MRP Star sneakers: materials, fit and care
A lace-up sneaker is the sporty shoe that closes with laces rather than with elastic or a strap: the lacing lets you adjust the fit across the instep, which is why it holds better than a slip-on on a narrow foot or a high instep. Utah is the winter version of the Pure model, and its sole raises the heel by two centimetres — enough to lift the foot off the ground, far too little to call it a heeled shoe.
Suede is the constant material on this page, and it is the same one Italian labels call camoscio. It is a leather worked on the flesh side, so the surface is raised into a short nap: it absorbs more than smooth leather and should be brushed dry, never wetted and rubbed. The uppers are treated to resist water, which moves the problem without removing it: after rain the shoe should be left to dry away from radiators and brushed once it is completely dry.
Alongside the suede come velvet and leather, used for contrasting panels and details. Velvet has a longer, glossier nap than suede and takes the mark of the brush, so it should always be brushed in the same direction; leather is the part you can clean with least caution and the only one that takes on a patina over time. That is why a two-tone model ages unevenly: the two surfaces do not change at the same rate.
The fit is declared narrow, and that is the single most useful thing to know before choosing a size. Anyone with a wide foot or a pronounced instep does well to consider half a size up, because suede gives very little and lacing can tighten but never widen. The insole is memory foam and removable: take it out to gain volume, or swap it for a custom orthotic without losing the fit.
The page holds both women's and men's models, on the same construction. For a wider choice of materials and shapes, start from the women's sneakers or the men's sneakers.
