THE IT SNEAKERS

These are the best- looking version of the season’s ugly sneakers.

2018 is the year of the ugly sneaker. Dad shoes, chunky soles and ’90s sportswear have been trending in the last few years, thanks to clunky It sneakers like the seemingly ubiquitous, impossibly trendy Triple S from Balenciaga and Louis Vuitton’s retro-futuristic Archlights, but it has hit a high this year with more luxury companies dropping kicks almost faster than fans can snap them up.

Italian luxury label Salvatore Ferragamo now gives the competition a run for their money with its own take on bulky footwear. Typically, the house is well-known for its elegant, expertly crafted footwear; its late founder was known as “the shoemaker to the stars”. This time, the brand is turning its attention to a decidedly modern silhouette – the sports trainer with a sole-centric design – and keeps things tasteful with a sedate black-and-white palette instead of the loud clashing colours favoured by other brands. Bonus: A nod to another trend, logomania, comes from the iconic Gancino chain motif on the shoes’ intricate upper, made of calf leather and suede. Pretty sharp-looking for supposedly ugly sneakers.