For those who know how to decode, few items tell as much about the wearer as the shoe. This S/S’s collections gave us the gamut…the good, the bad and yes, the ugly. From the heels that paired with the charming, sugary, ultra feminine trend to the sneaks that supported athleticism…before you choose, it helps to know your shoe speak.
Heels are for those who pay other people to do the walking or the driving. And whereas our feminist foremothers denounced heels of any kind as hobblers of women, today’s lipstick feminists extol them as an image of power. Givenchy, Calvin Klein and Gianfranco Ferre stated their belief that in the women vs. women world, heels will always spell authority.
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| From left: Givenchy, Gianfranco Ferre and Calvin Klein did sky high heels. |
High tech sneakers are the choice of those who walk but are really on their way to something bigger. These women pair their shoes with an iPhone and a Blue tooth. They’re busy, caffeinated or raw, and know where to get the best massage, sesame noodles or vintage Chanel bags. Marc by Marc Jacobs and Y-3 were very much down with that.
High tech sneakers are the choice of those who walk but are really on their way to something bigger. These women pair their shoes with an iPhone and a Blue tooth. They’re busy, caffeinated or raw, and know where to get the best massage, sesame noodles or vintage Chanel bags. Marc by Marc Jacobs and Y-3 were very much down with that.
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| Y-3 and Marc Jacobs went sporty chic with sneakers. |
They’re now exploring their inner selves. These women read a lot and burn scented fig candles. They are grounded and stay close to the pavement.
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| Clockwise from left: Backless oxfords at Haider Ackermann, sweet lacy espadrilles at Valentino and canary yellow Tod’s walk close to the ground. |
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| Clockwise from top left: Proenza Schouler, Marni, Burberry Prorsum, and Stella McCartney played the ugly card. |
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| Clockwise from top left: Fendi, Prada, Miu Miu and Vuitton slipped on some mules. |
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| Clockwise from above left: McQueen, Vuitton, Celine and Prada all had entries voted most likely to succeed. |
Women who opt for flats like Haider Ackermann’s open backed oxfords, Valentino’s cozy version of the espadrille or the traditional Tod’s driving flats are something else. They’ve climbed the ladder of power in pumps but are too mature for patent or neon sneakers.
The ugly shoe, as represented at Marni, Proenza Schuler, Chanel and Burberry Prorsum was traditionally used to make an anti-fashion statement. Today, fashionistas love to embrace styles that other ignorants might deem ugly, transforming ugly into hipness in a way that is difficult for the general public to grasp. It takes a bold spirit to trot out in these shoes with soles only a mother could love.
Mules, as seen at Prada, Fendi, Louis Vuitton and Miu Miu are for attention-grabby on-the-go Cinderellas. They never know when they will step out of their mule as easily as they stepped into it. The possibility that a Prince Charming might actually hand them their wayward shoe, is what helps them put up with the shuffle required to negotiate sidewalks in the (at times awkward) mule.
And then there’s the photogenic bunch. Those shoes that made such an impact on the runways that fashion and accessory editors can’t get enough of them. Alexander McQueen’s blush rosettes, Prada’s great balls of fire, Celine’s play on proportions or Vuitton’s metallic toes. The damsel that opts for these is what we call a shoe stalker. She’s been all over the target shoe since last fall when they first appeared. She’s dog-eared pages, memorized style numbers and sourced stockists. She’s watched their media blitz with a precise calculated plan for the buy. Her name can be found between number 1 and 9 on the wait list and when she does get her hands on them, she spends days just introducing them to the rest of the gang in her closet. A little nuts, yes, but then again, the shoes will never tell.
