Giuseppe Zanotti’s Fall 2018 collection was presented on the first day of Milan Men’s Fashion Week, and the versatility of the shoe collection was spectacular. The collection wouldn’t have been a full Zanotti collection without including something out of the ordinary, and this season it was in the form of a rainbow sneaker.
“I love black, but these sneakers will be delivered in June,” the designer told FN. “There’s no more winter and summer, so it reflects that.”
Each part of the shoe was hand-decorated with a different color. “This final result is more emotional than when it’s done via an industrial process,” Zanotti noted. “It costs nearly 40 percent more, but it’s 300 percent more beautiful.”
The shoe is unlike the rest of the collection because it drew inspiration from streetwear, sport, biker, combat and rock ’n’ roll. “It’s a new interpretation of our black universe, using our codes along with memories from my own generation,” the designer said.
Other shoes included biker style mid-calf boots where the top part could be removed, turning the shoes into ankle boots. “There’s a zipper just like on a biker jacket, so you can transform them into a combat boot,” according to the designer.
Another shoe in the collection was a black velvet runner shoe where part of the sole was made out of metallic gold. “It’s a super-thin coating done by a special machine they use for cars; it’s a molecular spray with charged particles.”
There were also sneakers and loafers that came in a chunkier sock-style upper but with removable soles. “I took the idea of the sock from the world of sport and 1960s tennis players,” he explained. “You can take them off and wash them in the washing machine.”