Turns out, they do make them like they used to. Shoes, that is. At Milan and Paris fashion weeks, sneakers were all but absent. Takes on traditional footwear, however, were spotlit to a degree that felt almost radical en revue of the entire past decade's obsession with athleisurely luxury. 

In with old and out with the new: designers favored decidedly dressier on-foot silhouettes, reminiscent of a pre-Casual Fridays (or, at this point, pre-Casual Everydays) era. Pleated woolen pants with boxily tailored blazers or even an average pair of jeans with a blue button-down were paired with Repetto-resembling lace-ups à la Serge Gainsbourg, pointy boots, or hardware'd leather loafers — with barely a sneaker in sight. 

Though not wholly untouched by sportier influences, this slew of shoes is very obviously veering further and further away from Dad's meshy lawn mower kicks and rerouting towards his work day office steppers instead. Be it RIER or CELINE, Kenzo or Acne Studios, most houses refrained from expanding on their sneaker repertoire this time around, prioritizing experimentation with a distinguished gentleman's alternatives. Hell, even New Balance, of snoafer fame, went full moccasin mode. 

Even the rare cases that should have allowed for some form of sneaker novelty — such as frequent ASICS collaborator Kiko Kostadinov's Crocs (which ended up looking more like a Derby), or Pharrell Williams' often streetwear-y Louis Vuitton — largely steered clear of category tropes. One has to wonder: Are sneakers… dead?

Not exactly. Those once consumed with cracking the Miu Miu code have simply receded back to their fancier corners. Meanwhile, the few sneakers that did appear on the feet of Europe's most fashionable were styles we're deeply familiar with.

Vans, Keds, and anything that recalls their simple three-eyeleted canvas trainers, for instance, have been surging for months, reaching new heights of ubiquity as Spring product pours into stores. From Prada to Dior, everyone's doing the drill thing. Elsewhere, LOEWE's paying homage to Nike's Air Force 1, the latter's bubble-soled Air Maxes are peeking their heads out again, and aether has it adidas is grooming its Stan Smith for a comeback.

Now compare this to the following: By 2026, close to 70 percent of Highsnobiety's very own Rolodex community went as far as to claim that the pure notion of queuing for buzzy, exclusive sneaker drops was enough to get the ick. In fact, as far back as 2022, a near-40 percent chunk of that same community's early adopters had also voiced their intent to eschew the hype of off-duty aesthetics, endorsing this gradual shift back to more conservative, higher brow attire. 

If I had to put forth a diagnosis, I'd interpret all this as less of a means for expressed nostalgia, and more so a collective aha-moment over how formal isn't boring, and boring isn't bad — so long as it’s good. 

It doesn't require flippy industry jargon along the lines of “recession indicators,” “pendulum swinging,” or "recurrent trend cycles” to decode what's going on. Similar to clothing, shoes too might have finally reached a state by which everything has sorta kinda been done. We've seen the grotesquely modern, the avant-garde, and countless retoolings of icons; we’ve tried the super chunky, extra-techy, and are only just beginning to tire of the skinny sneaker as I type. 

So, maybe this is the much anticipated clean-wiping of footwear's hard drive — a reset to factory settings. Because for its foreseeable future at least, from what I can tell amid all the slippers, brogues and Chelseas, there will be no reinventing of any wheels here. And you know what? Thank effing goodness.

Written by Max Migowski, Highsnobiety Shopping Editor

What sort of shopping newsletter would this be if we didn’t follow up with advice on a drool-worthy pair of boots to buy? Namacheko's Sweynthill and Paracia's Cove models each offer idiosyncratic twists to a known classic. 

Let's talk climate-control-wear: Paris-based Brut's warm and waffle-y undershirts come in every pigment imaginable, as does its fun, four-pocketed chore jacket. Oh, and all of these are currently on sale. The more neutral-tone-inclined, however, should check out the thick thermal polo. 

“Cut the collar,” you say? Well, lucky for you, the henley was a menswear mainstay in 2025, and is poised to continue its frontline wardrobe residency well into 2026. Despite calling lumberjack vibes to mind upon first glance, an all-black, merino-enriched version like this one from COS is actually quite elegant.   

Evidently, all-black elegance was also the theme of The North Face's ultra premium Summit Series. The 8-piece capsule encompasses highlights like the mountaintop-appropriate Cloud Down-Parka. And, if you're into similar expedition-grade beasts, get to know British newcomer Shackleton's arctic-level outerwear. You can plan the according trip to either of the poles in the same go.

Not quite as traditional but no less handsome is Stüssy's and Alpha Industries’ furry co-creation …

… As is sacai's latest Carhartt link-up, landing February 6. But can anything really beat the OG?

Another day, another barrel jean, courtesy of Uniqlo. All set? Bet you don't have any of Lands’ End's flannel-lined denim yet though…

… Which would look great with either of these Studio Nicholson bombers. Lambskin for colder days, cotton for warmer, how about it?

CLESSTE from Japan should definitely be on your radar. Its edgy, retro-athletic pieces sell (out) in drops, and are made of smart, functional, and durable fabrics.

From one Japanese vanguard to another, doublet sits on the humorous, surrealist side of the spectrum, per its  hilarious ketchup and mustard bottles that blur the lines between object design, fashion accessory, and downright satire. Drink up!

By Max Migowski

with Herbert Hofmann, Delia Cai & Youri Chapelle