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Raf Simons spoiler boot at Seven ($1395)

Quoddy for South Willard black boat shoes at South Willard ($186)

Two cool Bernhard Willhelm shoe collaborations have popped up this Spring.

First he produced some funky women's sandals in collaboration with Spanish casual footwear company Camper.

Then he worked with Oki-Ni to give some sneakers from his archive a fresh take.

Soup & Fish has a dual purpose. One is to promote and advance Austrian design. The other is to give people access to high-end fashion design at affordable prices. On both initiatives, the shop is doing a superlative job.

The shop's virtual shelves are kept stocked with pieces from nearly every Austrian designer doing significant work today, with some Belgian and other European designers thrown in for good measure. But rather than offer their latest designs at typically high prices, the shop serves as a saleable archive of sorts, offering dozens of pieces from season past, as far as 10 years back. Each item is available in one or a handful of sizes and is marked with the season it came from. More than just a glimpse back to designers' earlier years, the collection speaks to the timelessness of good design. Almost any one of these items could be mistaken for work from a current season.

A.F. Vandevorst (126 EURO)

Lutz (223 EURO)

Martin Margiela (230 EURO)

Ute Ploier (432 EURO)

Martin Margiela (132 EURO)

Pelican Avenue (60 EURO)

Jil Sander bendable shoes at Oki-Ni (£399)

Kris Van Assche grey sneakers at Colette (515 EURO)

Repetto perforated dance shoes at Blackbird ($310)

When high-end casual clothing is your specialty, the details make the product. At Illustrated Example high-end casualwear is their bread and butter. So when debuting their online store, the store took care to emphasize the details. Otherwise the store is simple as can be, with a half dozen or so designers in each of five categories. Not ground-breaking, but a good start.

Martin Margiela electric blue sneaker at Aloha Rag ($445)

Bigger closets or a leaky roof rank high in reasons we would be compelled to move. Komakino in Vancouver dutifully moves every so often to stay true to its "guerrilla store" concept. Of course, moving a bunch of times is not enough. The shop also carries an astonishingly dead on assortment of men's clothing and accessories. European and Japanese avant-garde standard bearers form the foundation of the shop, while obscure labels just finding their niche add a bit of intrigue and restlessness.

If you can't seek out the physical store, Komakino displays all their inventory online and takes orders via e-mail.

Damir Doma

Julius

Julius

Rick Owens

By way of a a read suggestion Komakino is the latest shop in the guide.

Permanent Vacation

+46is an organization dedicated to promoting progressive Scandinavian design. They organize the +46 Award, the +46 trade show, and now they've introduced the +46 online shop. After all, what better way to promote Scandinavian design then to make it that much more accessible. In collaboration with Stockholm boutique Aplace, clothing and accessories from any number of up and coming Scandinavian designers now have a new home online.

Peter Jensen

Diana Orving

Rickard Lindqvist

Gram

Nakkna

United Bamboo black ankle boots at Gargyle ($337)

YMC black leather/canvas lace-up at Aloha Rag ($300)

We remember Common Projects' very first season when they focused on low, mid and high top sneakers in black, grey and white. Then came metallics. Then came boots and bags. Then came desert boots and mock lace-ups. And now, Commons Projects has graduated in to a grown-up men's shoe label with classic oxfords made following the brand's minimalist ethos. Waxed Nappa leather. Leather sole. Made in Italy. A serial number as the only brand insignia. We wouldn't haven't it any other way.

Black slip-on oxford at Blackbird ($492)

Black slip-on oxford at South Willard ($420)

Jil Sander black "low" sneaker at Oki-Ni (£179)