On May 9 Dior announced the release of their Fall 2022 H-town sandal, a $1,000 shoe made for trekking through only the most upscale of jungles and forests. Okay, we made up the second part, but is anyone else puzzled by designer outdoor gear? Are you actually supposed to walk through mud and dirt in these hiking shoes, or are they simply borrowing the natural aesthetic for a crunchy granola street style?
We strongly suspect the latter, and we wonder if there is anyone outside of Beverly Hills who would actually consider schlepping up a mountainside in a $1,000 pair of designer hiking sandals. You can find clues to their intended purpose at the Dior website. The shoes are described as “a new take on the trekking universe” and shoppers are encouraged to wear them with Bermuda shorts or jeans, not water shorts and outdoor apparel.
These men’s sandals also prove that the ugly shoe trend is still very much alive.
Dior H-Town Sandal
The H-Town Sandals by Dior look like jacked-up Teva’s and are made with upgraded materials that sound fancier than what you’ll find at your local REI. The upper is stitched together using technical fabric and brown nubuck calfskin, and the nautical-inspired utility cords on the front call upon the boat shoe eras of summers gone by.
The rubber outsole looks sturdy and thick enough to protect your feet from a rough forest floor, if that’s what you decide to do, and there’s a “DIOR” signature down the side to clarify exactly who makes them.
Read More: The Best Hiking Sandals of 2022
From afar, they look like regular outdoor sandals you could order on Amazon. They look like shoes meant to be worn while wading through rivers, cooking in a campground after hiking all day or on a morning walk along the beach. I would never do any of these things in $1,000 shoes, but I guess it’s up to each pair’s new owners to decide which activities are appropriate.
Personally, I’m going to stick with my $150 hiking boots and wear them until the soles give out. However, if having access to luxury outdoor gear gets more people outside, appreciating nature and all its benefits, I’m all for it.
