The end of the reign of the sneaker might be sooner than you think. After enjoying a thorough renaissance under the creative direction of Virgil Abloh, who brought a certain freshness to the historic French label, Louis Vuitton is set to debut a new shoe style.
The footwear in question was teased earlier this week on Instagram with a photo by Mathias Patillon, the head of design for men’s footwear at LV. While the designer has dabbled in streetwear and more formal tailoring, the new shoe is a departure from both. Based on the image, the new shoe is a durable Sperry-like loafer available in black, brown, and yellow. It’s definitely one of the preppier styles to come from the label but also an indication that it’s not afraid to push the needle. Is this new style just treading water or could boat shoes be the new wave? Only time will tell. As of now, no release date has been announced.
American menswear staple since 1935, Sperry teams up with Jack Spade New York for a footwear collection that celebrates the warmer seasonal shift and its accompanying trends. Combining the iconic Sperry boat shoe with the gentlemanly aesthetic of Jack Spade, the range offers a new direction for Sperry, boasting lively colors and patterns that evoke the pleasures of summer.
Image: Sperry x Jack Spade.
Image: Sperry x Jack Spade.
Image: Sperry x Jack Spade.
The collection begins with the cream-colored slip-ons, embellished with three unique patterns: a geometric red stripe, a blue and green accent, and nautical horizontal stripes, respectively. A similar color pattern features across sneaker and boat shoe styles, with contrasted soles and sole linings. Bourgeoning into new territory are the camouflage print two-eye boat shoes, available in brown and navy, with yellow outer-stitching. All styles feature an orange innersole and the dependable Sperry grip, ensuring durability through the active summer odysseys that the brand represents.
The Sperry x Jack Spade collection is available in select stores and online now.
In a new era of viral marketing and splashy user involvement, perennial boat-wear company Sperry throws its hat into the consumer-generated ring with the new Odyssey Project. Bearing a tagline that reads “Embark on an odyssey, big or small, and be sure to come back with a story,” Sperry leaves convention behind to promote a new, worldly outlook on its Topsider products. In a youth-attracting effort, the new campaign takes place entirely on Tumblr, the social media haven for today’s culturally inclined adolescents, with the brand sharing stories of artistic movers and shakers that leave their comfort zone to partake in old-fashioned explorations – most recently Shelby and Sandy, artists and brothers whose visceral drawings have attracted celebrity attention worldwide.
Braving the gator-infested waters of the Louisiana Bayou while of course wearing the Authentic Original 2-Eye Boat Shoe, the brothers document their trials of fishing, explorations of the French Quarter, and dappling into voodoo relics through exclusive drawings and Polaroids shared on the Odyssey webpage. The brothers’ work joins many others – singer Hunter Hunted’s sea cave performance, photographer Andre Wagner’s tropical island camping trip, entrepreneur Kari White’s travels down the wild Irish coast – to create a Jack Kerouac-worthy tome of life in travels.
A variety of shoebox collections that pair footwear styles with adventurous tools – the Bahama 2-Eye Boat Shoe would be remiss without walkie-talkies and a guide to stargazing – post alongside an #odysseysawait hashtag to provide an infinite scroll of Homer-esque exploits, all shown through the sparkling eyelets of Sperry.
Actor Hugh Dancy stars on the cover of Essential Homme February/March 2015, the magazine’s biggest spring fashion issue of the year.
Opening the book, MOST WANTED (pg. 21) this issue focuses on two fragrant releases from Carven, Hublot’s collaborative and charity-benefitting watch with English band Depeche Mode, and Kris Van Assche’s futuristic frames by Linda Farrow Gallery. Next, in WHISTLING FOR THE WIND (pg. 40) photographer Markus Ziegler and stylist Adrian Manuel welcome nautically roused, ultra-light clothing that even on land makes waves, featuring Raf Simons, Gucci, E. Tautz, Prada, Dries Van Noten, and more.
Image: Essential Homme.
