The first thing I thought of when I saw the Dior “Roadie” hybrid sneaker on the runway was Nike’s line of “Considered” shoes. Released in the mid-2000s under Mark Parker, former Nike CDO John Hoke, and Hannah Jones, Nike’s former VP of corporate responsibility, Considered wasn’t just an esoteric sub-label, but meant as a set of foundational principles guiding Nike towards creating products that were less harmful for the environment. Super talented designers like @mcsteve and Mike Aveni thought of ways to design shoes using natural materials like undyed leathers and hemp, sometimes without the need for glues. Aveni ingeniously found a way to fasten a sole to an upper through weaving a shoelace through them both (recently seen in the Jacquemus J-Force 1), among other innovations. The Roadie clearly takes inspiration from that (specifically the Considered Mid BB if I had money on it), but it’s also worth noting that the Dior shoe team (which includes shoe 🧙🏻‍♂️ @hodelwood and @dylandec_) under @jonathan.anderson have synthesized an ideal balance between the IYKYK appeal of the upscale homage and the “I need that RIGHT NOW” hype that incites the Pavlovian reflex of luxury customers that gets them to open their wallets. Implementing a two-piece island sole construction (giving them a driving shoe vibe) and a tread referencing Dior’s signature Cannage is just 🤌🏽. The green and yellow colorway in particular stands out, partly because it’s closely associated with Phil Knight’s alma mater (shouts to the Oregon Ducks), but also happens to be the school colors of my own alma mater, GMU.