The Fashion Week festivities have traveled across the world once again, touching down in the style capitals of Paris, Milan, London, New York City and more. While innovative runways and presentations set the spotlight on high fashion’s Fall/Winter 2024 ready-to-wear collections, there were also countless unique footwear projects to pay attention to. This season, many designers pushed further into the footwear domain with everything from collaborations with household names in the space to eye-catching concepts going viral. Looking back at all of what designers had to offer this time around, the Hypebeast team has assembled a list of the biggest footwear moments from Fashion Month.
Louis Vuitton x Timberland 6-Inch Boot
Paris met New York City as Pharrell’s Louis Vuitton shocked the sneaker world with the unveiling of a Timberland collaboration ahead of LV’s FW24 runway show. While momentum had already been building behind the 6-Inch Boot once again, this is sure to be the pinnacle iteration of the NYC staple this year. Adding a side zip to the medial, colorways range from subtly including LV’s Damier pattern at the collar and tongue to an all-over print for anyone eager to flex.
Rick Owens Inflated Boots
Rick Owens is celebrating the 30th anniversary of his eponymous label this year and is unrelenting in his pursuit of pushing his craft to its limits. Looking back to his hometown of Porterville, of which his FW24 collection is named after, Owens’ collaborative footwear with fashion student Straytukay stole the show. Crafting inflated rubber pull-on stretch boots, the two replaced the typical form of a leg with a larger-than-life crescent shape that shines in latex.
Junya Watanabe MAN x New Balance 1906L
Junya Watanabe MAN has a long-running history of teaming up with New Balance to craft calm colorways of the brand’s models, such as last year’s collaborative take on the 650. However, its FW24 presentation in Paris flipped the script by offering a first look at a loafer version of the ever-popular New Balance 1906. Revealed later to be a new inline model, Junya Watanabe MAN’s version of the 1906L strikes the perfect balance between sneaker and loafer with its leather-covered upper.
Charles Jeffrey LOVERBOY Banana Boots
Fruits and vegetables are not foreign to the sneaker lexicon — you’ve got everything from “Eggplant” Foamposites to the “Grape” Air Jordan 5s — but its rare that they become the blueprint for the footwear model itself. When it comes to Charles Jeffrey LOVERBOY’s banana boots, the delectable fruit receives a literal interpretation on foot. The whimsical label embraced the concept by presenting a pair of yellow boots that feature a banana peel-shaped collar, complementing a similarly-designed top and beanie.
COMME des GARÇONS HOMME PLUS x Nike Air Max TL 2.5
Rei Kawakubo’s COMME des GARÇONS HOMME PLUS never fails to bend the rules of fashion. Despite this, its collaborations with Nike tend to stick to a familiar formula — often favoring monochromatic makeovers of retro silhouettes. For its FW24 show in Paris, its model of choice was pulled straight from 2006 with the Air Max TL 2.5. Presenting colorways of black and white, all-white and all-black, the slick runner notably carries a COMME des GARÇONS HOMME PLUS branding hit at the heel and will likely precede an inline relaunch of the style.
Off-White™ The Baller Sneaker
Between its Industrial Belts and Nike collaborations, Off-White™ has produced one viral product after another in its 12 year run thus far. Ib Kamara took over the Virgil Abloh-founded brand’s helm two years ago, and he’s sustained this momentum with several noise-making concepts. This season, the chatter around his game board-inspired runway focused on The Baller sneaker. Utilizing the pebbled grain leather traditionally found on basketballs, the bulbous design is a playful homage to the sport. “AUTOGRAPH HERE” and “FOR ANKLE BREAKERS ONLY” text details add to the fun with a wide variety of colorways — ranging from a basketball orange to neon green — presented during the brand’s FW24 runway show in Paris.
POST ARCHIVE FACTION (PAF) x On
Hailing from South Korea and Switzerland, POST ARCHIVE FACTION (PAF) and On are rapidly growing across the world as up-and-coming powerhouses in fashion and footwear respectively. After previewing a collaborative project comprising of apparel and the On Cloudmonster in Paris last year, the two returned to present yet another footwear teaser this year. Adding a new silhouette to the mix that features a sleek shape and asymmetrical lacing system, PAF’s distinct, ultramodern design language fuses seamlessly with each sneaker, bringing a much-needed edge to the footwear brand.
Martine Rose x Clarks Clog
Less than a year after being named Clarks’ first-ever guest creative director, Martine Rose presented her second range of footwear with the brand during Paris Fashion Week. While familiar faces such as the Torhill Hi made an appearance, the most notable inclusion from Rose was a new clog. Crafted in adventurous colorways ranging from a smooth lavender to a croc-leather finish, the fashion-forward designs are a playful combination of Rose’s unconventionality and Clarks’ comfortability.
Cecilie Bahnsen x ASICS GEL-TERRAIN
In under two years, Cecilie Bahnsen’s floral ASICS have become a surefire footwear collaboration highlight on the Paris Fashion Week stage. Bringing femininity to various runners, Bahnsen is set to continue her series with the introduction of her two GEL-TERRAIN colorways. Favoring all-black and all-brown finishes, an emphasis is again placed on the floral detailing that enlivens the uppers of each pair.
AURALEE x New Balance 990v4 MADE in USA
AURALEE and New Balance are both known for executing their designs with nuance, making the two a natural fit for collaboration. In continuation of their biannual projects together, the duo is now focused on the 990v4 MADE in USA. Two suede-equipped colorways see olive and brown dress the first version with various blue hues layered atop the second. From there, blue and yellow detailing offers contrast across the two pairs respectively.
