Classic Crisscross Strap Tracker: Simone Rocha’s Ode to Feminine Utility
June 30, 2025
In the ever-evolving landscape of women’s fashion, shoe have transcended their athletic roots to become cultural icons, status symbols, and canvases for artistic expression. No longer confined to gyms or running tracks, they have earned a place at runways, art galleries, and high-society soirées alike. Among the brands redefining this space, Simone Rocha stands apart — merging romanticism with bold functionality, delicate embellishments with raw utility. The Classic Crisscross Strap Tracker Shoe (Women) by Simone Rocha perfectly embodies this vision, capturing the essence of femininity reimagined for a modern, mobile world.
Founded in 2010, Irish designer Simone Rocha has become synonymous with a delicate yet subversive aesthetic. Her work explores dualities: strength and vulnerability, historical references and futuristic shapes, the ethereal and the grounded. Rocha’s collections often draw from rich cultural tapestries, including Catholic iconography, Elizabethan silhouettes, and traditional Chinese art, all woven together in a style that is unmistakably her own.
The Classic Crisscross Strap Tracker footwear distills these themes into a wearable, urban-ready form. At first glance, the sneaker’s silhouette signals utilitarian robustness — its thick, sculptural sole reminiscent of outdoor trekking footwear, designed for stability and endurance. But look closer, and you’ll notice the graceful tension between this rugged base and the intricate crisscross straps that envelop the upper. These straps, often adorned with pearlescent or satin-like finishes, introduce a softness and femininity that stands in striking contrast to the aggressive sole.
This interplay of hardness and softness, protection and exposure, is at the heart of Rocha’s design language. It resonates with the concept of “armored femininity” — a recurring theme in her collections. In a world that often asks women to be both delicate and strong, the sneaker becomes a metaphorical shield and an artistic expression of resilience.
Historically, women’s shoes have mirrored the broader struggle for autonomy and mobility. In the early 20th century, as women began to enter public life more visibly — joining sports clubs, entering workplaces, and taking to the streets in protest — the demand for practical footwear rose sharply. Early women’s athletic shoes were often awkward adaptations of men’s designs, lacking in both fit and flair.
By the late 20th century, the rise of footwear culture began to chip away at these limitations. Brands started crafting designs specifically for women, paying closer attention to anatomical differences and aesthetic preferences. However, these offerings frequently remained conservative, adhering to a safe palette and minimalistic styles to avoid alienating the mainstream. Simone Rocha’s tracker sneaker defiantly rejects these constraints, offering instead a design that is assertive, unapologetic, and unambiguously feminine.
The crisscross strap motif carries its own rich cultural and historical references. Crisscrossing laces and straps have been a hallmark of women’s footwear since at least the Renaissance, when delicate ribbon-tied slippers signified refinement and sensuality. Ballet shoes, with their iconic ribbon ties, further cemented this aesthetic, blending function with delicate allure. Rocha draws from this lineage, translating it into a contemporary context where mobility and visual storytelling coalesce.
Visually, the Tracker shoe is a study in sculptural form. The sole’s exaggerated curves and ridges recall the avant-garde “ugly sneaker” trend, popularized in the 2010s by brands like Balenciaga and Raf Simons. Yet, Rocha’s interpretation remains singular. Rather than relying solely on bulk or shock value, her shoe feels almost organic, as though the sole were carved from natural rock formations, echoing the landscapes of her Irish heritage.
The materials, too, speak volumes. Combining technical mesh, haute satin straps, and robust rubber, the sneaker exemplifies Rocha’s deft hand at material juxtaposition. The choice to integrate such delicate finishes on an otherwise performance-oriented shoe disrupts the traditional binary of “sporty versus feminine,” instead proposing a new hybrid identity.
In recent years, footwear culture has increasingly embraced narratives around femininity, empowerment, and individuality. The era of the “sneakerhead” — once dominated by male collectors and streetwear purists — has opened to more diverse stories and perspectives. Designers like Rocha have played a crucial role in this shift, infusing a distinctly female voice into a traditionally male-dominated sphere.
Moreover, the shoe embodies a movement toward what fashion theorists term “pragmatic romanticism.” Consumers today seek products that marry dream-like aesthetics with real-world utility. Rocha’s shoe stands at this crossroads, offering an almost fairy-tale elegance without sacrificing the practical considerations of urban life. Whether navigating crowded subway platforms or attending art openings, the wearer moves through the world as both muse and warrior.
In cultural and literary contexts, the sneaker resonates as an emblem of autonomy and forward motion. It suggests a narrative of constant transformation — the heroine on a quest, perpetually in motion, her story unfolding with each step. The straps, wrapping and supporting, mirror the protective elements of a knight’s armor or the tender embrace of a loved one, hinting at both vulnerability and strength.
As fashion trends pivot towards hybrid forms and multifunctional pieces, Rocha’s Tracker footwear offers a glimpse into the future of luxury footwear. No longer content with mere ornamentation, today’s fashion aficionados demand depth, narrative, and adaptability. The Tracker shoe’s layered design invites conversation and introspection, asking its wearer not just to inhabit a space but to redefine it.
Ultimately, the Classic Crisscross Strap Tracker shoe (Women) by Simone Rocha is more than footwear. It is a sculptural artwork, a statement of identity, and a love letter to the complexities of modern womanhood. It challenges historical constraints, plays with cultural codes, and propels the wearer into new terrains — literal and metaphorical.
In a world obsessed with speed, churn, and ephemeral trends, Rocha’s creation urges us to consider every stride as a deliberate act of self-expression. To wear it is to carry a piece of art, a fragment of poetry, and a shard of armor all at once. It is an invitation to embrace contradictions, to walk boldly between softness and strength, tradition and rebellion, romance and reality.
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