“World’s Finest Footwear.” That’s written in red block capitals beneath Mephisto’s green serif logo, and it’s a lofty claim. But the brand might have a point. Sean Connery, aka the original James Bond, once said Mephistos are “possibly the best shoes you can buy,” while the brains behind Body of Work, Canada’s finest sportswear label, are “long-time Mephisto enthusiasts," and we concur with both — as confirmed in the latest Highsnobiety magazine by the brand’s place on the “Good Shoes Directory."

These elderly walking sneakers have procured a dedicated worldwide fanbase, and one of its many admirers, the vital Japanese mega-retailer BEAMS, has even gone so far as to make it merch. And remastering the Mephisto Match sneaker in the process. 

BEAMS’ merch is simple in essence. There is a T-shirt printed with all the Mephisto classics — from the chunky Cruiser walking sneaker to the wedding-appropriate Marlon derby to its sporty strap-up sandals — and a range of lightwashed caps highlighting MEPHI-TEX.

Yes, not GORE-TEX, but Mephisto's own version.

MEPHI-TEX works much the same as Mr. Gore’s waterproofing tech, though, being a waterproof and breathable membrane protecting shoes from the elements while still allowing the foot to breathe as God intended. It’s useful stuff, and thanks to BEAMS, it’s being added to the Match walking shoe, probably Mephisto’s most popular model, for the first time.

The Japanese retailer’s debut Mephisto collaboration, releasing July 10, lines the Match walking sneaker with the weatherproof capabilities of MEPHI-TEX, then dresses it in two contrasting colorways. One colorway is called “black,” leaving very little to the imagination, whilst the other shoe has the official name “crazy,” which translates to mismatched uppers where moss green, black, and brown panels appear in different places on the left and right shoes.

It's hard to know what's crazier: Making a self-proclaimed grandpa shoe brand its first merch or creating a literally crazy grandpa shoe.

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