Buying shoes for the summer can be difficult for a variety of reasons. Not only must you determine whether a pair that’s caught your eye will be both practical and aesthetically suited to your impending destinations, but there are innumerable styles to choose from in the first place.

While it doesn’t take too much discerning to realise that flip-flops and sandals aren’t appropriate in many environments, the decision between other summer staples remains. Certain Derbies, sneakers, espadrilles and loafers may all lay claim to being versatile options throughout the season.

And since post-pandemic hybrid working has led to an era of hybrid clothing, too, the boundaries between formalwear and casualwear have enormously diminished – the optimal summer shoe might be worn straight from the workplace to the airport, or from a harbourfront restaurant to a nearby moonlit beach.

Thankfully, Giorgio Armani has innovated such a shoe in the form of the Galleria 3, in three new iterations that deftly capture his vision of soft, relaxed elegance for spring/summer 2023. Designed in large part for mobility, the style was born out of a desire to create a fusion of the boat shoe and the moccasin, both of which have been historically associated with the practical demands of travel.

The story goes that in the 1930s, Paul A Sperry slipped on the deck of his sailing boat and fell overboard. When he noticed his cocker spaniel’s apparent immunity to the slipperiness of ice thanks to its grooved paws, Sperry became inspired to try and achieve the same effect on a pair of shoes. To that end, the resulting Sperry Top-Sider was designed with a herringbone tread. This became the world’s first boat shoe on the market, and was adopted by the US Navy within a few years. Meanwhile Native American tribes across North America had innately tailored their moccasins, from which modern loafers derive, to local climates and terrains. Tribes inhabiting leafy woodlands equipped their moccasins with softer soles, for instance, than their neighbours in rockier mountain regions.

The Galleria 3 has inherited both practical and aesthetic features from its progenitors. Its grooved rubber sole is inspired by the boat shoe, making it ideal for enjoying cruises and island hopping, or exploring beach destinations and cities. A seam on the heel allows the wearer to collapse the shoe, transforming it into a more informal sabot style when preferred. And it is available in several seasonal variations including denim, suede and velvet, all of which are imbued with summer-friendly qualities such as lightness and breathability.

Although the Galleria 3’s exposed stitching recalls the intricate embellishments indigenous tribes have adorned their moccasins with for centuries – those sprawling beaded patterns and dyed tassels – it effects a sense of minimalism fit for a sophisticated summer. The shoe’s tapered silhouette also conveys a sense of understated elegance that renders it equally harmonious with formal attire and more casual outfits, as do its tasteful muted colourways. Indeed, these slip-ons are sharp enough for the corporate milieu yet relaxed enough for the poolside, at once expressing confidence and humility – that sprezzatura for which Italians like Armani are so renowned.

armani.com