Highsnobiety
Double Tap to Zoom

_J.L-A.L_ is likely best known for its high-spec menswear. But its shoes are perhaps even more important in the big picture, as founder Jean-Luc Ambridge Lavelle's footwear designs are indicative of the current state of all of shoes.

Or, at least, a slice of the menswear shoe scene.

As part of _J.L-A.L_'s Spring 2025 collection, the five-year-old label has rolled out a handful of mostly-muted leather shoes that are a million miles away from sneakers.

The resulting designs are a little bit Cav Empt, a little bit Kiko Kostadinov (complimentary) but also indicative of shapes that _J.L-A.L_ has previously dabbled with.

Your Highsnobiety privacy settings have blocked this Instagram post.

Consider the paneled Tracer Derby and slick Chelsea-style Perlin Boot available on the label's website, so quintessentially menswear that they almost look like outliers amidst the technical _J.L-A.L_ ready-to-wear. But when you consider the designer's clothes more like "engineered" staples retooled with unusual seams and textiles, it all makes a bit more sense.

In the short term, I see this stuff as indicative of the direction that men's shoes are heading towards, at least partially.

There'll never not be room for sneakers, which _J.L-A.L_ itself does dabble with on occasion (typically with HOKA). But a new breed of leather-soled lace-up shoes is becoming more and more common, even from the sportswear giants.

And the ultra-hairy derbies also included in the latest _J.L-A.L_ delivery — which photograph beautifully, BTW — speak to this and more.

Your Highsnobiety privacy settings have blocked this Instagram post.

Beyond a resurgence of "proper" leather shoes, there's also extant interest in classic hiking-style footwear, especially when it's heavily textured.

Your Highsnobiety privacy settings have blocked this Instagram post.

A surprising amount of furry suede sneakers are rolling out from big brands as shoes once worn only by hikers are becoming a viable fashion play.

Obviously, _J.L-A.L_ isn't merely cashing in on any one trend here — nor are its derbies "true" hikers per se, though they share DNA with old-school shoes like Merrell's Wilderness — but I do see its inclinations as indicative of a bigger picture also being painted by young labels as disparate as Reese Cooper and Fugazi.

The hairy Tracer Derby seen here is not a monolith as much as it is a weathervane pointing the way the wind is blowing.

Hiking shoes are the new sneakers. Calling it here first.

We Recommend
  • Thrashable or Not, Nike's Air Force 1 "Skate Shoes" Are Certainly Lookers
    • Sneakers
  • Hike-able Vans Skate Shoes, Fitted With Nicole McLaughlin Backpacks
    • Sneakers
  • _J.L-A.L_'s FW25 Menswear Is on Another Planet (EXCLUSIVE)
    • Style
  • Footwear Inspirations to Make This the Best Winter Your Feet Have Ever Had
    • Style
  • Techwear Genius _J.L-A.L Breathes New Life Into a 72-Year-Old Adventure Brand
    • Style
What To Read Next
  • The Wild Side of Dress Shoes, Explored by Martine Rose & Clarks
    • Style
  • Nike’s Clog Hybrid May Be Wild. But Its Colorways Go Hard
    • Sneakers
  • Ten c Crafts a Practically Perfect Spring Uniform
    • Style
  • Lady White Co. Spent a Decade Proving That Less Is More
    • Style
  • Levi’s Little-Known 501 Alternative Stages an Artisanal, Archival Comeback
    • Style
  • A Grass Green Fred Perry Polo Shirt, Dyed With Actual Grass
    • Style