Les chaussures Jacquemus qui tiennent

Simon Porte Jacquemus designs shoes the way he designs everything else — with a sightline toward an imagined Provence that exists mostly in editorials and on terraces overlooking the Luberon. Which is fine. The problem is that most of his footwear has historically been designed for that same imagined terrain: smooth stone, controlled distances, a car waiting nearby. Wear the Raphia mules on actual cobblestones and the jute sole compresses into a memory of itself within two weeks. The Riviera platforms photograph beautifully. They do not, as a rule, survive a full dinner service standing in them.

But three silhouettes have separated themselves from the seasonal churn. Not because they abandoned the house codes — the colour, the proportion, the unsubtle charm — but because they were engineered with something closer to real use in mind. A Vibram sole here, a proper leather lining there, stitching that doesn't rely solely on the limits of your goodwill. I've worn all three past the point where most press samples get returned or relegated to the back of the closet. One pair is on its second season. Another has a scratch on the vamp that I don't plan to repair. The third I bought myself, which tells you enough.

This is what holds up.

Les Clown — Cuir lisse, semelle Vibram

The Clown is Jacquemus at its most legible: an oversized rounded toe, a chunky platform sole, proportions that read as slightly absurd until you're wearing them and realise they're just confident. The name is unfortunate. The execution is not.

What matters here is the sole. Jacquemus contracted Vibram for the tread — not a lifestyle Vibram approximation, but the actual compound the Italian maker supplies to hiking boots and work shoes. The platform measures 4.5 centimetres at the heel, 2.5 at the forefoot. It compresses slightly under weight but doesn't collapse. I've worn mine on wet marble, on the kind of polished concrete that turns most rubber into a liability, and on the gravelled paths around Parc Sempione. Traction holds.

The upper is smooth calfskin, not the softer nappa Jacquemus uses on dressier styles. It creases predictably at the vamp after the first few wears, then stops. The lining is leather-backed canvas, which wicks moisture better than you'd expect from a brand not typically concerned with moisture management. No heel slip, no blistering, even worn barefoot in July.

The platform sole does one other thing well: it redistributes impact. Most Jacquemus shoes make you feel every cobblestone through a thin stack of EVA foam. The Clown gives you 48 hours in Milan without that specific ache that starts in the ball of the foot and climbs into the knee by evening.

Sizing runs true to Italian standards. If you're between sizes, go up — the toe box is generous, but the topline is not.

Les Mules Carino — Bride en cuir, talon bloc 6 cm

Mules are where most brands fail the durability test. A backless shoe is already structurally compromised; add a heel and a single strap, and you're engineering something that works best when you're not actually walking. Jacquemus has sent out dozens of mule variations over the past six years. Most are best left on the runway.

The Carino is the exception. It's built around a 6-centimetre block heel — wide enough to be stable, low enough that your weight stays centred over the footbed instead of pitched forward. The strap is a single piece of vegetable-tanned leather, cut thick and stitched down at both sides with a reinforced bar tack. No hardware to loosen, no elastic inset to stretch out and betray you mid-stride.

The footbed is where Jacquemus made the smarter choice. Instead of the padded insole you see on dressier mules, the Carino uses a firm cork base wrapped in suede. It doesn't cushion on day one. By day ten, it's moulded to your arch and distributes pressure across the entire sole. The suede develops a burnish where your foot makes contact. It looks better six months in than it does new.

The heel is stacked leather, finished with a rubber toplift. I've had the toplift replaced once after a year of regular wear — a ten-minute job at any cobbler. The rest of the heel showed no meaningful wear.

One caveat: the strap will darken and soften with time, especially if you wear them barefoot in warm weather. If you want them to stay pale and rigid, this isn't the shoe. If you want them to look like they've been worn by someone with an actual life, they age exactly right.

Les Baskets Rond — Toile enduite, semelle en caoutchouc vulcanisé

Jacquemus doesn't do trainers often, which is probably wise. When the house does, it tends to over-design them — too many straps, too much branding, soles that look like they were spec'd for a different shoe entirely. The Rond breaks that pattern by doing almost nothing.

It's a low-top canvas sneaker with a rounded toe, a vulcanised rubber sole, and tonal stitching. The canvas is coated, which gives it a slight sheen and makes it meaningfully more water-resistant than untreated cotton. The sole is a single piece of rubber, heat-sealed to the upper — the same construction method Superga has used for seventy years, because it works and because it doesn't delaminate.

The fit is narrow through the midfoot, which suits the silhouette but may not suit your foot. I'm a 39 in most Italian lasts; I wear a 40 in the Rond and still wouldn't call it roomy. The canvas doesn't stretch the way leather does, so if the shoe feels tight in the store, it will feel tight six months later.

What it does well: it stays clean longer than it should, given that it's a pale canvas sneaker. The coating repels surface dirt and moisture. A damp cloth takes care of most scuffs. The rubber sole doesn't yellow — or hasn't yet, after eighteen months of regular rotation.

What it doesn't do: provide any meaningful arch support or cushioning. This is a flat shoe with a thin insole. If you need structure, add your own orthotic or choose something else. If you're fine with a minimal sole, the Rond is light, packable, and wears in without falling apart.

Entretien

Leather soles can be protected with a rubber toplift before first wear — most cobblers will do it for under twenty euros and it triples the lifespan. For smooth leather uppers, a neutral cream conditioner every four to six weeks prevents cracking. The canvas on the Rond can be spot-cleaned with a soft brush and diluted Marseille soap; don't soak it, don't put it in a machine.

Jacquemus doesn't manufacture with repairability as a stated goal, but these three styles use construction methods that any competent cobbler can work with. Heels can be re-stacked, soles can be replaced, straps can be re-stitched. That's more than you can say for most of the line. It's enough.