Paris men's fashion week came at a slower pace amid an economic downturn, but footwear players remain resilient.

The good news is that these days, there's a slept-on Samba alternative for every defector, detractor, and early adopter, which means there’s little reason to get stuck in a footwear echo chamber.

At just 23, Scottie Barnes is shouldering the weight of an impatient, basketball-mad city, a hit-and-miss team, and his own ...