The Most Exciting Footwear Moments from Paris Fashion Week Men's SS24

Luxury labels, streetwear brands, and sportswear imprints flexed their creative talents during Paris Fashion Week Men's SS24. And amongst the week's plethora of capsule unveilings, the annual event saw footwear, once again, be one of the most talked-about categories. Thanks to the increasingly common practice of collaboration, many brands have piqued wider audiences' interest and become more accessible. Labels such as COMME des GARÇONS HOMME PLUS have an established history of creating footwear with Nike. While these projects often fetch a premium price point, a $225 USD pair of shoes is much more accessible than a jacket costing thousands.

Throughout Paris Fashion Week, designers have treated sneakerheads to an exciting range of footwear to look forward to. From Pharrell’s star-studded Louis Vuitton show to MSCHF’s clever Crocs campaign to Cecile Bahnsen's Mary Jane-inspired ASICS collab, the Hypebeast team has assembled a list of the most exciting footwear moments from on and off the runway.

Louis Vuitton Footprint Boot

Nowadays, footwear designers are encouraged to do anything but the ordinary, creating eye-catching designs that are regularly met with virality. For Pharrell’s Louis Vuitton debut, several pieces drew attention from the masses, one of which being the “LV Footprint” – a slip-on boot slipper. Adorned with the classic LV monogram, its fuzzy, playful design is juxtaposed with the brand’s luxury status. Beneath the surface, a foot shape protrudes from the sole with additional branding. Look out for these to make plenty of appearances via celebrities in the coming months.

MSCHF x Crocs Big Yellow Boot

While MSCHF didn’t participate in Paris Fashion Week in an official capacity, it still found a way to enter the conversation. During Rick Owens’ presentation, artist TOMM¥ €A$H took on the role of a mime, with a slight twist. €A$H appeared costumed with a previously-unseen MSCHF x Crocs Big Yellow Boot. As one might imagine from the name alone, MSCHF and Crocs have leaned on the Big Red Boot’s success and reinterpreted the silhouette with recognizable Crocs motifs – including punched-out holes at the upper and an immobile co-branded strap. Move over Balenciaga, this is the pinnacle of Crocs collaborations.

AURALEE x New Balance Warped Runner

Japanese label AURALEE has carefully crafted a tranquil identity that has been welcomed with open arms by the world. As it continues to climb in prominence, its collaborative scope expands. Since 2019, it has leveraged a partnership with New Balance to usher in footwear that blends classic trainers with a luxe aesthetic. The duo’s latest project introduces the Warped Runner, sporting a traditional mixed material upper with a molded sole unit that takes a slick, modern form.

1017 ALYX 9SM x Vibram FiveFingers Buckle

Over the years, Matthew M Williams has established a distinct design language with his label 1017 ALYX 9SM. Utilizing this, he has connected with Vibram to rework its FiveFingers silhouette. Known for outlining the toes of its wearer, the FiveFingers returns with a smooth top and molded outsole. Co-branding appears throughout with 1017 ALYX 9SM’s iconic rollercoaster buckle appearing at the strap.

COMME des GARÇONS HOMME x New Balance 610

COMME des GARÇONS HOMME and New Balance have joined forces for a plethora of collaborative footwear efforts in past years, and the duo is set to reunite for a duo of team-ups atop the 610. Adding to the hiker-turned-lifestyle model’s hefty push, the Japanese label crafts a black colorway that falls under the New Balance Tokyo Design Studio category and a white installment with the New Balance lifestyle division. The former keeps the rugged sole unit, heel overlays and rear tabs intact, but trades out its lacing system for a slip-on upper that features suede overlays, tiny “N” logos over the bridge of the foot and CdGH branding atop the tongues. Its release sibling sticks to the OG shape and combination of suede and mesh uppers, done up in all white save for the CdGH branding that is dropped off on the tongues.

Rick Owens Medical Boot

For the Rick Owens’ SS24 show, the Lord of Darkness put together 48 all-black looks that he deemed “formal, restrained, albeit admittedly drama queen,” in his show notes. Apart from the asymmetrical mesh, tailored vests and shoulder pads, the designer introduced a new Medical boot and sandal silhouettes that were emblematic of a cast. The footwear models strutted down the runway in both square-toed and open-toed options, both of which were secured by thick straps and metallic silver buckles.

Cecilie Bahnsen x ASICS GT-2160

ASICS made a strong statement during PFW thanks to its variety of collaboration debuts on the runway and through its myriad of brand activations. One partnership that caught our attention was Cecilie Bahnsen’s newest takes atop the Japanese imprint’s ASICS GT-2160 as she reworked it into a Mary Jane-esque model. Metallic silver and black colorways were uncovered, both of which substituted the upper’s vamp for velcro straps that are shrouded with floral details. Furthermore, the kicks are equipped with transparent panels that are also styled with floral prints as well as a two-eyelet lacing system that creates a bow effect closer to the toe box.

COMME des GARÇONS HOMME x Nike ACG Mountain Fly 2 Low

In addition to flexing its newest creations with New Balance, the COMME des GARÇONS HOMME family also took a moment to show off its forthcoming footwear initiatives with Nike. The longstanding partners have taken the trail-ready Nike ACG Mountain Fly 2 Low 2 and fashioned a trio of new iterations with the Japanese fashion company’s signature grayscale palettes. The first version is fitted with crispy white mid-foot panels and tongues while the interior liners, throat-adjacent overlays and bottom are fitted in black. Save for the ACG branded hits atop the tongues and heels as well as the mini Swooshes near the collars, the second pair comes predominantly covered in white. Lastly, the third option comes drenched in mostly black panels for the top and lower halves while notes of white pop out through the ACG branding and Swoosh hits. All of the offerings have been updated with silver D-rings for the laces to loop through which gives the kicks a more elevated look and feel.

POST ARCHIVE FACTION (PAF) x On Cloudmonster

Operating with an always-evolving series, POST ARCHIVE FACTION (PAF) has set aside the traditional seasonal approach to fashion with its numbering system. The result is a sense of timelessness surrounding everything it creates. Now, the label has teamed up with On Running for an expansive collection that is headlined by two colorways of the On Cloudmonster. By placing the emphasis on form, both looks exude a slick presentation that balances the influence of both brands.

COMME des GARÇONS HOMME x Kids Love Gaite Double Derby

Outlandish footwear was the talk of the town for the SS24 Paris Fashion Week, and COMME des GARÇONS HOMME PLUS added to the conversation thanks to its wacky Double Derby collaboration with Kids Love Gaite. The low-slung leather boots hit the runway into variations — one of which was formed with plumped, side-by-side toe boxes while the other featured a duo of toe-boxes stacked on top of each other.

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