Why an All-New Paraboot Shoe Is Kind of a Big Deal
Amidst the many highs that Paraboot hit in 2025, including the 80th anniversary of its signature shoe and many cohesive but disparate partnerships that only nudged its visibility ever higher, one came along as quietly as anything it's ever done but is actual a minor creative peak. Just goes to show, Paraboot handles even a major material innovation with the same gracious patience as any other endeavor.
Because even after 120 years of slow-made footwear excellence, old dog Paraboot is still plenty capable of pulling out new tricks.
Even more impressively, this all-new low-cut hiking shoe was designed in partnership with venerable Danish clothing label Norse Projects, making this the rare Paraboot shoe that isn't just never-before-seen but actually created in collaboration with another imprint.
The hook here isn't that Paraboot makes great-looking shoes — everyone knows that! — but that Paraboot can hang with the young guns of footwear.
The Paraboot Ravn is a streamlined lace-up that wears a similar form to many modern trek-adjacent sneakers except it's a bench-made leather shoe. Made, as always, by hand in Paraboot's French atelier, the Ravn is a tasteful combo of tonal leather and unexpected utility, as the reinforcing toe bumper makes clear. And most importantly, it's conscious of today's tastes, whereas it's usually modern shoppers rediscovering Paraboot classics.
Were it not for Paraboot's heeled but relatively light Rocade sole unit, the Ravn's low-profile upper, suede tongue tag, and flat waxed laces would suggest that it's an outdoor sneaker. Instead, this is simply Paraboot dressing up, or maybe dressing down as it were.
While the Ravn is an all-new shape, one of the rare new models in the century-old shoe brand's deep lineup, Paraboot often dabbles in utilitarian styling. Its classic Michael was the first conventional iteration of the traditional tyrolean shoe and its Avoriaz hiking boot has long been a cool-guy go-to. Paraboot does produce low-top hiking shoes, with its most famous being the Clusaz, recently remixed by frequent partner Engineered Garments a few years back, and the Montana, which is a spiritual forebear of the Ravn.
Those are tried 'n true while the Ravn is mostly new. Whereas Paraboot's other shoes are ageless, this one is thoroughly of the now.
And no proof could possibly be more compelling than Norse Projects' website, where the $575 shoe has almost entirely sold out mere weeks after its release. Old dog, perpetual demand.
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