Tailored to the Toe

Dior brings an haute touch to high tops.

Leave it to the Dior brand to make a good thing great.

We've been feeling the classic Dior Homme high-tops for a minute now, but with the release of their Autumn/Winter line, it's becoming a bit of an obsession.

This time around, menswear designer Kris van Assche literally went back to the drawing board, taking inspiration from classic tailoring while updating the best-selling soft-steppers. The result is a work of handcrafter’s perfection.

The high-top debuted in Dior's first “Les Essentiels” collection, but now these kicks show why Mr. Dior himself was an admirer of the power in hidden in construction.  Multi-grained linen gives a neutral pop to a calfskin-trimmed, pad-stitched horsehair upper, and monochromatic or contrasting stitching adds yet another layer of texture. Add to that black embroidery, tone-on-tone beige linen stitching on the side, and white leather paneling, and these high-tops echo London's historic Savile Row, while revealing some of tailoring’s best kept secrets.

Aptly dubbed “Tailleur” (French for tailor), these kicks artfully pay homage to old-world craftsmanship.

Dior Homme Tailleur Sneakers - coming this fall; $980. Dior.com.