If we asked you to name the most sought-after men’s shoe (non-sneaker category) in the world right now, would you guess the Paraboot Michael? Because it’s true: an 80-year-old French-made work derby that costs $635 has cracked the top-10 “Hottest Products,” according to the 2025 first quarter Lyst Index. Paraboot’s Michael shoe sits alongside other “hot” pieces like the Celine flared jeans that Kendrick Lamar wore during the Super Bowl, “It” bags by Miu Miu and Saint Laurent, and Uniqlo’s universally-beloved $4 Colorful socks. Which makes the Paraboot Michael a relative underdog — but only if you haven’t yet joined the Paraboot brigade.
The Michael, a Tyrolean derby with a chunky rubber sole and a separate piece of leather sewn over the moc-toe seam, has been around since 1945, but started getting some fashion heat in the last decade. The news of its 2025 ascendancy doesn’t come as a shock — we’ve been hyping the virtues of the brand on GQ for years. The Michael itself is the MJ Lenderman of men’s footwear: slightly eccentric in its old-school approach, commercially underrated but critically adored. It was a staff favorite back when I worked on the floor of San Francisco’s Unionmade store (RIP) in the mid-2010s for being all-day comfortable while making every fit feel sharper, thanks to the shoe’s neither-fish-nor-fowl boot-plus-derby look.
A pair of Paraboot Michaels will make jeans and a white tee look downright studied. And if you’re bored with your loafers, the Michael can sub into the same fits, making the overall effect slightly more rugged than with your usual pennies or Venetians. A good friend, one of the most stylish people I know, even got married in an all-black pair of Paraboot Michaels. If you own a pair of chinos, slacks, fatigues or literally any other full-legged pant, you’ll look great in a pair of your own.
If the Michael’s slightly unorthodox gentleman’s-hiker silhouette has opened your eyes to the advantages of slightly funkier footwear, then good news: Paraboot has a deep, equally underrated catalog. For instance, the Reims Loafer gets a lot of love, as it should, but the Nante Loafer is a sleeper destined to crush for summers on end.
I bought a pair of Paraboot Thiers last fall, wore them like they were sneakers for months, then bought a second pair this spring. Each morning, I’m forced to remind myself that I own other shoes. And for anyone still unsure about a substantial sole, know that Paraboot’s more low-profile shoes — particularly the Columbia Loafer and the Pacific Sport fisherman sandal — bring the brand’s century-long dedication to exquisite craftsmanship. (Fun fact: Paraboot is one of the only shoe manufacturers in the world that makes its own soles.)
For that reason, nothing Paraboot makes is cheap. You can find thriftier variations on the Michael in particular, but the original delivers on its old-world promise. That’s maybe the miracle here: one of the world’s most popular men’s shoes is also one of the world’s best-made, longest-lasting, easiest-to-wear shoes, too. Wild to think that the Paraboot Michael has been around for 80 years, and it’s only just getting started.