The Modern Monk Strap

Traditionalists may scoff at first, but slip a foot inside these lightweight shoes—the latest from Robert Geller and Common Projects—and they just might find a spring in their step. "We hadn't seen a cool monk strap in a while so we decided to try our hand at it," says Geller. "We were looking to make a classic shoe with a modern twist." For a designer known for mixing uptown class with downtown cool, that meant an Italian-made shoe crafted from top-of-the-line leathers grounded with a rubber sole.  There's a single strap style in black nappa leather or dub monks (as the kids say) in a sandy grey suede.  The streamlined shape, the designer says, compliments the rolled cuffs guys are sporting at the moment.

Suede: $472, at Forward

Leather: $495, at Frances May

• A soccer
  fanatic, Geller plays
  in a weekly game in downtown Manhattan.