I joined a big crowd of Christopher Echevarria’s friends last week celebrating the opening of his store 242 Mulberry, a men’s shoe store located a stone’s throw away from Aimé Leon Dore that mainly carries his Blackstock & Weber brand.
As my Uber inched North on Mulberry Street toward the party that had flowed out into the street (like every proper downtown New York summer party does), I looked out the window to my right and observed a guy sitting in front of ALD where there is never not a scene. He was young, Black and wearing shorts paired with loafers and (crucially) white crew socks while smoking a cigarette and as this cinematic moment faded to my rear view I thought to myself, WE ARE IN A NEW ERA!
Back at the party where an Echevarria family friend was circulating through the crowd handing out slices straight from the box from buzzy newish pizza spot Luca Pizza of SoHo, the man of the moment was wearing a black version of his collaborative Sperry boat shoe, a silhouette that’s ignited a bunch of debate ever since Miu Miu showed a suede version of the shoe on its spring 2024 runway. The NY Times covered (free link) the phenomenom last month, and mentioned Echevarria’s take on the classic silhouette.
I’m all about a cycle and the boat shoes revival is very much giving 2009-2013-ish when even Ye vis-a-vis Louis Vuitton had given himself over to the preppiest of shoes.
And while cycles are powerful and are currently putting a lot of athletic brands back on their heels, 2024 isn’t 2013 in that Sperry is now owned by Authentic Brand Groups (a real shame given Wolverine Worldwide sold it just before the silhouette began popping back up) and Sebago belongs to Basicnet, also a house of brands, neither of which is the best for ushering a brand through a come back which requires care, patience and expertise, which most licensing houses lack.
Plus there are now lots of other options, whether Heydude for more suburban and rural guys, loafers for city fellows or a whole host of sneaker brands suitable for every taste, income bracket and activity. Beside the plethora of brands, over the last 10 years people have discovered that sneakers really provide unmatched levels of comfort and they’re just not willing to go back.
Tremaine Romeo, who was responsible for staffing Todd Snyder’s stores with the coolest employees in the City, is a 242 Mulberry business partner and gets the culture of menswear like no other, was at the event, and when I asked him if boat shoes could stage a full-throated comeback, he mulled the thought for a solid 10 seconds, and concluded, “I don’t know.” And if Tre doesn’t know, nobody knows!
One more funny little thing…I was scrolling TikTok yesterday, and came across a scene (above) from “Succession” from season 1 episode 3, which aired in June 2018, when Tom Wambsgans mocks new employee Greg Hirsch for wearing boat shoes. “Excuse me, Greg, are you kidding? Forgive me, but are we talking to each other on the poop deck on a majestic schooner? Is the salty brine stinging my whether beaten face? No? Then why the fuck are you wearing deck shoes?” he demands, and after dressing him down and mocking his snack container, he immediately dispatches Greg to purchase a pair of “cap toe oxfords from “Crocket & Jones ASAP…”
Six years later and that scene would have to be rewritten lest Greg the Egg’s shoe choice be viewed as an ironic, downtown fashion statement!
Some images of the 242 Mulberry Street store opening party, all shot by me.
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Socks, on the low, are great for the economy. Also more hygienic especially with higher end footwear.