Paraboot have been making their Michael silhouette for over 70 years. And it’s taken that long for me to take notice of it. As I’ve touched on before, I’ve previously relegated the brand Paraboot to the pile of brands that are lovely and well made and all that, but rather too ‘available’, too commonplace and easy to buy, to get excited about. My encounter with, and subsequent purchase of, this limited edition cow hide pair a few weeks back has changed my perspective. And while I’m unlikely to seek the Michael out in a standard tan or brown, I am now on full alert for more interesting versions, the freakier styles Paraboot appears to produce for certain indie retailers.

This pair by Paraboot × fennica and available through Beams in Japan are simply murderous. Taking the contrasting colours of a traditional co-respondent and applying it to the chunky, utilitarian lines of the Michael results in a dandyish punctuation mark ideal for dressing up a fit of denims, navys and olives.

Being picky, I could live without the decorative triple stitch detail on the sides, and personally I find the Paraboot label itself kind of cheapens things a little, but none of this is a deal breaker. If you’re in loose jeans and a simple oxford shirt, adding these shoes will immediately elevate your look to terrifying levels. Forget the jeans, forget the shirt, forget your face for that matter, it’s all about the shoes. Sophisticated but not dainty. Noticeable but not clownish. And sexual, in a way a fully grown adult man can just about get away with without offending anyone. You probably definitely need these shoes. If you don’t buy them, I will.