The history of Alexander McQueen's Hoof Boots Why Sean McGiir's Hoof Shoes actually come as no surprise

When last March the new creative director of Alexander McQueen, Sean McGirr, presented his first vision for the brand on the runway, the public's response was quite adverse. Perhaps it was because the collection appeared decidedly impractical and sometimes comical, despite the silhouettes being "out of the ordinary" - in hindsight, many have learned to love the metallic minidress in Brat green - or perhaps because some on social media went so far as to claim that the creative director was a «mediocre» designer compared to the founding genius. However, it must also be said that holding a position like that of McQueen's artistic director means facing an extremely loyal fanbase to their idol. Despite the initial criticisms, several months after his debut on the runway leading the brand, Sean McGirr seems to have hit the mark with a pair of shoes, the Hoof Shoes (which in Italian we could also call clogs, but we will adapt to the trend). The boots designed by McGirr for McQueen FW24 are made of pony hair, equipped with a real horseshoe under the sole and an enameled hoof at the tip, with the total black version pushing the limits of eccentricity with the addition of a thick horse tail on the heel. From the thick platform to the choice of materials, every element of the footwear brings to mind the legs of horses, so much so that some fashion publications have dared to associate the style with the "horse girl" trend. If only they had remembered shows like It’s a Jungle Out There or Savage Beauty, McQueen's passion for dramatic looks, shoes like the Armadillo, and the designer's obsession with the animalistic. Forget TikTok trends. 

"It’s a Jungle Out There", the criticism of the press and the fashion industry

Over the years, both after It’s a Jungle Out There and well before, several designers have been inspired by the animal world to design new footwear, from the tabi by Margiela (which, in truth, are mainly inspired by Japanese culture) to the webbed lace-ups by JW Anderson created for FW23. Even Sarah Burton, during her tenure as artistic director for McQueen and even if in a less dramatic manner, reintroduced the aesthetic code launched by the designer on the runway. For FW12, the disciple of fashion's enfant terrible designed leather and fur ankle boots with metallic soles and platforms almost identical to the silhouette presented by McGirr last spring. Burton's collection that year was much softer and more delicate compared to that of the Irish designer, with lace and feather boas, hourglass coats with metallic inserts, white and pink tulle, for a show that, as she herself stated backstage, aimed to celebrate «a beautiful future, positivity, and optimism». Judging by the Hoof Shoes and McGirr's first collection for McQueen, the designer seems to have preferred to remain in the realm of realism for his debut. Even though, at this moment, it seems that the only real thing in the world is fear.