What’s easier to believe: that the hottest shoe is an $850 mesh flat OR that Alaïa has a commercial hit? Azzedine Alaïa notoriously went off the Paris fashion calendar, kept editors waiting, and slammed Anna Wintour. While he always had a cadre of dedicated fans, his was more of a cult following. It’s striking that we’re getting an It-shoe from Alaïa; historically, the house was known for body conscious clothes and not leathergoods. Current creative director Pieter Mulier scored a big win with the mesh flats. Each summer, luxury houses offer up entry-level casual shoes, each with a proven shortcut in construction; espadrilles and slides have relatively inexpensive soles and simple uppers, but they’re accepted in a luxury interpretation. The mesh flat can also be simply executed. It’s not that these shoes lack the hallmarks of luxury footwear. The materials and craftsmanship are at the highest commercial levels given the task. It’s just that the scope of the shoes, or the level of ambition, is lower than that of heels or dress shoes. Is it ridiculous? Sure, but there’s also a method to the frivolity. To get the look, I recommend looking for design elements that differ from Alaïa, from the lace of Loeffler Randall to the square toe of the Target shoes LTKshoecrush LTKfindsunder50 LTKVideo