As Raf Simons aged, his portrayals of youth became reflective, rather than reactive. Gone were his days of having a keen sense for the ficklest of zeitgeists, but his age bestowed upon him a more complete view of the growth one undergoes when becoming an adult, having lived through the beginning, middle, and end of such a complex phase. He cited his fall 2008 work as being about the moment in a young man's life when he begins to define himself, and he chose to express this through highly fitted clothing, which emphasized the bodies of his youthful models, capturing the time when young men become comfortable with themselves. Amongst the most striking offerings were the coats dyed red across the breast, cascading through a spectrum of hot colors down to an ashen grey, as to suggest a phoenix rising from ash - an exceptionally sly metaphor for the reinvention one undergoes when transitioning from childhood to their young adult years.

These derbies feature a unique double stacked sole, with ribbing running around the sides. They were a signature shoe of the collection, appearing in multiple variations across the runway.

Condition: 8/10, normal signs of wear throughout. Some heel drag.

Tagged size: 41 (fits half to full size big)