There have been signs that Last Resort AB, a footwear label founded by skaters Pontus Alv (founder of Polar Skate Co.) and Sami Tolppi, is developing a taste for the finer things. Over the last few years, the brand has shifted focus from more classic vulcanized shoes to tasselled leather loafers and Clarks-style moccasins, though always infused with Last Resort’s signature “Cloudy Cush” insole and skate-friendly foxing.

But the Last Resort General Model 001 is the brand’s first real step outside of its thrash-friendly comfort zone.

This is the only time Last Resort hasn’t made a skate shoe, instead producing what it calls “the inner workings of a sneaker dressed in a suit.” Although that makes the shoe sound more formal than it really is.

A more accurate description of this dapper leather sneaker is somewhere between a dress shoe, a Mephisto-style walking shoe, and a low-top Nike Jordan 2. A rare combination that produces a clean look versatile enough for most occasions, except for skating.

A surprising move for a brand built by skaters, for skaters. But everyone needs something to wear off the board, right?

Matching the classic elderly vibe of the shoes, the first release of Last Resort’s General Model 001 (available now for $149) comes in archetypal black and brown colorways. But who’s to say that these two conservative makes are the limit of Last Resort’s imagination? 

A barrier is broken, Last Resort is no longer “only” a skate shoe brand, and the door is open for it to go beyond skate shoes.

Maybe Last Resort dress shoes aren’t that far off. 

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