Every year the honours of kicking off the spring/summer fashion week series are with Paris in Men’s Fashion Week. We joined thousands of people from all over the world in the city that many visitors consider the true home of fashion, and were inspired by an eclectic mix of haute couture and street culture. While wandering around some of the most popular cultural and luxury hubs such as Le Marais, Pigalle, Place Vendôme and Place de la Concorde, we spotted some of the most eminent kicks and got to know about the stories behind them.

So is from Tokyo and works for an advertising agency.
“I’ve been playing basketball since junior high school and was always inspired by Nike’s basketball shoes. I normally wear a lot of black outfits, but on special occasions, like a date with my wife, I like to wear more colourful shoes like these. These Off-White Dunks are also my lucky sneakers actually!”

Elias hails from Paris and works at Overtime.
“These Union Jordan I’s were difficult to get my hands on. I could make good money by selling them, but I would never do that as they are way too cool. I found out about Union’s collabo with Jordan on Instagram and was lucky enough to obtain them through the raffle. My favourite thing about them is the sick colourway, they make me want to dress up instead of wearing my usual tracksuits.”

Adrian lives in Paris and is managing director of Dior Homme.
“These Dior Air Jordan I’s are special to me because it was such a unique project to work on. It’s the first time that a luxury brand has done an Air Jordan I fully crafted in Italy, in conjunction with essentially the leading sportswear brand in the world.”

Naomi is a sustainable fashion consultant from Paris.
“I absolutely love the 90’s feel on these Tailwinds. I tried to get the all black versions, but I was too late. These come with a fond memory of visiting friends at Nike in Portland so that makes them even more special.”

Marion is from Paris and is a hospitality student.
“Normally I never wear sneakers, but my boyfriend actually thought I’d like these and bought them for me. These JW Anderson’s are different from the classic Converse, but are still cozy, cool and classy. I just need one more pair of sneakers; the Air Jordan I Mid’s by Melody Ehasani!”

Salvatore is originally from Belgium, and now works as Head Coach at NikeLab Paris.
“I’ve always really liked the waffle racers. I’m an 80s kid and they were very popular while I was growing up. When they released them as part of the vintage program in the early zeroes I bought those too. Also, Virgil Abloh does a good job on his footwear executions, for example, the detailing on these Off-White Waffle Racers is really good.”

Adama lives in Paris and is a high school student.
"I love how sober these A Cold Wall collabs are. Yet they still carry a lot of detail on the shoe. Also, the way the laces are incorporated is quite unique and subtle. They’re still fresh so I’m terrified of catching my first stain haha."

Daniel is a stylist and designer from New York
“I wear a lot of black and these VaporMax add that splash of colour to my outfits. They’re one of my favourite pairs because they’re mega comfortable. I first saw them on a random guy on the streets in New York. I immediately went to the NikeLab in Soho and bought them.”