Dries Van Noten's SS23 Runway Western Boots & Mules

Dries Van Noten‘s Spring/Summer 2023 runway show was a delightful return to form for the storied designer — it was rich in suits, clashed feminine studies with menswear traditions, and echoed the crash of influences with patterns and prints that continued to contrast one another. One of the key components of the latter element of the season was Dries Van Noten’s footwear, notably the Western cowboy boots, mules, and slides that have just dropped online and in-store.

Kicking off with the boots, Van Noten serves up three distinctive looks centered around classic cowboy cues. Each sport a black leather base that’s worked with faux snakeskin on the shaft or forefoot, allowing for pairs that contrast one another — for example, you can opt for Western detailing on the shaft, traditional stitching on the shaft in black thread (with further detailing on the toe), or jazz it up with a red motif and snakeskin bottoms.

Things get wilder with the mules, which see their square toe softened with slightly rounded tops to give the shoe a leaning silhouette. As a result, the leather appliqués — in either white or faux snakeskin effects — work their way down the side panels, leading the eye to a short heel.

Rounding out the drop are the Western slides, which combine black and white leather across an open-toe sandal for a cowboy goes to the beach vibe.

Take a look at the SS23 footwear above, and shop the range on Dries Van Noten’s website now.

For more retro shoes, check out Gucci’s new MAC80 sneaker.

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