Shoes tend to fall into the realm of afterthought. We pick out clothes we want to wear (at times taking pains to ensure they make sense together) and then reach for a pair of shoes among the usual rotation of three—a pair of loafers, sneakers, and perhaps lace-ups. There is nothing specifically wrong with the method, especially when one already has a well-established style uniform.
That’s hardly the case for Dior creative director Jonathan Anderson. The shoes for his debut menswear collection subtly mark the House’s reinvention as he begins to craft a new Dior uniform for men.
The Dior Archie shoes embody Anderson’s Dior in its totality. Its profile leans in to the traditional shape of the loafer with its sleek silhouette. But from the top view, the Dior Archie is noticeably wider on the front. There’s no doubt that that in itself is an Anderson signature—as any ardent follower of his would be able to immediately tell—but the wide, rounded shape of the shoe also echoes a casualisation of formality Anderson intends to adopt. A pointed toe is often thought of as sharp, owing to its ability to visually elongate one’s feet and legs; a wider construction lends a more grounded air that prioritises comfort. That’s not to say that the Dior Archie looks out of place when worn with a suit, but rather, it’s a loafer that skews more versatilely because it exudes the aesthetic of an everyday loafer.
The details, however, are Dior through and through. The uppers of the shoe reference tailoring savoir-faire with topstitched details inspired by Roger Vivier’s work for the House. The upper of the Dior Archie shoes are almost a wholecut that’s then stitched to form a curved apron that stops around the three-quarter point on the toe—a true mark of craftsmanship. Towards the inner side of the shoe, the arch of the outsole extends in a slightly exaggerated way to create an architectural highlight, but also one that’s meant to support the foot’s natural arch.
The Dior Archie is available in two renditions—a classic moccasin style as well as a boat shoe. The former is rendered in smooth black or brown calfskin, or beige nubuck, and features a palladium-finish “CD” buckle (another of Anderson’s new leitmotifs for the House) on the strap. In place of the buckle, the boat shoe variation is fixed with black leather or brown suede inserts and then laced. The branding is more subtle here with a tone-on-tone heat-stamped “Dior” logo right along the outer sides.
Stepping into the new Dior menswear means stepping into a luxury built around traditional craftsmanship melded with an everyday sensibility. Things may seem familiar, but there are certainly elements of intrigue to discover, and we’re sure there will be plenty more in this new chapter.
