Gucci's Weirdo $1,100 Sock-Slipper Sneaker Shouldn't Be This Excellent
Gucci doesn't make hyped sneakers, really. The Italian luxury label quietly produces high-end shoes, yes, but they aren't often all that trend-conscious save for dad shoe-leaning designs that go heavy on the Gucci monogram.
But what to make of Gucci's sock shoe?
Still without a creative director, Gucci's in-house shoe designers have to feel their way forward, figuring out the footwear that makes sense for a company as storied as Gucci.
The answer being sock sneakers is... interesting.
The humbly named Gucci "slip-on sneaker" is basically a sock with a Gucci-monogrammed rubber mudguard.
Sounds simple enough if not terribly timely, given how popular Balenciaga's tall sock sneaker was, like, a half-decade ago.
But Gucci's sock sneaker is different. It's better.
There's something oddly appealing in the low-top slip-on silhouette, shaped by an elastic woven upper that creates a snug lace-free fit. Unlike the Bottega sock shoes, though, Gucci's sock shoes aren't necessarily meant to pass as socks.
As such, they look more like water shoes, which grants them an unexpected outdoorsy edge.
The surprising texture afforded by the molded Gucci monogram is an additional plus, both gauchely branded and intriguingly odd-looking. You can't really tell what it is until you get close-up.
Really, Gucci's slip-on sock shoe feels more like a Mary Jane with surprising technical flair.
In a similar way to Balenciaga's recent barefoot innovation, Gucci's new sneaker isn't an easy one to describe, which makes it all the more appealing to look at (if not wear — your call).
Either way, for $1,090 on Gucci's website, you're getting a surprisingly fresh sock. Er, shoe.
