Valentino officially kicked off Paris Fashion Week with its men’s spring ’16 show. Designers Pierpaolo Piccioli and Maria Grazia Chiuri continued their focus on sandals and sneakers, which were a hot buy for menswear retailers last season.
Flatform slip-on sneakers made up most of the collection, which also featured espadrille-style roped soles. The elevated espadrille is already proving to be a strong trend for the season, with Dolce & Gabanna offering a whole collection of the style in Milan. Here, the colorways included solid leathers as well as a pineapple or floral print. Certain styles even had a short poem printed on top of the designs.
Low-top sneakers, on a white or black base, featured beadwork that included stars, dragonflies and butterflies.
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![Valentino Spring '16 Men's](https://footwearnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/valentino-mens-spring-2016-paris-collection-9.jpg)
Compared with Valentino’s chunky Teva-style sandals last season, this season’s mandals were a tad more experimental. Crisscross silhouettes were finished in a Mexican serapé prints, while sleeker, double-strap sandals were done in the label’s signature camo.
One dress style — something Valentino seems to be shying away from — included a thick lug-sole blucher, offered in a solid black and burgundy leather.
![Valentino Spring '16 Men's](https://footwearnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/valentino-mens-spring-2016-paris-collection-22.jpg)
While the footwear wasn’t groundbreaking, the collection featured enough design details to feel fresh and new — something even conservative shoppers can appreciate.
For a closer look at Valentino’s spring ’16 men’s shoes, click through the gallery.
To see more of FN’s men’s coverage, see below:
Gucci Men’s Spring 2016 Shoe Highlights
Bottega Veneta Spring 2016 Shoe Highlights
Emporio Armani Spring 2016 Shoe Highlights
Marni Men’s Spring 2016 Shoe Highlights
Moschino Men’s Spring 2016: Shoe Highlights
Jimmy Choo Heads To The Skatepark: Spring 2016 Collection