Okay, we know, we know — we said we DETEST this trend. Loathe. But, we stand here today, shamefaced and willing to admit we make mistakes. There's an exception to every rule, right? Enter: Givenchy's new Podium Boot — which we spotted on Fashion Indie — a dress shoe/boot/sneaker hybrid for dudes and a loophole in this editor's shoe burn book.
While normally the dreaded hybrid is so off-limits, the French house's fall offering manages to make sophisticated comfortable — not an easy feat in the painful world of footwear (yes, even men's dress boots aren't exactly known for ease of wear). Tough and luxe, with a shearling body and leather criss-crossing detailing, Givenchy's genius is that it incorporated some more formal elements, vis-à-vis a wing-tip medallion toe and a stacked wooden heel, to bring it all together. We imagine guys sporting these babies with straight-leg jeans and a casual cashmere sweater or rocking 'em with a suit for some late autumn edge. While the price ain't cheap (they ring in at $1,055), we'll kinda accept it...seeing as they manage to break our rule. If we do say so ourselves, that couldn't have been easy.
Givenchy Podium Boot, $1,055, available at Bergdorf Goodman.