Totally agree, but I also truly believe the “advancements” in tech and the use of sustainable materials — which I totally understand a need for — have made it so the shoes just don’t look cool like they did when everyone was using leather and suede and nubuck, etc.
The entire structure and way of building shoes is different and they just can’t look the same under those circumstances. If you’re making shoes out of yarn and plastics, you’re going to get a totally different aesthetic than you are when using leather, etc.