YANNIS VLAMOS
There is a lot to digest from this month’s spring-summer 2024 men’s fashion shows in Europe.
From Pharrell Williams’s much-lauded debut at Louis Vuitton, to Jonathan Anderson’s persistent willingness to try something quirky (both at Loewe and his namesake label), there were plenty of attention-grabbing shoes and accessories in Milan and Paris.
Some eye-catching styles came in the form of kitschy animalistic references, while others played with unexpected materials. Some items even seemed to poke fun at themselves — and at the internet’s obsession with viral moments.
Here, a look at the craziest (in a good way), most talked-about shoes from the spring ’24 collections at the men’s fashion weeks in Paris and Milan.
Comme des Garçons Homme
It was double the shoes and double the fun at Comme des Garçons Homme’s spring/summer 2024 show in Paris. This season, the label debuted a new collaboration with Japanese footwear brand Kids Love Gaite and its designer Shintaro Yamamoto. The Surrealist style is a derby model made with an added bonus of another toe box protruding from the side of the shoe. Another version featured a second toe stacked directly overtop the main one as well. While the jury is still out if these are difficult to walk in, the models didn’t seem to have a problem.
Rick Owens
As footwear becomes a bigger focus for Rick Owens – who also happens to have shoe collabs with Dr. Martens, Converse and Birkenstock – the designer debuted a new “medical-inspired” boot style in Paris last week. Dubbed the “Medical” boot, the style is akin to a foot cast and features a rigid and structural silhouette with sharp squared-off toes, thick and secure straps and silver buckle closures. Both sandal and open-toed variations of the wild boot were worn by models as they stormed down the runway at Palais de Tokyo amidst a smokey, post-apocalyptic scene. Needless to say, you shouldn’t wear these boots in inclement weather if you want your feet to stay dry.
MSCHF x Crocs
Some of the wackiest moments happened outside the shows, not just on the runways. Viral-moment-chasing company MSCHF teased its newest style outside the Rick Owen’s show in Paris. In fact, musician Tommy Cash was spotted dressed as a mime outside the show on a unicycle and in the front row, kicking back in a pair of big yellow boots with emphasized cutout ventilation holes – designed in collaboration with Crocs. Although the initial preview and acknowledgment of an official collaboration between Crocs and MSCHF have been revealed, specific release information for the anticipated Big Yellow Boot is currently unavailable. The company, which most recently made headlines for its oversized Big Red Boots, is known for its buzzworthy, boundary-pushing shoes and this latest style is another notch in the company’s playbook.
JW Anderson
Expanding upon the Paw heel boot and Paw heel mule first introduced as part of the women’s fall-winter ’23 collection, designer Jonathan Anderson showed two new men’s iterations at his eponymous label’s spring-summer ’24 show in Milan earlier this month. Featuring the same animal-inspired molded toe, the Paw Derby and Paw Loafer are realized in new fabrications including shiny calf, soft nappa, and waxed suede. This new style joins the viral Frog Wellie clog from last season…and let’s not forget JW Anderson’s pigeon bag.
Louis Vuitton
One of the most highly anticipated runway events of the year, Pharrell Williams’ design debut at Louis Vuitton did not disappoint. And while there were many statement-making footwear options this season, the cozy oversized LV slippers were the most unique. What’s also interesting is the magnified shearling slippers in Monogram intarsia features an outsole embossed with a bear’s footprint – adding a touch of whimsy. Or as Louis Vuitton said in its show notes: “created to leave an impression.” Honorable mention also goes to the “evening” football boot covered in crystals and the Damoflage-printed snowboard boot.
Feng Chen Wang
For spring/summer 2024, London-based designer Feng Chen Wang was inspired by “starting fresh” with multiple references to nature – particularly falling leaves. This theme carried throughout the collection – which was shown at Paris’ Lycée Collège Montaigne public school courtyard – even down to the statement-making shoes. For this collection, Wang draped Nike Air Force 1s in discarded leaves, sprouting flowers, and tulle decor. The result was a youthful and playful take on sneaker culture and nods back to the collection’s overall theme. But, if the tulle additions to the kicks are too much for you, don’t worry, there are some subdued options as well.
Charles Jeffrey Loverboy
The claws returned at Charles Jeffery Loverboy’s Milan show this month. The British designer opted to place his signature claws on loafer and mule styles this season in both black and white colorways. The style is an iteration of the designer’s claw shoe series which first made an appearance in autumn/winter 2019 in conjunction with British footwear maker Roker. While these new shoes serve an edge to the classic preppy style, let’s just say, try not to get kicked by someone who is wearing these shoes.
ERL
ERL’s Eli Russell Linnetz debuted his first in-house branded shoe at Pitti Uomo earlier this month. The oversized skateboard-inspired model takes from the designer’s California roots and ties back the label’s signature “swirl” and “wave” motifs. The shoes, which also feature rhinestone shoelaces, help tell the story of ERL in the brand’s very-first solo runway show. The shoe is reminiscent of the larger shoes seen in the ‘90s where skate kids would rock them with oversized Dickies shorts and a graphic tee – albeit this version has a touch more luxury. Opt for the silver metallic option for the ultimate statement.
Fendi
While these aren’t necessarily “crazy,” the new Fendi Lab Clog is an unusual silhouette for the Italian luxury brand. Characterized by a swivel heel strap and molded FF sole in bio-based rubber, the style is more reminiscent of a gardening shoe than something you’d see on a runway. Still, the clog will undoubtedly become a must-have shoe next season alongside some of the label’s other viral accessories – including coffee cup holders! Also, an honorable mention to Fendi’s new collaboration with architect Kengo Kuma, which features styles made from waranshi paper, birch back, Tuscan olive wood and bamboo.
Walter van Beirendonck
Walter van Beirendonck is no stranger to larger-than-life designs. This season was no exception when the Belgian designer showed white dress shoes with an elongated pointed toe and signature teeth motif. For an added quirky touch, Van Beirendonck added a pair of yellow eyes to the upper, offering a cartoon-ish, crocodile-like take to the style. This shoe model mixed well with other out of the ordinary items we come to expect from the designer like sunglasses with artificial noses, W-caps, and alien motifs.
