Manolo Blahnik’s sublime summer shoes

Be as dapper as the man himself in a pair of Manolo Blahniks

Have you ever been tempted by (or coerced into) a pair of high heels? We hope for your sake they were made by Manolo Blahnik. Stylish women the world over associate his name with the finest, most gleeful shriek-inducing shoes thanks in no small part to Sex and the City’s Carrie Bradshaw, who was famously obsessed with them. You’re likely aware of all this — as Blahnik once remarked, his shoes have saved marriages.

Born in the Canary Islands in 1942 and now UK-based, Blahnik has made shoes since the early Seventies. He dabbled with men’s footwear, making two-tone leather saddle shoes for Bryan Ferry and Mick Jagger, but it wasn’t until 2015 that he unveiled his first men’s collection. Now he’s opened a dedicated men’s store in Burlington Arcade, Mayfair, London.

A devotee of Anderson & Sheppard’s tailoring, Blahnik is known for his sartorial elegance — wide lapels, double-breasted jackets, thick-rimmed spectacles — and that personal style informs his imminent AW ’18 collection, which features sleek oxfords, simple biker boots and easy loafers, all handmade in Milan.

Esquire’s discerning eye was particularly drawn to the loafers, the Moroccan-inspired Meknes. Made from super light woven raffia, consider them just the thing for loafing about the souk, a sun terrace on the Italian Riviera, or an especially balmy beer garden.