Cool In The Pool
Jump in at the fashion deep- end this summer with a smart reinvention of an unlikely footwear icon
No corner of a man’s wardrobe divides opinion more than that labelled ‘open-toed footwear’. Sure, flip-flops and Birkenstocks have skirted with style recently, but always with an air of the Bondi beach bum or the backpacker from Leipzig.
This has now changed thanks to an explosion of pool slides among the style fraternity, from David Beckham to grime artists. Complete with white sports socks pulled up the calf, slides have become the hot-weather alternative to statement sneakers.
First it was the Adilette, yours for around £20. But since then couture designers have been getting in on the action – Saint Laurent, Gucci and Givenchy have all made ruinously expensive pairs. These needn’t concern you. Because, on the back of their highly successful Stan Smith collaboration, Adidas has once again teamed up with Belgian designer Raf Simons. The result is an Adilette with upscaled credentials.
At £95 you’re paying a premium for exclusivity. Design-wise, little has changed but for the colour: simplified and iced out, with the black Raf Simons logo the only real indication you’ve invested. But that’s the point. These will look as good on the street paired with chinos as they will by the pool. Should you go all-out and pair with white socks? It’s a good look, but it’s a big look. We have just two words for you: tan lines.