The best pieces in any wardrobe, and the ones that inevitably end up seeing the most action, are those that blend sturdy build quality, classic looks and a touch of personality. Maybe that's why Kleman's signature brand of made-in-France footwear mastery, perfected over many decades, has always resonated with the OPUMO team. Now the Kleman FW26 campaign has arrived to give us our bi-annual reminder of why we fell in love with its shoes in the first place.
For the colder months, Kleman has revisited some of its most recognisable shapes, using texture and material to give familiar styles a seasonal update. Pull-up TH leather is designed to develop character and patina with wear, while N SIOUX nubuck has a softer, almost peach-like surface. Elsewhere, V CORD suede is paired with a corduroy apron for added texture, and FUR split suede brings a rougher, more pronounced finish to the collection.
Best-selling styles such as the Padror, Oxal and Courrier have been given new life through a fresh use of materials and subtle aesthetics tweaks without robbing them of the simplicity and versatility that made them heroes in the first place.
Kleman FW26: Decades in the making
Kleman traces its history back to 1945, when René Cléon opened a shoemaking workshop in La Romagne, and later produced footwear for institutions such as the French railway, postal service and military. Its best-known model, the Padror, is a stout Tyrolean-style work shoe with a broad toe, chunky rubber sole and very little decoration. Those slightly ungainly proportions are also what make it useful today. Where a sleek Derby can look too formal with jeans or fatigues, the Padror has enough visual weight to sit naturally beneath them, while still looking considerably more grown-up than a sneaker.
The Kleman FW26 collection is available to shop now via the brand's webstore, and the full lookbook can be seen here for some handy styling inspiration.
