Fashion's Footwear Fetish
There would be no finer place to begin our shoe round-up than with Roger Vivier. The iconic French brand have adorned the feet of old Hollywood royalty including Catherine Deneuve - this season the Belle Vivier shoe worn in Belle de Jour (1967) is reimagined as a ballet flat - and Marlene Dietrich - the bejewelled ball Marlene design also makes an appearance for S/S 25.
Housed within imaginary French gardens staged inside four rooms of the Hotel de la Rochefoucauld-Dudeauville, Paris, the exact disposition of a jardin à la française inspired a collection of shoes, jewels, handbags and millinery by creative director Gherardo Felloni which held court this season.
Roksanda x FitFlop
Perhaps this year's most unexpected collaboration, Roksanda Ilinčić's take on the comfort-first FitFlop proves the power of a good partnership to reimagine brand DNA. Having previously designed the trusty FitFlop clog in her signature colours like a deep burgundy, this September Roksanda brought back the clog in shearling, in addition to putting a more fashionable spin on three other styles. Spotted on the runway, strappy ankletie sandal complete with shearling-coated footbed bring a new quirkiness into the Roksanda woman's wardrobe, also updating the staple FitFlop cut-out and stacked sole sandals in the crimson pink, black, navy, tan, white and yellow colour combinations.
Simone Rocha x CROCS
Another designer who has made uncool footwear attire into a must-have is Simone Rocha's take on the humble clog. For their third collaboration, Rocha reworked the Crocs Stomp Fisherman Sandal, covering the signature Crocs base with Simone Rocha crystal and pearl embellishments across black, cream and hot pink.
Willy Chavarria x adidas Originals
As the best show of NYFW drew to a close, the lights changed and part two of Willy Chavarria S/S 25 came down the runway. The 22-look collaboration with adidas Originals included the designer's take on the 'Jabbar' sneaker, named after basketball player Kareem Abdul Jabbar, a personal hero of Chavarria's. The collection was the designer showing their all-American uniform, from sportswear to workwear, through the eyes of a Mexican-American. In this América, the Jabbar is pointed, the sneaker given the polish of a dress shoe.
Chopova Lowena x ASICS
Aside from their Hellman's mayo collab, the London brand known for their folklore-inspired carabena skirts are the latest designers to collaborate with trainer giants ASICS as part of their Crafts for Minds program. Their take on the GEL Quantum 360 VIII includes their skirts' staple chunky metal belt details, butterflies and balls. Exclusively available at Dover Street Market London, for now they're sold out, but already available on resale websites like eBay for triple the price.
Proenza Schouler x Sorel
Known for their new American classics, everything Proenza Schouler do is done with intelligence, and a hint of subversion, which makes you all the more interested. This season they kicked off New York Fashion Week with a collaboration with heritage shoemakers Sorel, dropping this October. The Caribou mule and Chelsea boot silhouettes feature contrast top stitching and a chunky sole, bringing just the right amount of clunkiness to the Uptown wardrobe.
Collina Strada
As models walked down the grass S/S 25 runway of the Collina Strada show in downtown New York, the shoes which adorned their feet took inspiration from a mown lawn for boater shoes with Perry, butterflies for their second Puma collaboration, and transparent, frilled FCTRY Lab boots, keeping in tune with designer Hillary Taymour's light-hearted take on nature-first fashion.
Vaquera x Onitsuka Tiger
You can always trust 10 year old brand Vaquera to bring new energy to the all too familiar. They made Japanese trainer brand Onitsuka Tiger's Mexico 66 silhouette cool again during Paris Fashion Week, with a worn, metallic patina effect across the shoe's upper, together with a yellow colourway and the words 'Love' and 'Rage' plastered across the sneaker tongues.
