Of all the designers to lay claim to the so oft-referenced American sportswear hall of fame, Michael Kors walks the walk and talks the talk.

His woman embodies that Stateside attitude, from the bouncy optimistic hair to her jet-set stride—Kors’ sweet spot is on the run. Take the Emma Runway Flat as a textbook example: clean and minimal with a little Kors kick (and in ever chic black and white, to boot). Opposites keep him on his toes—feminine, masculine, sporty, all in one neat package. When you’re moving at 100 miles an hour, who has time for teetering heels? Get it done, as Kors would say.

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