The Wall Street Journal just made a major declaration, bigger than anything about the Fed, interest rates or inflation.

Boomer dads like me are cool again. Jeans Pant For Men

Or at least our style is.

Check out this headline: “The Hot Shoe Right Now Is Called a Dad Sneaker.”

I quickly informed my daughter of this, asking why she for years made fun of my white New Balances?

“Because they were clunky, comfortable and orthotic,” she replied.

Who knew “comfortable” was a bad thing?

“But you’re right,” she conceded. “They’re now literally so in.”

No surprise she’s up to speed since she was a URI textile design major.

“I owe you a formal apology,” she said. “You were like, 20 years ahead of the curve.”

I checked further and even GQ says shoes of “Geriatric design” are now hip. First of all, how dare they use that phrase. Second, I told you so.

My daughter had me Google New Balance 550s, which she somehow knew are now the “it” shoe. They look identical to my own.

It turns out the “dad” 550 is now so on fire most sizes are sold out.

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Correction: at least the women’s models are, an interesting twist. Many females who once mocked us men for our dad shoes are now grabbing them off the shelves.

But here’s the real shock. My daughter says the biggest group of dad-shoe buyers are 20ish-or-younger Gen-Z women. You know, the Tik-Tok generation.

She told me to check Abercrombie, which apparently is big with young buyers. I did, and here’s yet another surprise: it’s not just my shoes that are hip. My dad jeans are, too.

Abercrombie is now pushing, “Women’s High Rise Dad Jeans.” They actual use the “dad” word.

Why, I asked my daughter, do women want to wear dad jeans?

“Because they’re more relaxed than tight, skinny jeans.”

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“I think it came from the pandemic,” she explained, “with everyone wearing comfortable sweat pants at home and thinking, ‘I don’t want to put on my skinny jeans again’.”

Abercrombie is even selling “High Rise Dad Shorts” for women. What in the world?

I, of course, consider this to be appropriation. On the other hand, dad style’s been mocked for so long we’re happy to be appropriated.

“Wait’ll you see their socks,” said my daughter. “They’re now the same high white socks that you wear.”

“You mean the ones you’d roll your eyes at and say, ‘Dad what’s your problem?’”

She told me to check out Skims.

That got her looking at me like I’d just landed from the planet Neptune.

“Kim Kardashian’s line,” she explained. Obvi.

And there it was – my darn high white slouchy socks. Kim Kardashian has stolen my style.

Next, she had me check PacSun, apparently a Gen-Z retail mecca. I told her no way teens – who reject all things parent – are into dad style. But search “dad” on PacSun, and wow. They have “daddy t-shirts” and a ton of “dad hats” – you know, the ones with the strap- and snap-backs. And yes, over a dozen styles of “dad jeans” – distressed, baggy, ripped, corduroy and “eco-embellished,” whatever that is.

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I had one more question for my daughter. The GQ article said dad shoes are so in they now make men who wear them look like a “zaddy.”

What, I asked, is a “zaddy”?

She paused. Umm. Then: “It’s like an attractive dad.”

I think she meant “hot dad” but that’s too weird to say to your actual father.

I told her I understand the pandemic explanation, but still – how did dad style suddenly blow up so big?

She explained it’s really all about influencers.

I’m still not sure what those are, but once Gen-Z “influencers" started posting themselves in dad duds, it became a thing.

“It all starts on Tik-Tok,” my daughter said.

My instinct tells me that boomer dads themselves still aren’t cool.

And we probably never will be.

Vintage Blue Jeans But thanks to the Tik-Tok generation, at least our sneakers, jeans and socks are.