There is a lot to digest from this month’s spring/summer 2025 men’s fashion shows in Paris.
From Rick Owens’ persistent willingness to push the boundaries of footwear design, to Comme des Garçons’ interesting use of proportions and details, there were plenty of attention-grabbing shoes and accessories in Paris.
Some eye-catching styles came in the form of an otherworldly molded shell, while others played with unexpected elements and accents. Here, a look at the craziest (in a good way) and most talked-about men’s shoes from the spring ’25 collections in Paris this month.
Comme des Garçons Homme built on its collaboration with Kids Love Gaite from the previous two seasons to create a new style for spring ’25. This season’s tie-up echoed the clothing collection’s use of ruffles – with a derby style shoe seen with leather ruffles on the upper. The shoe – shown in pink, black and white – is a little less adventurous than previous seasons. Looking back at spring 2024, the two teamed up on a derby dress shoe with two toe boxes. The fascination with twos continued into fall ’24, with a capsule of shoes with two soles – one extended further out from the other. Either way, the two collaborators never cease to create an attention-grabbing shoe.
Inspired by her love of ancient artifacts for her latest tie-up with Ugg, designer Feng Chen Wang cleverly incorporated the crackled glaze elements of porcelain along with the unique abstract outline of clay on to the upper of the Tasman. The style was seen in four colorways – white, black, a light mint green, light brown and ashy gray. But what caught everyone’s attention was Wang’s new removable molded sole that can be added to the upcoming Ugg style. The sole, dubbed “The Feng Sole Series 1,” is an other-worldly concept that takes the shape of an alienlike platform sandal. When styled with the Tasman, the integrated shoe becomes on major statement-making shoe moment. It was featured on the runway in white, black and brown colorways.
Never one to shy away from a major footwear moment, Rick Owens continued his collaboration with London designer Straytukay. But, for this season, the designer took the air out of the inflated style the duo sent down his fall 2024 runways and presented a sleeker silhouette. Even though this may sound more approachable, however, the result is still a major statement with an over-the-knee pull-on boot with Owens’ signature crystal Kiss heel. Rock on.
Color, pattern and whimsy are hallmarks of a Walter Van Beirendonck collection – and there was no shortage of those elements in his spring 2025 line. For this season’s shoes, the Belgian designer translated the usage of oversized dots seen in his ready-to-wear onto a pair of colorful sneakers. Only this time, the dots are 3D and extended from the upper for a spike-like effect. But don’t worry, they are harmless.
