There came a point in sneaker fetishism when every low-slung Japanese denim skinny led the eye down to atrocious neon throwbacks. The vulgar 1960s remakes on every pseudo-artistic gent in the city were more flagrant fouls than slams dunks. If only they had looked back further, to 1910, when basketball kicks first appeared, with their economy of shape in neutral canvas and leather.

Wait, what’s that we hear? An Italian has given us the respite from the garish kicks of our past? Stefano Pilati, we chest-bump you. Yves Saint Laurent’s creative director just released the spring 2011 men’s sneaker collection, which embodies every subtle, minimalist detail of its turn-of-last-century predecessor.

The sneakers are the perfect transitional shoes for the now-30 pseudo artists. With subtle detailing like matte snakeskin textures in neutral and black high-top versions, as well as black-on-black leather and canvas on thick pliable leather, they still have enough kick to make fans out of even the most hardcore remake collectors. So let’s retire the polychromatic high-tops, shall we?

Starting at $375, at YSL boutiques worldwide.