One Good Hiking Sneaker That Dresses Up Better Than I Do

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Suede shoelaces are a ridiculous invention. Shoelaces are meant to keep your shoes on your feet, not introduce another opportunity for inconveniently precious materials into your wardrobe. And yet, in looking at the Diemme Bardolino, I'm beginning to think every shoe should have them.

The Italian footwear brand has made a rather convincing case for dressing up the humble sneaker, starting with those wonderfully unnecessary laces and continuing through a patchwork of leather panels that make the whole thing look considerably more expensive than your average gym shoe. Not that you'd ever mistake these for something you'd wear to the gym, but still.

The Bardolino has the bones of an old-school racer: a low profile, an uncomplicated shape, and just enough rubber underneath to suggest it might have once had athletic ambitions. But somewhere between the leather upper and those absurdly handsome laces, it's become something else entirely.

I've always had a soft spot for shoes that don't fit neatly into one category. The Bardolino is sneaker-y enough to wear with baggy jeans, but sufficiently well-mannered to accompany a pair of tailored trousers. You could wear these to the office, to dinner, or to any occasion where sneakers might ordinarily earn you a disapproving glance.

Underneath all this Italian refinement is a Vibram sole. Yes, the same name you'll find stamped onto the bottom of some very serious hiking boots. It's a lovely bit of contradiction, putting an outdoorsy sole beneath a shoe that looks like it would rather spend its afternoon browsing a bookshop than scaling a mountain. But that's precisely why it works. I don't need my everyday shoes to perform miracles. I just need them to look good with most of my wardrobe, survive a long day, and ideally not make me regret walking twenty blocks instead of taking the train.

A lot of beautiful footwear seems designed around the assumption that its owner will spend most of the day sitting down. The Bardolino has more faith in you than that. And should you find yourself running late to dinner, rest assured these lugged, Vibram-powered soles will help you fly. Just try not to scuff those suede laces.

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