Why Is Everyone Wearing an 80-Year-Old Shoe?
Walk through any ‘it’ neighborhood in New York, Paris, or London and you’re more than likely to see variations of a moc-toed, lug-soled leather shoe on the feet of well-dressed dudes. The shape is distinctly different from that of popular sneakers in recent years, which, considering the Paraboot Michael is the better part of 100 years old, comes as no surprise.
First manufactured in post-war France and designed to reflect the rugged environs of the Alps that inspired the style, the Michael was a hardwearing shoe worn most often by workers. The shoe helped rebuild the Paraboot brand, twice over. Once in the immediate struggle after World War II, and again in the mid-’80s when the brand filed for bankruptcy. At that point, Italian buyers and stylists, keen to establish a new aesthetic rooted in casual elegance — think corduroy trousers, tweed, and knitwear rather than the suiting of the '60s and '70s — fell in love with the Michael silhouette. They contracted Paraboot to produce the style en masse, pulling the brand back from the brink and returning the Michael to the forefront of fashion in the process.
The Michael’s return in the '80s came at a time of a movement toward a more perceived ‘casualness’ and relaxation of men's dressing. Almost the inverse is happening now — menswear is dressing up again after a period of real relaxation and sportswear reigning supreme. Paraboot’s use of high-quality leather, combined with a less formal sole style and two-eyelet design, has made for an ideal transition from sneakers to smarter shoes for those riding the pendulum swing of trends away from streetwear and toward a more ‘classic’ aesthetic.
Paraboot Michaels are a shoe that pairs as well with a tailored trouser as with some relaxed-fitting denim. The style fits into the wardrobe of a menswear purist just as easily as it does someone more keen on emerging, newer designers. Paraboot’s savvy collaborations with some of the more exciting and respected brands — such as Studio Nicholson and cult favorite Engineered Garments — along with the Michael’s evolution into more experimental fabrications like pony hair and cowhide, have given the style a significant amount of versatility.
The Michael’s versatility attracts a wide array of potential buyers, and its ubiquity makes it a true ‘do anything’ shoe. Wear them to the office, a wedding, and drinks with friends. For a shoe that has a relatively low investment cost compared to other highly trending styles, this wearability and cross-functional appeal, combined with the authenticity, craftsmanship, provenance, and compelling story of the almost 100-year history, has been a significant contributing factor to the Michael having +226% in searches on Lyst since last year.
While not a divisive shoe, the Paraboot Michael can be seen as the latest in a line of ‘ugly’ shoes that have taken over our moodboards and social media feeds. Thanks to the unexpected tension that distinctly shaped shoes can bring to outfitting, ‘ugly’ shoes — like the Birkenstock Boston — have become viral must-haves, reaching far outside of their initial audiences and becoming novel to a generation that wasn’t around for the previous popularity spike in the style.
So, why is everyone wearing an 80-year-old shoe? The answer is a simple one: they’re well-made. The Paraboot Michael just so happens to hit the right spot for where menswear finds itself right now, and the shoe is an exciting alternative to a more traditional derby shape, but without going too overboard and losing the simplicity that a lot of us are looking for in 2025.