not only does she go for some mega hyped collabs like the Bode x Nike Astro Grabber, she’s also into some smaller, nicher labels like Pony and Vivaia. And in New York City yesterday, she stepped out in her new fave all-American brand: Autry.
While arriving at a showing of Our Town, the 45-year-old actor was spotted looking extra cosy while rocking the Medalist Low. Sure, it’s a silhouette that you’ve probably never heard of before, but it’s becoming more and more culty over on sneaker TikTok. In fact, some big trainer guys are even calling it the ultimate Samba alternative.
Autry is no stranger to nice, wearable trainers. Founded in the early ’80s by Jim Autry, the Texas-born company was one of the biggest shoe brands in the US of A. Known for its super clean tennis and running models, it just kept dropping banger after banger after banger, including the Medalist Low. But all good things come to an end; the family-run outfit eventually faded into obscurity. Sad.
But decades later, old school sneakers like the Adidas Gazelle and the New Balance 990 started gaining traction once more. So in 2019 (almost 40 years since it opened its door), Autry was revived. It started firing out vintage shoes again. “They’re retro, they’re clean, they’re neither chunky nor slimline, and they still have some in-the-know kudos left in the tank,” wrote GQ‘s Murray Clark. “Or at least they did until I started recommending them to every single person I know.”
Plus, Katie Holmes is a befitting model. If Dawson’s Creek was still on the go, the all-American Autry Medalist Low is exactly the kinda thing that all-American girl Joey Potter would wear. If the sneaker fits.
