Gourmet Tredici

At this juncture, us aged shoe disciples can take a number of paths when it comes to our hoarding habits. We can cryogenically freeze ourselves in our favourite eras and decry anything that deviates from the original, but some of us crave the mix of familiarity, wearabiity and the avant-garde that made the '90s such a seminal time for shoes. We think Gourmet get 'it' - whatever 'it' actually is. As Far Eastern mixes of formality and our favourite shoes are reaching pricepoints so daft only trustafarians and clued-up footballers can cop a pair without dying in poverty, we're always on the lookout for a non-corny, non-clone alternative. But all this introductory waffle would be better off recycled for our impending Gourmet Editorial pieces. On with the shoe...

With a spot of Cortez, Danner style D-ring hiking fastenings and waterproofing around the tongue, plus an air-bubble application in place of the familiar runner's dual-density midsole detail, the Tredici was one of the most immediate shoes in the Barcelona premiere earlier this year. With Hermes on their minds when it comes to materials rather than tired mass-produced concepts of premium, Gourmet brings the cowhide box leather to the upper, high quality suede and pig skin lining to this shoe. It's very tactile indeed, and as a package it really works.