Among a spate of schleppable bags, sexy office clothes, and external underwear, there was something strange happening underfoot: Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2024: fashion brands were luxurifying the world’s most ordinary flat footwear.
Yes, the SS24 vibe is incredibly affordable footwear made incredibly unaffordable by slapping the names of the world’s most famous fashion houses on the insole. These ain’t your grandma’s jelly sandals.
A little brand called Chanel really upped the ante here, with a Spring/Summer 2024 full of the flattest, humblest shoes ever made: flip-flops. Has there ever been a more insouciantly wealthy shoe?
Well, Chanel’s luxury peers certainly offered some stiff competition.
Courtesy of Hermès: superflat trek sandals that look like a refined Teva. Courtesy of Miu MIu: luxurious barefoot sandals. Courtesy of Stella McCartney: netted slides that take the babouche to the beach. Courtesy of The Row: woven jelly sandals and… hotel room slippers?
Oh, those wacky Olsen twins! What’ll they think of next.
Even Coperni’s landmark PUMA sneaker is an extension of the movement towards low-profile footwear, its minimalist upper inspired by form-fitting football boots.
Summer is indeed the season to strip back, eschew extraneous bulk and soak in the rays. Low footwear epitomizes ease. Whereas weightier shoes are visually imposing, flat footwear, by contrast, feels delicate but unbothered. You have to be carefree to be that close to the ground.
The move towards subtler shoes dovetails with the refined normalcy that defined the SS24 collections.
There was an overarching air of conventional clothing this season, apparel that didn’t overwhelmed so much as they… whelmed.
Sure, there were some real wow looks but they were less about great clothes and more about outré moments and social media-friendly head-turners. This was gimmick over garment.
That’s no sin, by the way, because this is fashion week. It just didn’t make the rest of the collection any more exciting,…
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