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Remember the days of 2022 when scoring a table at Jack’s Wife Freda or Balthazar was the only surefire means to rub shoulders with a celebrity? This year, supermodel Emily Ratajkowski has democratised the process by becoming a mainstay on the streets of Manhattan.
Indeed, one universal truth of travelling to New York is that any jaunt to the Lower East Side will guarantee you a run-in with the podcaster and best-selling author.
Like clockwork, the 32-year-old descends from her 70s-inspired SoHo loft to go about her business, taking her dog, a Husky–German shepherd mix named Colombo on his daily walks, toting her one-year-old son, Sly, to and from nearby parks or reporting for duty on set.
These errands, however, are never complete without the Inamorata showcasing her Y2K-inspired personal aesthetic. Her off-duty street style has spawned think pieces with the effervescent way Ratajkowski treats the tasks at hand, subverting the notion of what should be deemed appropriate for the occasion.
Her latest outing is no different. The star was recently papped leaving her podcast studio in a classic noughties ensemble: a flirty white bandeau halterneck top with an asymmetrical hemline and subtle draping and a pair of low-slung snakeskin denim jeans.
Yet, it was Ratajkowski’s choice of footwear that proved to be the most significant understated fashion statement of them all.
While the microcycle of TikTok-generated trends may have you convinced, it seems the fashion set has embraced the merits of a la dolce vita lifestyle by gravitating towards mesh ballet flats. Or, enjoying the benefits of the football-inspired ‘blockette’ aesthetic in the frequently sold-out three-stripe Adidas sambas.
Not Ratajkowski, her latest look is explaining.
The model paired her mall-approved look with a pair of hiking shoes, the coveted Salomon XT-6 Advanced sneaker to be specific. Sported by New York ‘It’ girls and gorpcore enthusiasts alike, this under-the-radar specialty sneaker first rose to prominence in the cultural zeitgeist in late 2022 with Bella Hadid placing this shoe in high rotation in her footwear arsenal.
However, it wasn’t until February 2023, when Rihanna wore a pair of Maison Margiela x Salomon sneakers for her Superbowl performance, that the shoe reached the pinnacle in our collective consciousness.
In May, Sandy Liang even paired up with the French footwear brand to create two silhouettes specifically designed for the downtown darlings.
Soon after the style reached the pinnacle of its saturation, the sneaker was eschewed for the soccer-esque silhouette.
But with Ratajkwoski reaching for these hiking shoes for the ‘rigorous terrain’ of Manhattan, perhaps the Salomon chokehold is nowhere near quelling after all.
SALOMON XT-6 EXPANSE SNEAKERS, $260. SHOP NOW.
SALOMON XT-6 SNEAKERS, $300. shop now. 
SALOMON XT-6 SNEAKERS, $300. shop now.
