The reclusive Martin Margiela is truly a designer’s designer. A principle influence on many of both his piers and those who came after, it’s possible to draw an entire family tree of labels born from the ethos Margiela so effortlessly captured. Unlike designers such as Hedi and Rick and Galliano, where the specter of their sheer personality hangs over every creation, one photo of the man exists, and no official interviews were ever conducted, allowing his creations a quality of pure expression largely foreign in the fashion world. His work was often highly deconstructed, challenging notions we take for granted and what clothing and a runway show should be — runways shows in parks, 2-D clothing, models holding hangers with their outfits on them. He upheaved the foundation that nearly every other designer choses to build up from.

From his landscape altering Tabi boots, to his reinvention of German army sneakers, Martin Margiela’s ability to create something new by way of bygone footwear is a crucial component of his design legacy. Displayed here are his classic square toe boots, covered in a layer of white paint meant to crack and wear away irregularly. The asymmetry created by the chipped off paint is meant to ultimately create a form wholly unique to each pair. This was a technique Margiela employed since the formative days of his label, appearing on Tabi boots as early as 1989, and has subsequently been used across a variety of different silhouettes.

Condition: 7/10. Natural signs of wear, heel drag.

Tagged size: Untagged, fits around an 8.