Tom Holland's Favorite Boots Are a Master Class in Versatility

It’s been a hell of a couple of weeks for Tom Holland. The Odyssey has turned the act of buying IMAX tickets into a gladitorial sport. Spider-Man: A Brand New Day, out July 29, is also set to take him to the top of the box office once again. Holland is on what many people would refer to as a generational run.If you plan on bouncing around the globe, popping up on red carpets, and dipping out of premieres, you need a solid pair of shoes that can do it all. Luckily, Holland has found his. So much so, he has worn them over a dozen times and counting for his various appearances over the course of a month. These bad boys have racked up some serious miles.The shoe in question is Christian Louboutin’s Samson. Made from insanely smooth calf leather, it’s a slip-on, rounded-toe, ankle-hugging boot, made to be thrown on as you make your way out the door. As a self-confessed short king, we’re sure Holland appreciates the square heel for an extra bit of lift.Jeff Spicer/Getty ImagesRaymond HallActually, Holland is so into the Samson, he’s been spotted at premieres, at junkets and on chat show couches wearing the black, brown and red versions. He's dressed them down with a pair of light blue jeans and a Saint Laurent track jacket; and dressed them up with a bespoke Gieves & Hawkes pinstripe suit. And, turns out they go very well with a Spidey-red blazer.The Samson is a pedigree workhorse. Originally designed for Brad Pitt and released in 2018, its old-school Louboutin: sleek profile, slick leather, red soles. It’s a formula Jaden Smith, the first men's creative director, has recently played with, running riot with the house’s signature lipstick-red paint and making the shoes chunky, furry and, at times, lettuce-y (see: the Einsnail On The Feet Dandydeco.) The Samson represents the other side of the Louboutin spectrum: deeply wearable and versatile, able to swing from street style to red carpet easily.Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Getty ImagesShane Anthony Sinclair/Getty ImagesIt’s a reminder that Chelsea boots are some of the hardest-hitting, easy-wearing shoes out there – volcanic heatwave aside, they work all year round. They’re masculine and formal, but they never tip into the overly-fussy realm.Plus, it’s yet more proof that Holland is the new king of press tour style. “It’s been fun to have the time to play with [the clothes] in a way where he feels comfortable and cool,” his stylist Crystalle Cox recently told GQ. The boots hit this brief – they’re cool enough to build the foundation for his best promo run looks to date and comfortable enough to never slip out of them.And if the prediction markets are taking bets on what shoes he’ll wear to dinner with Haaland – well, I’ll see you on a yacht in Monaco very soon.Samson BootsThis story originally appeared in British GQ.