Sneakers Are Shrinking. Derbies Have Never Been Bigger
If the performative males have loafers, and the Hedi boys have Chelsea boots, what’s left for the menswear nerds? Lately, it’s been derbies, and more specifically, somewhat clownish ones—marked out by round and bulbous toe boxes that curve upwards.
You’ll find the style on the feet of folks who glide through the world in clothing from designers like Casey Casey, Evan Kinori and vintage Yohji Yamamoto. These are people who geek out over fabrication and (yes, sometimes annoyingly) explain the garment’s slow manufacturing process as a righteous flex. And they don’t just like the clown derby style because it’s more comfortable. It also serves a styling purpose, because for all of the subtlety and design genius of wearing just a baggy button-up, one detail still needs to be off-kilter. And for that, the shoe’s bold silhouette adds a freaky full-stop.
When I bought my own first pair two years ago (the Marsèll Muso Derby you’ll find below) I thought they looked a little extreme for a classic shoe, and more like something out of Jonathan Anderson’s Loewe universe (also featured later on). But the roomy toe box proved extremely comfortable and, to apply a similar logic learned during the recent square-toe shoed trend, worked a miracle for my wide feet – my dogs could move freely about the cabin.
Admittedly, my style has started to morph into the above profile more and more since. (The power of a pair of shoes, huh!) My most reached for pieces today all possess a similar freedom in cut and proportions. But the best part about the lace-ups is that their endless versatility can refine the look of straight-leg jeans, or add some polish to beaten-up work pants.
Where, then, to start your shopping search? As you’ll see from the 15 derbies we picked below, some of GQ’s favorite zeitgeisty and artisanal brands are now making their own, with luxury giants like Prada and Maison Margiela jumping on the bandwagon more recently. So cancel your other footwear plans, grab a ticket, and roll up to the menswear circus.
