All the best footwear of this fashion month

Now that Milan and Paris Fashion Week have ended, it has come the time to report on the state of men's fashion. Not that there was any shortage of novelties: the first, obvious to insiders and now evident to fans, has decreed the death of streetwear in its purest sense. If blazers, iconic accessories and outerwear of all proportions rewrote the rules of the male wardrobe, footwear was not so far from the dry yet dramatic tone seen on the catwalks of Milan and Paris.

Although there have been numerous collaborations involving trainers - the Botter x Reebok collabo in Paris presented an experimental 3D printed model inspired by the Venus Comb Murex snail shell, and New Balance's 1906R model was co-designed with Auralee - as well as slippers where, once again, JW Anderson led the way bringing frog-shaped shoes to the catwalk in collaboration with Wellipets, a British brand loved for its animal-shaped rain boots. Collaborations aside, it seems like designers in Milan and Paris have decided to turn their backs on sneakermania, preferring instead to show simple shoes on the catwalk, oftentimes hidden under long trousers or skirts. Among the exceptions was Giorgio Armani, who designed trainers in shades of burgundy and dark blue, as well as Hermès' bet on powder blue, peeping on the rubber toes of black lace-ups. If Louis Vuitton dared with silver, transporting us back to the 90s, the real novelties were to be found at Kiko Kostadinov and Marine Serre, who designed ultra tight laces on high-top leather sneakers, paving the way for the boxeur look to make its way as the new trendy aesthetic of 2023.

Mules seem to have no intention of leaving the catwalk, either. Wales Bonner, who often preferred athletic shoes, opted for the softness of friulane, in speckled velvet and worn as slippers. Kenzo and Etro played with the idea of comfort by proposing studded clogs in red, black or brown shiny leather. Even Charles Jeffrey showed shoes inspired by the clog shape, albeit breaking down their country nature and colouring them in metallic purple and silver.  The "cozy" look was taken to the extreme by Bianca Saunders in Paris, who accompanied her minimalist looks with smooth blue rubber slippers. Among the most successful silhouettes, both in Milan and Paris, were definitely boots. At Gucci, they were in soft colours or in the variant with an all-over monogram, worn with skinny legged denim or paired with leg warmers. At Dolce & Gabbana we saw them strictly dark and almost knee-high, paired with blazers, bomber jackets or eco-furs with sexy necklines, whereas JW Anderson, on the other hand, proposed them with a zip at the front to simulate that of trousers. If we shift our focus to Paris, it is surprising (or perhaps not) that at Dior Men boots have taken the place of trainers: high top and with socks, the models imagined by Kim Jones were combined with tailored trousers - oftentimes borderline skirt-like  - short, wide and knee-length.

Dries Van Noten suggested python boots paired with more formal garments such as trench coats or blazers. Even at Comme des Garçons, on closer inspection, the experimentalism of avant-garde volumes and non-conformist silhouettes found in the shape of a boot a compendium of the subversive aesthetic so dear to the brand. A path, the one traced by the boots, that overlaps with the more classic models of shoes adhering perfectly to the canons of simplification pursued by menswear. On the Prada front, the work conducted by Raf Simons and Miuccia Prada continues to reflect on the concept of classic clothing. In addition to refined derbys and ultra-flat soled loafers, the audience was impressed by a moc toe with an exaggerated finish and a sporty sole - is this perhaps the evolutionary path to which trainers are heading? Also at Fendi, Silvia Venturini's notes on occasionwear reiterated the importance of shiny derby models. The French brand Bode also spoke on this subject, seeing in men's ballet flats an alternative to footwear.