Saint Laurent‘s Hedi Slimane shocked the fashion crowd when he forwent glam-rock stilettos for wellington rain boots this season, shown at its spring ’16 runway show in Paris. And now we have a closer look at the shoes.
Considering the label’s knack for impracticality—remember the disco platforms from its fall ’15 show?—the pragmatic Wellies were a fresh direction for the French fashion house. And given the successful rain boot businesses of luxury brands like Valentino, Givenchy and Salvatore Ferragamo, it wasn’t a brainless decision either.
The collection included tall rain boots came in a black and olive rubber finish, fit with oversized silver buckles. The styles were also offered in a more design-intensive treatment, reworked with black sequins or an embroidered floral print.
While the rain boots were indeed a departure, Saint Laurent also offered less-pragmatic, more-glam shoes for spring. Ankle-strap heeled sandals had a leopard print sole, while strappy sandals were done in an all-over metallic leather.
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High-end fashion brands appear to be jumping on the outdoorsy footwear bandwagon. For spring ’16, Chanel also sent down light-up sandals that seemed inspired by the classic Teva sandal.
