Kickin' Facts with Legendary Lade | 11 footwear moments from Men's Fall 2024 Fashion Week
The Fall 2024 menswear season just wrapped up in Paris. While everyone was enthralled with the Louis Vuitton x Timberland collaboration, the footwear reached new levels of hype and introduced fascinating silhouette experimentation as the week went on. Menswear, once thought of as the boring counterpoint to womenswear, is now just as anticipated and fun to watch. Moreover, as the gap between what’s shown on the runways and what’s worn on the streets continues to merge, you never know what to expect from designers and showgoers alike. For this “Kickin’ Facts” installment, let’s get into all the footwear that caught my eye this menswear season.
1. Timberland Constructs
It was a show-stealing season for Timberland Constructs! In addition to the reimagined variations of the classic boot shown on the Louis Vuitton runway — including a limited edition brown leather monogram pair — the boots also appeared everywhere during the week. At Wales Bonner, an embellished pair of tan Constructs peaked through, while brands like 4SDesigns and Earthling VIP almost exclusively used the silhouette. You can never go wrong with the classics!
2. Stan Flou x KidSuper Fall/Winter 2024
Footwear artist Stan Flou followed up his custom Wallabees collab for JAY-Z with a new project for KidSuper. He collaborated with the brand on six shoes for their Fall/Winter 2024 collection titled “String Theory,” weaving his magic on the KidSuper swirl boots with mohair and other types of wool threads. Not stopping there, he added his signature 22-karat gold leaf in the form of a superhero logo, which was an emotional moment for the designer.
3. Nike x Comme des Garçons Homme Plus Air Max TL 2.5 sneakers
Nike and Comme des Garçons sneaker collabs will always hold a special place in my heart. My first-ever “Kickin’ Facts” column was a review on the CDG x Nike Foamposites, which continue to be one of my favorite sneakers to see worn. For their F/W 2024 collab, the duo showed new versions of the Air Max TL 2.5 in their signature all-white, all-black and a blend of the two colorways. I’m looking forward to reviewing these when they drop later this year.
4. Junya Watanabe x New Balance 1906L loafer
The sneaker-turned-shoe trend has been etching closer and closer into the zeitgeist and Junya Watanabe followed up with their reinterpreted version of the New Balance 1906R on the runway. Equal parts loafer and sneaker, the black and white pairs caught my eye for their unorthodox yet practical look. Be on the lookout for these later this year.
5. Brain Dead x Adidas bowling shoe
To celebrate 10 years of their brand, Brain Dead teamed up with Adidas to whip up two pairs of friends and family-exclusive shoes. They gave the dreadful bowling shoe a makeover in a self-explanatory way with a shoe heel and the classic Adidas stripes. With a name like Brain Dead, you have to expect a unique and disruptive approach; luckily, it happens to be part of their manifesto. Let’s hope these see a general release.
6. Memo-Z by KAH-BANE x Flowers for Society
New silhouettes are the name of the game! In 2024, anything is possible and footwear designs certainly reflect that now. Look no further than this wildly intricate pair from footwear designer KAH-BANE and Flowers for Society out of Paris. With its eye-catching sole and unique lacing system, the Memo-Z aims to stand out and leave an impression. Go big or go home!
7. 424 Fall/Winter 2024 boots
Boots galore! 424 continues to explore new heights, shapes, textures and silhouettes with its ever-expanding boots range. This season saw them expand on their signature Marathon boot with camouflage, red, and stars and stripes versions. There’s a reason why stylish artists keep popping up in these boots!
8. Balmain Fall/Winter 2024 sneakers
Balmain had their first complete menswear show since the pandemic in 2020 that was full of over-the-top clothes, including a gold-plated durag, but these elevated sneakers also kept up. While the brand is no stranger to otherworldly footwear silhouettes, their oversized midsole versions as well as an elevated boxing shoe with a contrasting toe box especially caught my eye. Let’s hope the silhouettes make it into production.
9. A Ma Maniére x Air Jordan 4
The A Ma Maniére x Air Jordan Brand collab almost feels like a cheat code at this point! With its premium details and thoughtful storytelling based around the Black experience, the partnership is a formula for instant success. So when AMA founder James Whitner was spotted in Paris in a light pair of — hopefully, soon-to-be-released — AMA x AJ4s, the rest of the internet and I took notice. While not too much emphasis should be placed on him wearing the AJ4s, the hype already speaks for itself. Luckily for us, the hype and quality always match each other with the AMA x Jordan Brand releases.
10. Project Domenico Formichetti Fall/Winter 2024 boots
Project Domenico Formichetti continued on the footwear exploration front with texture experiments on their most popular styles. New bright colorways, camouflage prints and various slip-ons complemented the collection, which was shown in a presentation style format at the beginning of Menswear Week. While it was one of the early brands to show its work, it still had a memorable impact thanks to the larger-than-life styles they reintroduced.
11. Rick Owens x Straytukay boots
Without a doubt, the most daring silhouette shown all week was by Rick Owens. He introduced inflatable rubber pull-on stretch boots in collaboration with Straytukay, a young multicultural designer based in London who experiments with architectural volumes. The boots, with their eye-catching construction, shocked the guests in the room and the internet like no other! While Owens is known for his daring footwear, these boots took it to another level.
Trending Stories
