There’s a sort of subtle thrill you get from observing the slow loosening of long-established style conventions. It’s been happening progressively since the pandemic, though perhaps it’s now more visible at ground level, with an unconscious acceptance that footwear (in the traditional sense – the kind with structure and intention) might just be optional this summer.

Soft sneakers, which maintain the traditional idea of shoes, but almost feel like they aren’t made to touch the ground, are just the beginning. This is really where trend forecasting authority WGSN’s prediction of “the great exhaustion” becomes relevant. The barefoot sensation, the minimal structure – it all points to consumers seeking slower, more deliberate ways of dressing.

Enter the world of soft loafers. These are once-formal pieces that have abandoned almost all pretence of structure. They’re not so much shoes as they are luxurious slippers that can technically be worn in public. Backless, formless, in an almost fluid construction that, in the case of The Row’s expertly woven leather, still makes you look put together. Berluti and CELINE, too, are leaning into it with slip-ons and driving styles (with the former even calling its brown pair “Far Niente”, Italian for “doing nothing”).

The ascension of flip-flops from water-adjacent utility to street is also one of the most telling symbols of this shift. And brands such Brunello Cucinelli and Bottega Veneta seem to be on board. Once belonging to a very specific taxonomy of dressing – the beach, the pool, the casual look – now they’re the thing you wear with your jeans on any given Tuesday (and to certain offices, too).

Barely-there shoes like Vibram FiveFingers or similar mat shoes have made the same journey: from niche performance territory to everyday wear. The appeal is straightforward – feel the ground, reclaim your stride, abandon unnecessary structure.

But what does this all suggest? Perhaps we’re experiencing a widespread blur of boundaries between public and private. Under these circumstances, the performance of the shoe appears redundant. Why not simply extend the comfort of the home outwards? Or perhaps we want something that will take us everywhere, from home, to the office, to the workout class; that has us ready for anything.

Or perhaps, shoes may have become something of a status signifier. The softer the shoes, the less you live an ordinary life that includes being up and running on your feet. You’re unrushed and, even if you’re in motion, your convenience is non-negotiable. Whisked from PJ to hotel suite, your shoes might not even set foot outside at all.

Isn’t a life lived at your own pace the goal? If the world’s most luxurious brands are in on it, the game is well and truly afoot.