Keep your 'Matrix' style alive with a pair of Alyx shoes

Coming as no surprise, Lil Nas X's outfits were among the highlights of 62nd Grammy Awards. The walking meme (no shade) pulled up to the red carpet in electric cowboy attire, rendered in hot pink and heavily cropped and studded by Versace. He then changed not once, but twice for his cameo-filled performance of "Old Town Road." By the time the real Nas hit the stage, Lil Nas X adorned a shiny black duster coat by Bryan Hearns. It was part Western, part Matrix (especially with the tiny glasses), and in my opinion, fully his best fit of the night.

The Matrix influence lives on — The Wachowski brothers' soon to be revived franchise has been influencing style for the past three years, from tiny, futuristic sunglasses to leather trench coats and bondage pants. With Alyx, creative director Matthew Williams may just be the designer most committed to this futuristic, technical, and kind of kinky fusion. If you're looking to dip your toes into this look, I suggest you do so quite literally and start with some of the latest footwear offerings from his SS20 collection.

Enter Alyx — The Low Buckle Boots, which stack a Chelsea-like upper on top of a more technical Vibram sole, have been updated with striking chrome accents that would have been perfect for Lil Nas X's final performance fit. Wrapped around the premium leather is a set of black cords attaching the brand's signature roller coaster buckle. That buckle is something of a cheat code for Alyx: place it on damn near any item and it becomes instantly covetable.

While I can't confirm if the purchase agreement requires you to sign up for a Fetlife account, I'll stand by these boots providing an instant invigoration to your style. Everyone needs a great pair of boots, at minimum, but these ride above old faithful to become head-turners.

Perhaps a slide suits you better — If you want a little less attention, Alyx is also introducing slides to its lineup of buckled footwear. The murdered out pair is heavy on the leather, utilizing it for the strap and the footbed. I can only imagine how cush they feel. It's easy to write them off as overkill, especially with the buckle, but even Morpheus had to have had some leisure time offscreen. For you, these slides could either be the most delightfully extra house shoes or a pair that won't have you shy to show off your ankles in public.

Buying in — Both pieces are starting to hit retailers now, with the boots priced at $1,145 and the slides at $670. That's a lot of coin, but if you're going to commit, commit. In no time, you may find yourself moving on to drapey leather coats and crinkled technical pants. That's a red pill I can commend swallowing.