When I first spotted Acne’s ‘Alice’ platforms at Shopbop last week, I instantly hated them.
I actually really like the individual elements of these shoes, and I LOVE the colours on the left, which are two of my favourite shades ever, but the very high vamp just ruins it all for me, leaving the shoe looking… well, just WRONG somehow, as if they weren’t supposed to look like that. The shape of the upper is oddly “bloated”, too, which isn’t something I generally want to be able to say about my footwear.
Since that first look, though, I’ve seen these featured on quite a few fashion sites, whose authors all seem to be singing their praises. This hasn’t changed my own opinion, of course, but it did make me think they could be candidates for a Heroes or Villains post, so here it is!
It’s no use: I don’t think I’m ever going to be able to get on board with the concept of lace boots. Lace-covered boots, sure. Boots made entirely out of lace, though, and with a fragile, would-fall-apart-in-a-heavy-shower look to them? They just seem so pointless to me. Maybe it’s just because another thing I can’t get on board with is the idea of boots as evening wear. I mean, these Valentino knee-highs obviously aren’t designed for trudging through the snow in – they’re very much “dress” boots – but my mind is hard-wired to make the connection that knee-high boots=cold weather + outdoor use. It would no more occur to me to wear knee-high boots to a party than it would occur to me to wear my coat indoors, so $1,295 lace boots are never going to make it onto my shopping list. (And thank God for that, I hear Shoeperman exclaim…)
What about you, though? What do think: shoeperheroes, or shoepervillains?
(For the record, I don’t really think they’re either, but I figured I may as well be dramatic about it…)
It’s been a while since our last round of “Heroes or Villains”, so what better way to pass a hump-day? Other than actual shoe shopping, obviously? I can’t think of one, so without further ado, let us decide whether these ‘Pickle’ Mary Janes from ASOS are Shoeperheroes or Shoepervillains!
These shoes have a classic, Mary Jane shape, but come with an unusually high vamp, a thicker-than-usual heel, and a top-to-toe heart print. They’re the kind of shoes which are either unbearably cute or, well, just plain unbearable, depending on your point of view. Are they cuter-than-cute, though, or are they just sickeningly twee? That’s where you come in…
As for me, well, I always struggle a little with Mary Janes in general, because I think that unless the designer is very careful to give them a “grown up” feel, they can look very childish – especially with the addition of a cutesy print. The Mary Janes I like most tend to place the strap down towards the toe, as opposed to across the base of the foot, like these ones, and I think its the shape, rather than the print, which may be the downfall of these. Let’s find out, though:
What do you think? Shoeperheroes or Shoepervillains?
I know Camillia Skovgaard’s trademark jagged soles haven’t really found much favour on this site in the past, but… I think I’m coming round to them. I’m not sure if it’s just a matter of “adjustment of the eye”, with repeated exposure to this style making it look less outlandish to me, or whether these simple black pumps really do benefit from the addition of that striking sole, but I think I might like them, as something to give just a little bit of edge to a pair of black skinnies, say, or a tailored dress.
If you have even a vague interest in fashion, you’ve probably noticed that flat, lace-up brogues are hot right now. Perhaps it’s a reaction to all of the super-high stilettos and platforms that’ve been in vogue for the past couple of years, or maybe it’s just part of the whole “little old lady” look that swings into style every now and then, but everywhere I look, people seem to be gushing over brogues.
It’ll come as no surprise to my regular readers to know that I’m not going to be joining in with the gushing: partly because I had a pair of shoes almost exactly like the ones shown above when I was in primary school, and I’ve absolutely no desire to be reminded of that time, but also because any shoe that can be described as “sensible” is anathema to me. But that’s just me. I know many of my fellow fashion bloggers have been embracing the brogues lately, so to speak, and have been looking fantastic in them, and now I want to know what you think of them? Are they shoe heroes, or are they shoe supervillains? In other words: yay or nay to brogues?
(P.S. The ones shown above are Aldo’s Kegerries brogues, and they’re available in brown or black: click here to buy them.)
It’s been a promising start to the season so far for Miu Miu, who’ve had me drooling all over my keyboard on a couple of occasions this month already. Can they keep up the good work, though? Well, these metal flower embellished pumps are one of the most instantly recognisable styles from their latest collection, which contains a couple of variations on this metal-toed pump.
Now, I know what I think of these shoes, but … I’m not going to tell you. Instead, I’m going to ask what YOU think of them. Are they shoe heroes, shoe supervillains, or something in between? Tell me!
(Oh, and if you just want to buy them, meanwhile, they’re £570 at Net-a-Porter)
My first thought upon seeing these Karen Millen court shoes was that they were a couple of little punks, what with all that mohawk action going on at the back there. And of course, they’re not even remotely punk-like (they’re white stiletto court shoes, after all), but that’s really all I can think of now when I see them. It’s as if they have FACES. Moving on…
The “extravagant ruffle” that gives these their name is just TOO extravagant for me, and I find myself wishing they’d head to the hairdresser and get themselves a buzz cut. Aaaand, there I go thinking of them as people again. Must. Stop. That.
What do you think of these, readers? Heroes or Villains? Or… punks?
If you keep up with the world of fashion at all, I’m sure you won’t need me to tell you that Prada’s chandelier shoes are currently being hailed as one of the “It” shoes of this season. I have to be honest: I’m really struggling to understand just WHY that is, because although I know it’s not actually the case, everything about these shoes just screams “cheap” to me, from the tip of their crystal-trimmed toes to their lucite heels.
Can we also talk about that clear plastic velcro strap? Or don’t we need to even mention how cheap it looks?
Well, I’ve made it pretty clear how I feel about these (and have saved myself $1,800 into the bargain!), but what about you, readers? These shoes are obviously being coveted by shoe bloggers the world over for a good reason: anyone want to explain to me what it is?
These aren’t yet available to buy, and will be in limited supply when they are: rumour has it that the US will receive only three pairs, so once again, sorry if I’ve just dashed your hopes of ever owning a pair. What do you think of them, though?
