The weird shoe game is always welcoming new players, and the Saytouché x Salomon Nature Clog is the latest draftee.
This boldly patterned take on Salomon’s OG Snowclog is a strange mix between a sock boot, a trail sneaker, and my grandma’s couch.
Its upper is curiously vintage, boasting a needlepoint-esque outer texturally juxtaposed by a ruggedly barbed outsole.
The Salomon Nature Clog shares its sock-shoe steez and bungee-like sole attachments with the original Snowclog Advanced, but the Nature Clog has a velvet midsole instead of the traditional rubber.
Mind you, this is not the first time Salomon took grandma’s swag and ran with it.
Beyond looking like something out of the world’s most obscure vintage shop, this shoe is also a functional marvel.
That sole that looks like something is spawning from the bottom? It’s actually terrain-gripping to prevent any slipping and sliding while traversing a mountain or waiting in line for an early-morning antique sale.
Despite being built to withstand intense terrain, the Nature Clog is more in sync with the current style climate than one might think.
Ankle-gripping, sock-like footwear has seesawed in and out of the trend cycle for a while now, peaking with Balenciaga’s Sock Trainer era, and fashion is so cyclical that it’s almost time for this shoe’s second come-up.
Who knew that elderly patterned hiking shoes would be on the frontlines for the sock-sneaker renaissance?