MM6 Maison Margiela gets sporty & Gucci goes large on loafers: the best shoes of Milan Fashion Week SS24

by Ollie Cox 2 months ago

by Ollie Cox 2 months ago 8 min

Milan Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2024 may be over, but we’re not over the shoes. In a week of designer debuts, including Sabato de Sarno for Gucci, Peter Hawkings at Tom Ford and Simone Bellotti for BALLY, we saw our fair share of stunning sneakers, heels and boots — and we want them all.

Each collection was supported by a vast and varied footwear offering, from MM6 by Maison Margiela’s Dalston-Daddy-approved Salomon collaboration to Prada’s captivating kitten heels. Of course, Bottega Veneta didn’t disappoint with a banging selection of boots and dainty womenswear staples that we want in every colour.

As Paris gets underway, take a moment to unpack the best footwear moments Milan had to offer below.

MM6 Maison Margiela x Salomon XT-6

Returning to its Rihanna-approved Salomon collaboration for SS24, the Maison Margiela sub-label revealed a fresh collaborative sneaker to Milan showgoers. What appeared to be a collaborative Salomon XT-6 peaked beneath billowing, loose-fitting trousers. A mesh toe box was dressed in a blue hue, combined with neutral black and white accents.

The Salomon x MM6 collaboration makes perfect sense, fusing the rugged yet streamlined designs of Salomon with the avant-garde-informed MM6 Maison Margiela, a sub-label that combines the unconventional deconstructed aesthetic of Maison Margiela with an all-day wearability and appeal.

This sneaker arrived fresh from two previous collaborations with the outdoor-focused French brand, which has seen a collaborative MM6 Maison Margiela x Salomon Cross Low and an XT-4 mule, which gave us a playful reconstruction of the versatile sneaker, allowing its wearers to effortlessly navigate their terrain.

Prada

Prada’s womenswear collection was a footwear masterclass, with a stellar collection punctuated with solid shoes across the board. Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons’ output is a fashion tour de force, and SS24 was no different, once again showing itself as a pillar of excellence. For its womenswear offering we saw a number of enviously cool shoes strutting between the slime.

Prada took us to the square-toe stratosphere, seen in fabric flats dressed in a vibrant pink, yellow, orange and lime green featuring a cut-out vamp, which gracefully walked the runway for the Italian house. We also saw the vibrant colour palette extended into delicate kitten heels too.

Exaggerated square-toed derbies danced down the catwalk, schooling fashion fans in the art of angular excellence. Featuring a leather platform sole and branding to the heel, these shoes whispered “Prada” with quiet confidence and mirrored the styles seen on the SS24 Men’s runway with perfect cohesion.

Prada once again proved why it is a powerhouse for footwear, accenting a standout clothing offering with a selection of timeless shoes streets ahead of the trend cycle.

Bottega Veneta Fireman Boots

Bottega Veneta knows a thing or two about shoes, with some of its best-selling items being its accessories and footwear, and its SS24 collection further bolstered this reputation.

Luxurious leather trousers lapped the edges of bulky Fireman boots, which were crafted to calf height and finished with polished leather. Large and in charge, these beautiful boots were bulky in the very best way, featuring a chunky platform construction with a curvaceous toe box. All-black and leather, these are the boots to perfectly take you from the boardroom to Berghain (if you’re brave enough). While its fire-proof abilities are yet to be verified, they certainly bring the heat.

How do you wear them? Thanks to their tall construction, they pair effortlessly with long-length shorts and Bottega’s roomy leather slacks, serving several styling possibilities.

Gucci Platform 1953 Horsebit Loafer

Few shoes have achieved what the Gucci Horsebit loafer has: an enduring style icon that has never once been out of fashion. With the original inspired by Guccio Gucci’s time spent working at the Savoy Hotel in London, where he would be inspired by a racing set, Gucci’s son Aldo designed the loafer in 1953, following his father’s death. The shoe was released to attract the same clientele as the Savoy.

For SS24, Gucci (literally) built on this legacy, placing the iconic silhouette atop a hefty four-inch platform. We saw the classic black and red leather receive a lift alongside classic ‘GG’ embellished canvas loafers. The design marked the start of Gucci’s new direction under Sabato De Sarno, and much like the rest of the collection, looked to Gucci’s past to send the house headlong into its new era.

Jil Sander’s Bootiful SS24 Showcase

Jil Sander’s SS24 collection was full of banging boots with standout hollow detailing.

Round-toe calf-length boots were finished with a sturdy black outsole. At the side, a hollow, rounded and imperfect circle was cut out and finished with silver detailing, perfectly fusing Jil Sander’s avant-garde infused minimalism with the label’s new design direction, courtesy of Luke and Lucie Meier. Later in the collection, we saw baggy boots play with proportion, complete with a flat sole, again complete with silver cut-out detailing to the calf. The boots not only beautifully complemented the clothing seen on the catwalk but served as a focal point talked about long after the collection.

AVAVAV “No Shape” Boots

AVAVAV is no stranger to a statement shoe, sending the internet wild with the release of its Four Toed Monster Boots back in 2021.

Creative Director Beate Karlsson created yet another viral moment this season, with her play on form and texture extending into footwear. Padded boots stomped down the runway, their oversized construction flapping as it lifted from the ground.

The boots spoke to wider time pressures in the fashion industry and featured as part of an “unfinished” look, and, as far as foam-block footwear goes, this was the chicest we’ve seen.

SPORTMAX’s Towering Toes-out Boot

SPORTMAX know the score: you want to wear your boots all year round, but you get too bloody hot! For SS24, the brand catered to its city-women audience, crafting a thigh-high white leather boot with a sandal toe box.

Fitting close to the leg and both sleek and practical, the boot felt like an original and authentic nod to the experimental roots of the brand. Known for pioneering a freer fashion with a focus on feminine functionality, which was extended into the brand’s SS24 footwear offering.