This past Friday, eight menswear and genderless designers converged in Manhattan for New York Men’s Day. Like the gender-bending runways in Paris and Milan, FW24 collections challenged the status quo. Think kilts, heels, ballet flats, wool shorts, and saturated colors. But it wasn’t all femininity, collections oscillated between rugged and refined…and so did the shoes. Dr. Martens were seen in an array of presentations, as well as unexpected sneaker collabs and traditional dress footwear.
These are the five top men’s trends to look out for next season:
The Dr. Was In at New York Men’s Day
If there’s one takeaway from New York Men’s Day for shoe-tailers: stock up on Docs. Dr. Martens were styled with colorful knits at Bulan, wool kilts at Terry Singh and Sivan, and with tactile separates at Y.Chroma. At Y.Chroma, brown combat boots had a mountaineering vibe paired with knits and puffer jackets. At Terry Singh, mid-shaft styles struck a perfect balance with calf-grazing kilts. Bulan passed on the boots in favor of platform creepers, which had a significant weight to balance the oversized knits.
The New York Ballet
In Paris, Dior presented suit shorts with ballet flats that sported a chunky sole and wide-toe silhouette. At Landeros, we saw a more literal interpretation of the aesthetic in the form of minimal black ballet flats. The dark, romantic, and gender-neutral collection paid homage to the ’80s club scene with colorful and embellished suiting.
Sneakers Are Still Running, With an Update
Pas Un Marque‘s “Seams of Dissent” collection aimed to break convention, blending its luxury designs with Hoka performance sneakers. But this wasn’t your everyday sneakers-with-a-suit irony. Hoka’s black and white styles and signature aggressive outsole gave the deconstructed pieces a cool streetwear vibe.
That vibe extended to Tarpley, where cutting-edge design met functionality. For footwear, that meant minimal retrofuturistic sneakers, as well as oversized snow boots and minimal black rubber boots.
A Well Heeled Man
On the European runways, designers toyed with a slight heel. At New York Men’s Day, Landeros and Sivan upped the ante, styling tailored suiting with high-heeled beetle boots. Prince vibes were high with the ’80s-inspired designs at Landeros, while heels elevated (literally) a statement-making blue tux from Sinvan.
Heritage Was Hot at New York Men’s Day
Heritage footwear brand Florsheim partnered with genderless designer The Salting for the label’s FW24 presentation at New York Men’s Day. Tailored suiting, luxury joggers, and even woolen shorts were matched with two Florsheim silhouettes: the Rucci Plain Toe Gore Boot and the Whitmore Lace-Up Cap Toe Boot, both in black. The result was bespoke London style with a rugged American twist.
