THE NEW SEASON SHOES TO KNOW

Listen. Can you hear that? It’s the sound of new-season shoes landing at FLANNELS. From cult sneakers to classics and smart lace-up boots to loafers, AW24 footwear is coming in hot. Designer footwear obsessed? We’ve got you. Need a bit of guidance? Read on. Whether it’s basketball-inspired low-tops or smart loafers that have real executive energy, we’ve summarised everything you need to know about AW24’s footwear trends. From Prada to Balenciaga to Givenchy, these are the styles you need to own now.

This season, look to the future with space-age sneakers by Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga and Prada. Think technical materials, Mad Max silhouettes and distressed and dusty finishes. Some of these wouldn’t look out of place in a galaxy far, far away. Post-apocalypse mission to Mars? Tap Balenciaga. The brand’s Bouncer trainer features a worn mesh upper and extreme tire tread sole. Moonwalk approved. Next up, the cult Balenciaga 3XL is out of this world. Unveiled at Paris Fashion Week, it pushes the sneaker silhouette as far as it can go with an exaggerated sole, polyurethane blend upper and reflective panels. Elsewhere, Bottega Veneta’s Orbit sneaker will send your collection into the fashion stratosphere, while Prada’s black Cloudburst Thunder and Dolce&Gabbana’s Airmaster Knit tone it down with a monochromatic take on cutting-edge sneaker design. To infinity, and beyond.

Look at the shine on that. It's Bottega Veneta’s signature intrecciato weave along the collar of their ‘Haddock’ ankle boots. These are the final word in cold-weather footwear. Come for the chunky rubber sole, stay for the metal eyelets and embossed Bottega moniker. Yes. It’s that time of year. Boot weather. And this season’s ankle boots are something else. Expect to dominate in Saint Laurent’s lace-up ‘Vaughn’ army boots and Bottega Veneta’s ‘Highway’ – a modern take on the classic Chelsea made of shiny calfskin with an intrecciato backstay and chunky rubber sole. Wear with everything from distressed denim to suit trousers and turned-up cargo pants. Dial thing up a notch by teaming Prada’s Tri-logo combat boots with the label’s silk joggers or wool gabardine trousers or go full runway in Balenciaga’s boundary-pushing Rhino Chelsea boots.

There’s a time and a place for loafers. Sipping vodka martinis. Board rooms. Packing away a few oysters somewhere on the Med. Hotel bars. The club. You get the picture. Loafers have survived the rise of sneaker culture, and they aren’t going anywhere soon. That’s because shoes like Givenchy’s ‘Mr G’ loafers in chocolate suede with a silver hardware 4G logo are classics. Tried and tested. Slicker than slick. The only shoe that’ll cut it when you want to impress. Grown-up and sophisticated, look to Prada, Burberry and Christian Louboutin for similarly elegant loafers in luxury materials with signature details and chunkier silhouettes. Finally, Gucci’s penny loafers are among the most-wanted loafers for good reason. Elite footwear for modern gents. You made a great choice.

Old school? Meet the new school of retro-inspired luxury sneakers. This season, designers have dug into the archive to reimagine classic styles for now. The Prada Downtown sneaker silhouette was inspired by ‘80s basketball low tops. Ft. the instantly recognisable Prada triangle logo in a monochromatic colour way, wear with nylon trousers or ‘90s blue denim for a nostalgic off-duty look. Gucci’s Screener was inspired by ‘70s trainers and vintage sportswear, brought up to date with a thick platform sole and the label’s Web motif. Alternatively, look to Saint Laurent, Valentino Garavani and Moncler for high tops that take their cues from the OG basketball silhouette. Saint Laurent’s LAX in all-white leather with a rubber sole puts a minimalist spin on the classic sports trainer, while Valentino Garavani’s Hybrid sneaker sits somewhere between a low and high-top court shoe.