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In Our Legacy’s Milan showroom, the Swedish fashion brand’s CEO Richardos Klarén greets press and buyers in a light-blue cotton shirt, smart navy shorts and black-leather square-toed slippers. Slim, louche and decidedly continental, the Cigarr slipper (£330) was modelled on those worn by British gentlemen when smoking in after-supper private rooms. No need for a cigar today though. Klarén wears his most days in different ways.
“You can wear it smart, with a suit, or in the office,” he says. “Although, to be honest, I like them most to walk the dog.”
Few items say summer quite like a slip-on. “Summer slip-ons are more than just footwear,” argues John Lobb CEO Philippe Gonzalez. “They’re an invitation to embrace effortless elegance with both style and ease.” The market is now stacked with options including classic soft loafers such as John Lobb’s Pace (£890), slippers, mules, and even clogs (Our Legacy’s Camion, £390, is an homage to the footwear Swedes wear in their summer houses). Bottega Veneta’s Daddy loafer (£890), Tod’s classic Slipper Loafers (£595) and Berluti’s Escale (£800) are further luxurious options: all have collapsible heels, depending on how much formality – or grip – you need the shoe to have.
“We have seen a strong uplift in slides and loafers this season, with performance trading up over 40 per cent compared to last year,” says Sophie Jordan, menswear buying director for Mytheresa. Highlights there include The Row’s Hugo (£1,060), Bottega Veneta’s Astaire (£820) and slipper styles by Prada (from £460) and Charvet (from £430 – these have leather soles, though, so really are mostly for indoor use). “They tend to be in super-supple leathers and suedes,” says Jordan, “providing the ultimate balance between comfort and understated sophistication.”
Similarly, at Mr Porter, “we’re seeing a rise in minimalist leather slippers and mules”, says buying director Daniel Todd. “There will always be a market for traditional leather loafers and cigar slippers, but there’s a growing demand for casual, minimalist styles that align with today’s laid-back, transitional dressing”, where the codes of smart and casual are more blurred than ever before. If simple styles remain appealing (see The Row, Loro Piana or Lemaire), there is also a yearning for embellishment: at Mr Porter, there was a 366 per cent rise in search for tasselled loafers in May. Todd points to Celine, which offers styles “with embroidery or studs”.
In Milan last weekend, actor Riz Ahmed attended the Prada SS26 menswear show wearing black babouche-style slippers with tailored trousers and a leather jacket. Rapper Stormzy paired a nylon windbreaker and navy trousers with the brand’s exuberant Shuffle style (€990), which sport a large buckle and classic Oxford brogue detailing. These were also worn by Teo van den Broeke, editor of Esquire, who thinks they are “like sculptures for your feet, as intriguing to look at as they are comfortable”. Van den Broeke is a big fan of a mule. “It’s essential to wear the right trousers with them, though. Wide and long is the key: anything too close-cut or cropped will make your ankles look hammy.”
As “transitional dressing” becomes the norm, expect more transitional shoes. Back in the Our Legacy showroom, the brand’s creative director Christopher Nying shows me the Collapsing Consultant, a derby with a heel that can be flattened at a whim. Not that this is part of a masterplan to make all shoes a slip-on. “It was actually a bit of a mistake,” says Nying, a little sheepishly.
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