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Socks? As shoes? Yes, according to Bottega Veneta. For Fall/Winter 2023, the Italian label slipped into something a little more comfortable, introducing a series of soled crew socks that blur the line between footwear and underwear.

Of course, these aren't just any socks — we're talking about Bottega Veneta, after all. Applying the brand's leather knowhow to the humble top drawer staple, creative director Matthieu Blazy had these socks knit out of thin leather strands, rather than your run-of-the-mill wool or cotton.

It'd be a shame to cover Blazy's handiwork with shoes. As such, a thin leather sole allows wearers to don the luxurified socks on their own, which is exactly how they were styled on the runway.

While the term "sock boots" conjures images of Balenciaga's Knife heels and the like, Bottega Veneta's version of the tight-fitting shoe is a more literal take on the footwear genre: They're socks that are also boots.

Similar to Blazy's trompe l'oeil "denim" leather trousers printed with all the markings of a typical pair of jeans, his leather socks appear as if they're knitted out of yarn. If Bottega Veneta hadn't informed us otherwise, we'd have taken the tricky shoes at face value.

That's the beauty of Blazy-era Bottega: The closer you look, the more you discover the designer's delightfully luxurious touches. As the saying goes, it's all in the details.

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