After years of dominance by sneakers, formal shoes are making a comeback
Loomers, moccasins, or other formal shoes used to be the sole choice of fashion-conscious men, but they’re now the preferred footwear for them.
Romain Costa, a 32 year-old Parisian architect, was overwhelmed by the variety of footwear options available to him in Montmartre. He considered black loafers with sturdy soles, funky-coloured brogues and leather or suede shoes, with or without tassels.
He finally decides to get a pair of tricolor pants that he matches well with his baggy jeans and a large black sweater before jumping on his bike and riding off to work.
He wore sneakers as a teenager skater.
“I love having adult shoes. It is reassuring to clients at work. He said it made him appear more serious to AFP.
He said, “And they last longer than sneakers.”
– Loafing plans –
The boom in trainers over the past decade is still strong, but there are signs for a slowdown.
Business of Fashion data showed that 45 percent of American and British men who are well-heeled planned to buy dress shoes by 2023, while only a third were choosing sneakers.
Formal wear is a popular choice on catwalks and red carpets as sported by fashion-forwards like ASAP Rocky and Donald Glover (US actor-director).
French designer Simon Porte Jacquemus was so in right now, fashionistas claim. He wore black loafers to his December show and dressed models in them, despite his Nike sneaker collaboration.
Some people still struggle to let go of the old connotations.
Pierre Hardy, the French label’s head of shoe design, said that there are no loafers at Hermes shows. It was the reactionary, preppie shoe.
While they may not have the right look for the catwalks, Hermes still makes loafers and Hardy understands why.
“People got tired of everything being cozy after the lockdowns.” “Now we have permission for us to go out, and we want elegant, chic items,” he stated.
Mix and Match –
Similar trends are happening in Britain. Thom Scherdel, Browns’ menswear manager, says that Browns has noticed a shift away from trendy sneaker styles to more formal shoes.
He told AFP that as we see fewer sneakers on the runway, customers are paying attention and many people want to mix and match casual pieces and sartorial pieces.
This is a big change from the past. Formal shoes can now be worn with anything, not just suits.
“There’s a return to formal tailoring but with a comfort side because people got used jogging bottoms, and we don’t want to go back tight-fitting clothing,” Hugues Fauchard, Uniforme, said. Uniforme is a young label that collaborated with Weston to create new versions of its iconic loafer.
“The second important thing about trainers is that they fall apart quickly — and they aren’t durable or hard to fix,” he stated, noting that Weston offers lifetime repair.
“We need to stop with these throwaway clothes.”
It’s a natural part of the fashion cycle. In fact, a pair of Nikes Kanye West co-designed and was seen wearing it sold for $1.8million in 2021).
Olivier Saillard, fashion historian and AFP contributor, stated that “Trainers were designed for all circumstances, all ages”
“But with every fashion there is a boomerang effect.”
neo-er/fg