Acne Spring 2010 Shoe-gazing

Our favorite mid-range brands are really stepping it up for Spring/Summer 2010. The latest collection of men's footwear from Acne was, in my opinion, so mind-blowingly awesome, it caused me to break a nearly week-long dry spell of blogging (apologies for that, by the way).

Bolder and a little more detailed than the usual, this collection of shoes comes in very interesting new materials, hues, and shapes. Why is it that when a known minimalist label suddenly puts a suspension on the restraint and churns out something slightly more elaborate, we start stumbling over to get a piece of it? (Think APC Spring 2008.) It's a clever marketing strategy if you think of it, they make even more money than the usual when they start doing the job they were supposed to do in the first place, which is design! Ah, but I kid.

Here are my picks of the bunch:

Denim plimsolls - I've long shied away from denim footwear, for the reason that I find double-denim by way of trousers+shoes just not very attractive. But due to the increasing array of non-denim options for men's bottoms nowadays, add to that the good PR brought by the Lanvin x Acne collection to the idea of denim on anything other than trousers, these shoes are now a highly viable prospect.

The bleached, seemingly tie-dyed ones are calling out my name the loudest.

Desert boots - I'm particularly infatuated with the ones in dalmatian-print hair calf; I think the juxtaposition of quite a quirky, frivolous material with the utilitarian, masculine silhouette of the desert boot is genius.

The ones in leopard might border on being a little too vulgar, but I'd welcome a free pair with open arms!

Cowboy boots - After the continued joy brought to me by my The Kooples boots after every wear, I would like to decree that every man should own a pair of thick-heeled cowboy boots, or at least give them a try. It might sound ridiculous, but their leg-lengthening powers, not to mention the automatic gaucho swagger they bestow on the wearer make them one of the most flattering styles of footwear ever.

Acne modernizes the classic cowboy boot by placing an unexpected elastic band at the back, nixing all the flourishes and filigrees and rendering a pair in a fresh new sage green suede.

Suede moccassins - Last and probably the least offbeat among my picks are these really well-designed suede mocs. The neutral colors, slim profile, and comfortable yet thin gum sole might just make these the go-to pair of shoes that you keep wearing for days without even noticing.

I'm so going to be broke by Fall 2010.

images via Klang