In product news, NEW ARRIVALS (pg. 52) showcases Sperry’s beach boasting collaboration with noted photographer Gray Malin, Dolce&Gabbana newest scent, Intenso, starring Colin Farrell in the cologne’s inaugural campaign, and Alexander Wang’s luxe lounge chair and trunk collaboration with Italian leather vanguard Poltrona Frau, just in time for NYFW. SCENE (pg. 60) paddles through Art Basel Miami Beach 2014’s hottest parties—from Bally, Berluti, Salvatore Ferragamo, and more—after the galleries and beside the shore.
Image: Poltrona Frau.
Image: adidas.
Image: BFAnyc.
Selected features include:
A TINGE TANGY (pg. 62): From the cell block all the way up to the catwalk, orange’s cheerful complexions build bold outfit components as sweet as they are sour with Michael Kors, Burberry Prorsum, Hermès, and more.
Image: Essential Homme.
WINDOW SHOPPING (pg. 78): Call it a gateway pattern, or a calm middle ground between solids and prints of a more provocative nature, the windowpane arrives this season in full view.
FULL THROTTLE (pg. 78): Hardly reserved to the common blue jean, today’s newfangled denim deviations from Maison Martin Margiela, KENZO, Moschino, and more blast ahead cooler and more daring tan those still on the road, as shown by model RJ King atop a Harley-Davidson’s finest.
Image: Essential Homme.
LONG STORY SHORT (pg. 90): Storytellers, Opening Ceremony founders, and co-creative directors of KENZO, Humberto Leon and Carol Lim summon the same old tales in a new, paradigmatic fashion.
MADE UNDER THE ITALIAN SUN (pg. 96): Eyeing both fashion brands’ bright future, CEO Gildo Zegna reveals Ermenegildo Zegna’s new partnership with Italian eyewear manufacturer Marcolin.
Image: Essential Homme.
IN THE DARK OF YOUR LOVE (pg. 104): Months after Twin Shadow’s runway debut this fall, he returns this March with his third album, the musician’s first major-label release that continues his quest from the shadows to further places we dare not pause.
Image: Essential Homme.
CANNIBALS AND CALMNESS (pg. 120): Opposite a mad man on the small screen, actor Hugh Dancy finds fatherhood just as gripping.
Image: Essential Homme.
UNDER YOUR SPELL (pg. 132): Motionless in a romantic trance, the best, most mysterious bounties of the season expose a darker scene for spring.
Video: Marco Falcetta.
FORGING THE FLEX ZONE (pg. 149): Protein packs with a new age boost from Protein World, Juice Press, and Orgain.
NOW BOYS ALLOWED (pg. 150): Once quarters to Eleanor Roosevelt, Louise brooks, and Sara Teasdale, the formerly female-only Martha Washington hotel returns several lives later fully revived for all.
Image: Jonathan Chesley, courtesy of Selldorf Architects.
The February/March 2015 issue of Essential Homme magazine is available on national and international newsstands and online starting today.
About Essential Homme magazine: Essential Homme is a bi-monthly print publication and website that act as the style source for affluent, successful, and fashion-forward readers that are passionate about high-end men’s fashion and its reflective lifestyle. Essential Homme has been published since 2010 and past cover stars range from Dean and Dan Caten, Daniel Radcliffe, Theophilus London, Sullivan Stapleton, Kellan Lutz, Ian Somerhalder, and Colton Haynes. From bold editorial spreads showcasing the latest in style trends, to features on fashion industry insiders and the most stylish men in entertainment, an eye to the nightlife scene, and an exploration of fashion’s most exciting new gadgets and spaces, Essential Homme is a leading authority for the style and design enthusiast.
We know its quite a commitment to your look but…don’t be afraid to let your feet ride with the top down! We searched high and low for some of the season’s best sandals and flip flops, so click on through. We hope you’re inspired.
PUMA + HUSSEIN CHALAYAN
Hirzo
Award winning UK designer Hussein Chalayan has teamed up with the sport brand you know and love to give you this perfectly sculpted pair of sandals.
