Buffalo, or Buffalo London, is the OG streetwear platform sneaker. Blowing up in the 90s, these classics were made famous for the drastic and exaggerated height elevation they gave to their hip and trendy women.
Yes, there have been platform shoes in the past, but they looked more like boots or dress shoes. The last time platform shoes took over the mainstream was in the 70s. Buffalo was the first to take advantage of the shift in fashion, take the sneaker silhouette, and place platform soles on them – at least, they were the first to really break out. Popstars like Madonna were seen wearing these on stage. Let’s not forget about the Spice Girls, either.
Since the 90s, platform shoes and sneakers took a dip in popularity but were kept alive by certain subcultures like goths, scenes and K-Pop enthusiasts. So, over the last 30 years, Buffalo became a niche product. In recent years, however, platforms have made a return to the mainstream. More and more women want to know about this little piece of history that is coming back to life.
So, here we are. Let’s talk about Buffalo London, the shoes available, their signature platform soles, how much they cost and where to get them! We’ll also go over some more affordable alternatives to these iconic shoes.
Of course, Buffalo has a huge collection of shoes for both men and women. We’re not going to be able to cover all of them. Instead, we’ll go over the most relevant sneakers and some of our personal favourites.
Let’s start with…
The Classic Low and High Leather Sneaker | The Classic Buffalo London Shoes
It could be argued that these sneakers are what put the brand on the map or, at least, they were the most commercially successful. Before Superga saw the feet of Perrie from Little Mix, the Buffalo classic low-tops were blessed with the feet of Baby Spice during a photoshoot that would catapult the Buffalo into the stratosphere of fashion.
The upper is made of premium calf leather with a comfortable textile inner. Of course, vegan models are also available. One of the hallmarks of platform shoes is how uncomfortable they usually are over extended periods of time. Buffalo fought this with a memory foam insole, which was designed to help the shoe fit its wearer perfectly over time and to make wearing the shoes as comfortable as possible.
The sneakers come in several colours, not just black and white. This was particularly advantageous to the company during its ‘niche years’ since it gave a wider variety of options to choose from.
Of course, these shoes also came in high-tops that have their own wild selection of colourways and upper materials.
All colourways, from both high-top and low, had one thing in common – The platform outsole. The classic CloudFoam outsole was made of a solid gummi material that offered both the strength to keep its form and the support needed to be wearable. The platforms for these particular shoes give their wearers 2.3” in additional height.
Buffalo’s website is called buffalo-boots.com, and the low-tops cost 168.07 €. The shoes can also be found on the online shop Allsole for £130 and Tower London for £102. The high-tops cost 218.49 € on the Buffalo site and £235 on FARFETCH.
The Buffalo Low And High Tower Sneakers | A Different Sole
While Buffalo is most widely known for their classic CloudFoam platforms, the brand does have another sole design that has just as much cultural significance. The High Towers stood alongside the CloudFoams throughout the 90s and can also be seen in the same Spice Girls photoshoot worn by Ginger Spice.
The uppers for both the high and low-top sneakers are made from Nappa leather as well as now having vegan options. The inner has a removable insole in case the wearer needs some extra foot space. The insole footbed is also memory foam for added comfort.
The platform midsoles stand at 2.3”, like the CloudFoam platform, and are also solid all the way through but are made of a lighter material. This makes the shoes easier to walk in but also makes the platform slightly less durable. For this reason, the shoes have a traction outsole. The low-tops cost 134.45 € on the Buffalo site, and the highs go for 151,26 €. These shoes are harder to get a hold of elsewhere but can often be found on eBay, though the choice of size would be limited.
The Highest Buffalo Platform Sneakers| The Rising Towers
For those out there who thought ‘2.3”? Not enough!”, relax. Buffalo came with solutions. The platform shoe brand wanted to test their limits, and they did so with the Rising Towers. These high-top monsters have a platform midsole that stands 4” tall, increasing the height of the wearer significantly.
The Midsoles are made of the same foam that the High Towers are made of, making them lighter than they appear. Other than their height, the rest of the shoe is pretty much a High Towers high-top. These shoes are 252.10 € on the official Buffalo website.
The Trail One | Buffalo’s Modern Take On Platform Shoes
Buffalo has kept up to date with the trends, and in doing so, they were able to come up with the Trail One sneakers. These chunky sneakers are made of several high quality components and are definitely ones for the cart. Let’s start with the uppers.
The upper of the shoe is made of vegan leather, mesh, and high quality plastic, which coats over the other materials on either side. Like the other shoes, this sneaker has a removable memory foam footbed for maximum comfort.
The Soles are truly unique to this shoe. The Midsole and the outsole connect in a wavy pattern that really pops, looking almost like a wavy Balenciaga Triple S (but way cooler). The rubber outsole is in two parts, separated by the arch which is left bare. The outsole has deep teeth for traction and swoops over the toe. The midsole is where most of the height increases lie and, unlike the other sneakers, is not a flatform. This means the heel is taller than the toe. The height of the heel is 3.4”, while the toe is 1.9”.
These are 92.44 € on the Buffalo website, and this is the best place to get them.
Affordable Alternatives
Buffalo’s shoes don’t exactly cost an arm and a leg, but they certainly aren’t the cheapest sneakers on the market. If these shoes are a little out of reach, some fantastic alternatives exist. Clothing stores like the one below offer such alternatives.
Jennie Striker Chunky Bubble Trainers From Koi | A BLACKPINK Shoe (Vegan)
The resemblance is uncanny! But these aren’t just off-brand knockoffs. The shoes are actually named after Jennie Kim from BLACKPINK, a K-pop girl group actually dubbed ‘the biggest girl group in the world”.
Despite being on the feet of a Korean Popstar, the shoes were designed in Manchester, UK, which may explain why they look so similar to the Classic Buffalo Lows. The shoes are 100% vegan and made from quality faux leather.
Platform sneakers don’t have to break the bank; these are an affordable alternative to buffalo shoes. These come in various colourways and only cost £40 or $60 on the official site, koifootwear.com. Whether a fan of K-pop or just a lover of affordability, these are excellent platform trainers to select and a better choice than heels for next week’s house party.
