When Brittney MacKinnon and Dwayne Vatcher, founders of artisanal sportswear label Body of Work, told us last year that they “are long-time Mephisto enthusiasts," it made sense. Of course Canada’s most discerning sportswear designers would be attuned to the expert build of France’s most elderly walking sneakers.

MacKinnon and Vatcher’s appreciation of Mephisto went so far that they created their own colorway, an understated brown suede version of the Match sneaker that made our 2025 “shoes of the year” list, where Highsnobiety editor in chief Noah Johnson wrote: “Sometimes the best collab is about simply making a really good thing that doesn’t already exist.”

Body of Work has since quietly made two more really good things with Mephisto.

Not that you’d know, since Body of Work uploaded two new Mephisto shoes onto its website without as much as even an Instagram post to alert anyone. Talk about a lowkey drop. This follow-up made-in-France collection follows the blueprint set by its predecessor.

Once again, the defining feature is fine Italian suede, now offered in jet black and thyme green. There’s no Mephisto branding on the tongue, again making Body of Work the first collaborator to replace it with its embossed logo. 

These are the small touches you would expect from Body of Work, a label that proudly proclaims “to focus on the finer details," with its bespoke locally spun fabrics creating athletic gear that’s understated and elegant in equal measure.

This is one brand that knows better than to mess with the Mephisto Match’s beautiful form. 

The shape and the craft are the prime reasons why this old-school handmade sneaker is experiencing such a boom in popularity, landing collaborations with everyone from streetwear mega-retailer Kith to handcrafted outdoorsy label 18east, and having a discernible influence on new designs from New Balance’s Allerdale to skate label Last Resort AB’s walking sneaker. A shoe this good doesn’t need any drastic updates.

Highsnobiety has affiliate marketing partnerships, which means we may receive a commission from your purchase. Want to shop the products our editors actually love? Visit HS Shopping for recs on all things fashion, footwear, and beauty.