Designer Shoes

Archive for June, 2009

Every SATC fan worth their salt knows that the Bible contains a fatal flaw. It should read ‘And on the sixth day God created shoes’. Shoes are the fashion equivalent of a giraffe’s long neck or a zebra’s stripes; essential to its fundamental being.

For those of us who cannot afford to accessorise every outfit with a pair of beautiful Manolo’s (and let’s face it, there are precious few who can) the high street offers a pretty wide range of alternatives. From your £6 ‘Primarni’ efforts to the more up-market stores – shoes are everywhere. This season, be sure not to set foot out of doors without some variation on the gladiator sandal. This design combines style with relative comfort ; a rarity in the world of fashion footwear – let us not forget the heel-less Antonio Barardi platforms which caused such outrage amongst chiropodists last year. The gladiator sandal premiered on the high street last summer and is back with a vengeance in a shiny new range of designs, at least one of which is sure to break your ‘I-really-mustn’t-buy-any-more-shoes-not-whilst-there’s-a-credit-crunch-on’ resolve.

Because the fact remains that in spite of the global economic crisis, I have yet to meet a woman who cannot convince herself that a particular item of footwear is, in fact, an absolute essential. When it comes to buying shoes, the average woman seems to acquire the persuasive dexterity of a celebrity calibre divorce attorney. Even if your budget can’t quite accommodate a wardrobe full of Chanel tailoring, one pair of Kurt Geigers will give you your own personal link to the glamorous stratosphere of designer fashion. A single pair of designer shoes can compliment a dozen different outfits, with the added bonus that you will feel extra fabulous whenever you wear them. Throw on an oversized pair of high street shades and you’re away! And if that’s not a credit crunch bargain, I don’t know what is.

Boots cover the foot and the ankle, sometimes extending to the knee or even the hip. In the majority of cases, the heel of the boot can be distinguished from the sole, even when the two are made of the same piece of material. Although they were traditionally made of leather or rubber, boots are now made from a wide variety of materials – depending on the intended function. Hardy boots, designed to withstand the elements, are commonly still made of leather or rubber and are created in a single closely-stitched design to prevent the entry of water, snow, mud or dirt. Although often insulated, most boots are not waterproof and require special treatment to prevent the entry of water.

Fashionable boots commonly come with tapered, high or stiletto heels as well as platform soles, pointed toes and zippers. Long bootleg designs are growing in popularity at the moment and commonly have a loop or tab at the back, to provide greater leverage for putting the boots on. Another popular alternative is to have long zippers up the side of the boot, allowing the wearing to get the boot on easily before zipping it closed around their leg.

Until the end of the Victorian period, men wore nothing but boots in the daytime- leaving shoes for women. Nowadays, although work boots may be made of tough leather with thick rubber soles and steel toecaps; dress boots are available for men as a stylish alternative to evening shoes at formal occasions.

The range of boot styles is far too vast to even scratch the its surface in this post, so look out for future posts about specific types of boots!

Flat shoes, or pumps, are a design of shoe that stems from soft ballet slippers, which have such thin heels that they appear not to have one at all. They usually have some form of binding around the low tops, a gathering or design at the top-front of the toe box and a string tie that is more for decoration than for holding the shoe on. Due to their comfortable fit and range of styles and prices, they are a very popular casual shoe for both work and recreation.

The shoes have existed in some form or another for over 300 years, though in the 16th Century they were commonly worn by men and referred to as “pompes” – from which the modern name “pumps” is thought to derive. It is said that, although flat shoes were out-classed by heeled shoes in the 17th and 18th Century, they had a resurgence of popularity after Marie Antoinette walked to the guillotine in heels! The modern fashion-appeal of flat shoes may well be due to the 1957 film the film Funny Face, in which Audrey Hepburn wore them with skinny jeans – a look that is hugely popular at the moment!

Flat shoes come in a range of materials and designs, and are often cheap enough to replace every few weeks!

Flip-flops are a flat, backless sandal that is secured to the foot by passing thongs from the sole, up between the middle and big toes and over the top of the foot, before attaching back to the sole.  Alternatively a loop of material is attached to the top of the sole, under which the wearer slides their foot.

Flip-flops are popularly used in warm climates, on the beach or during outdoor relaxation.  As the cheapest form of footwear, Flip-flops are very popular in many developing countries and are often considered to be disposable footwear.  However, it should be no surprise that many designers make a variety of fashionable flip-flops and sandals that are sold at a range of prices – the most expensive being H. Stern’s $17,000 pair of flip-flops with over 1500 gold feathers, accented with diamonds!  Most flip-flops, however, last for about a year and, although they can easily be fixed, they are commonly replaced instead – like most designer shoes.

Inspired by traditional Japanese sandals, flip-flops became common beach wear in New Zealand in the 1930s, before being introduced to the Western world in the 1950s when Morris Yock invented the modern design in 1957.  They are very popular with people who enjoy being barefoot, but need to wear some kind of footwear.  They are also popular at gyms and leisure centres where foot funguses and infections are easily spread on swimming-pool and shower floors.  Due to their lightweight nature, they are commonly used and carried by travellers and even the army!

Despite being comfortable, the lack of ankle support can lead to injuries and the open-top nature can cause many toe-stubbings!  Furthermore, recent research has suggested that flip-flop wearers take shorter steps when they walk, due to gripping the flip-flop with their toes, which makes their heels hit the ground with less vertical force than wearers of athletic shoes.  This means that the force strikes the ankle in other directions, leading to some painful hip and ankle conditions.

Did You Know: Flip-flops are known as “thongs” in Australia?  The potentially confusing scenarios are infinite!

Stilettos are the common name for designer shoes or boots with a “stiletto heel”.  Named after the stiletto dagger – the name of which is taken from “stylus” or the Latin “stilus” meaning a stake used for writing – these heels are long and thin, varying in length from 1 to 8 inches, yet with a diameter of less than half an inch at ground level!  This is made possible by the addition of a metal supporting shaft within the heel, where other high-heeled shoes use wood or plastic.

Due to the nature of the design, stiletto heels create the illusion of having a longer, slimmer and more shapely leg, by flexing the calf muscles and making the buttocks more prominent.  They also alter the wearer’s posture and gait, as well as increasing their overall height – a combination of traits that makes the reasons behind the popularity of the shoe obvious.  These superficial advantages, however, are somewhat marred by the fact that the continued postural change and lack of cushioning means that long-term wearing of stiletto heeled shoes can cause a variety of back problems and even the shortening of the calf muscle!  It’s not just the wearer’s own body that is at risk either; the metal  shaft down the centre of the heel supports a tremendous amount of force, capable of devastating another person’s foot or carpet!

Although the reintroduction of stiletto heels could well be thanks to Commander of the British Empire Manolo Blahnik (a titled he received for his services to British fasion), the original design for the modern stiletto is credited to famous French fashion designer Robert Vivier – whose customers included Gloria Guinness, the Beatles and even our dear Queen Elizabeth II!

Extreme Facts:
• The original Italian-style stiletto heels were no more than 5 millimetres in diameter!
• When combined with a platform sole, the heel can be even longer than 8 inches!
• The first stiletto heels date back to the late 19th Century!