Slides shoes: fashion editors are calling them the new Birkenstock – a shoe synonymous with ugliness suddenly rendered beautiful. But that begs the question of how to wear slides shoes? For decades they were relatively unknown in the world of high fashion, and indeed anywhere beyond the poolside.
Pool slides flats were just that – for the pool! Within a couple of seasons, however, slides have staged a remarkable comeback, adorning catwalks and Instagram feeds the world over. A whole host of bloggers and editors has ably demonstrated how to style a slip on. In various iterations they can be seen poolside, beachside and even in evening wear. Women's slides shoes have become the look of the moment and here we take a look at how to style them.
Elevate your casual
The classic slides shoe is the Adidas Adilette. Designed in 1962, it didn’t have its sights set on the world of high fashion; indeed, the original brief for the shoe came from the German football team who wanted something to wear in the shower. The Adilette was a poolside hit, but failed to make a splash in fashion – until now. In 2016, a number of fashion influencers were spotted wearing the shoe, many Instagramming their outfits for good measure. Editors and models incorporated it into a beach-side 'slacker' look, pairing it with ripped jeans. Models were spotted wearing the shoe to and from photo shoots, again dressing it down with jeans and college jackets. This, however, was just the beginning of the slides shoes' styling renaissance.
As if by miracle, the slides shoe came of age in the midst of the sports luxe trend. Fashion houses like Balenciaga and Alexander Wang released activewear-inspired collections. Traditional makers of activewear updated their lines to offer a high fashion twist on their iconic designs, with many of these experimenting with how to style slip-on shoes. New season Puma shoes included slides featuring vivid block colours to complement sports luxe activewear looks. Worn with a track suit (ironically like the German football team would have done in 1962), slides are the perfect, comfortable addition to the sports luxe look.
Head into high fashion
What began as a revival of the humble Adilette soon became a fully-fledged trend as a host of French houses created high fashion women's slides shoes playing on the Adidas original. Lanvin, followed by Céline and Chloé, released a line of consciously up-market slides heavy on glitzy ornamentation and light on, shall we say, practicality. Lanvin shoes made waves with their gilded embellishments and their straps encrusted with rows of punk gold studs. When Lanvin debuted its slides in its SS17 show, they were worn with a free-flowing linen suit as well as with pinstripe trousers. It was formal, fashionable and there wasn't a pool in sight.
The slides' high fashion transformation saw it move from a simple take on pool slides flats to the 'it' shoe of the season. Editors and style influencers were spotted wearing the shoes as workwear and even as evening wear. By styling them with something cropped above the ankle (Kenzo trousers have some good offerings) their beachy novelty will become the focal point of your outfit.
Slide into the babouche
At the same time that Adidas sparked a revival in pool slides flats, another slip on was making waves. Originally shown in the Gucci SS17 collection, these slides shoes were once better known by their Moroccan name – the babouche – and are akin to a driving moccasin with its heel cut off or a mule with a smaller strap. Like Gucci's classic moccasins, the babouche-style slide is anything but plain and casual when teamed with jeans or shorts. Gucci’s revival of the babouche-style slides shoe, with a now-iconic fur trim around the sole, was followed by a host of imitators.
With its similarity to the driving moccasin, the babouche-style slide is perhaps not as intensely practical as its poolside cousin. Knowing how to wear slides shoes, or at least this more formal variety, draws on a host of other conservative influences. For a powerful, statement look, pair them with a suit or even a Dsquared2 women's tuxedo. It's a powerful evening wear look that, by happy coincidence, channels style, formality and comfort.
With a fully-fledged revival coming in the form of not one but two styles, there can be little doubt that the slides shoe is the piece of the season. With both comfort and wearability on their side, what’s not to like? And with looks ranging from poolside to evening wear, deciding how to wear slides shoes has never been easier.