Tension, despite its pejorative undertones, is a necessary and underestimated element.
It is what heightens the drama of a well-composed painting, what makes you laugh after the delivery of a great punchline and what makes the strings of a violin sing when bowed. It’s omnipresent in a crowd of free minds, in an intimate conversation with a lover, in the last few breaths before an empire falls. Tension is so well hidden within these greater moments, that we write it off, take it for granted, tsk tsk its very existence. And yet, the void it leaves when absent is palpable… and dreadfully boring. In Trippen’s A/W 23, they navigate a world rife with this element, providing the protection necessary to skip over its lows and dance within its highs. This is not footwear for the weak of will and spirit, but the armor of the artistic, courageous and uninhibited.
Among the dramatic offerings of the season is the Fluster, a sky-high platform balanced on Trippen’s Geisha sole. A curtain of leather fringe brushes the ground from the ankle, a flowing element that hides the side zipper and adds movement to every step. Fear not the height – inside the block-style heel is a series of air chambers that cushion the footbed and provide lift.
In the Voltage, find an outcropping of leather that rises from the upper like a shield. Influenced by the aesthetics of old-world cowboy boots, the angular cuts of this style hold an understated and rustic flair. This is a fresh interpretation for the Splitt sole, which showcases a square toe as opposed to the prototypical round almond style.
“There’s a certain tension in the air – pervading everyday life, tangible in the subtlest of interactions. Tension’s magnetism lies in the tightrope it walks between energy both positive and negative: bringing momentum, power and exhilaration, yet also giving rise to inertia, resistance and opposition. No longer reserved for the natural world, the laws of electricity appear to hold sway over social, economic, and political dynamics. Navigating high voltage zones require us to tread with care. Amidst a climate taut with friction, our primary act of care is to remain grounded.”
— Trippen’s AW 23/24 Lookbook
