You may be experiencing a slight sense of Shoe Deja Vu right now. Don’t worry: if you sit down and take a few deep breaths it will pass, as you realise that, yup, it’s another Miu Miu-inspired peep toe with that distinctive flared heel.
These ones are from A|Wear, which means that they’re definitely a lot more affordable than the designer versions, at £45. They come in bright red and blush-pink patent – two colours guaranteed to give me a headache as I try to decide which pair to go for – and you can click here to buy them.
OK: I think it’s time for shoe designers to step away from the platform-making machine, don’t you?
Don’t get me wrong: I’m a big Brian Atwood fan. My love for his shoes is almost as big as… well, the platform on this one, basically. But these? These look to me like they’ve just eaten something. Something HUGE. Something they really shouldn’t have eaten, because LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THEIR BELLY PLATFORM!
Either that, or these are actually pregnant with lots of little shoes. That would be… kinda cool? OK, no, you’re right, it wouldn’t.
Is it just me? What do you think of these, folks? Shoeperheroes, or Shoepervillains?
Last winter, I fell in love with a pair of leather shoe boots from Aldo, in the perfect shade of “nude” (for me). And I didn’t buy them. I feel like a lot of my shoe-stories begin and end with me loving shoes and not buying them, but honestly, that’s how I seem to go through life. You’d think I’d have learned my lesson by now, wouldn’t you?
I had good reason for not buying those boots, though, because as well as being a little out of my budget at the time, they were also a very pale leather, and while I’ve never been one to shy away from the idea of impractical footwear, I felt that pale leather boots were too much even for me: those babies were just ASKING to be ruined the first time I wore them, basically.
Enter these New Look shoe boots. These are also a great, neutral shade, which will allow them to be worn with anything, but, crucially, they have patent uppers, which means that they’re not going to pick up stains nearly as easily as pale, soft leather would. This is one area where sometimes man-made uppers win out for me: if I know I’m probably going to wreck them, then I’m not going to invest a huge amount of money in buying them, and at just £19.99, I think these could be a good winter buy. It helps that I really like the shape of them, too.
Click here to buy them at New Look (who, incidentally, currently have a whole section of “Forties Inspired” fashion on their website right now. The 40s influence isn’t all that obvious with some of the stuff, but I still found a few items to add to the wishlist!
“Awesome!” I thought. “The perfect, classic platform shoe, with the welcome addition of a cute little bow at the ankle: it doesn’t get much better than that!”
Then I found these:
A purple suede version with a leather bow. I think it just got better. But wait! What’s this?
Red suede. And now I have to ask: what did I do to Dolce Vita to make them so determined to scar my life with these difficult choices?
Actually, it’s not so difficult. I love all of these, but I think I still prefer the very first pair, purely for their versatility. What about you?
This is going to be a very short Friday Fix, because as soon as I read the name “Maggie”, I started singing Rod Stewart’s “Maggie May”, and now it’s stuck in my head, and I’m worried I’ll start typing out the lyrics rather than telling you about these shoes. And, OK, also because when I see shoes like this, I sometimes have to go and lie down in a darkened room to calm myself down, having first of all given Shoeperwoman my credit card, with strict instructions to hide it.
Anyway, these are called “Maggie”, and I’m sure you’ll have recognised the toecap from the Annees Folles pumps, which I showed you earlier this year. Those were one of my favourite Louboutin designs, and I’m really pleased to see them re-worked into Maggie, this glorious, two-toned nude platform, which is classic-with-a-twist, and the kind of shoe that would have to be prised from my cold, dead feet.
If you’ll all excuse me, now, I have a darkened room I must go and lie down in.
Here’s MTV reality star Lo Bosworth, wearing one of my most-wanted shoes of the moment: Christian Louboutin’s Rolando 120 nude pumps. And guess what? They actually fit her!
If I had the spare cash, I’d buy a pair of every single type of nude pump Louboutin makes, because, although they’re not as attention-grabbing as some shoes I show you here, I don’t think I’d ever get bored of them.
Lo wore her pair to the Noon by Nooner fashion event in West Hollywood yesterday, pairing them with a floral print skirt and silky top.
Still on the subject of platform wedges, here’s a pair I found yesterday which I think are a little more wearable than the ones I’ve been showing you recently.
These ‘Novice’ wedges by L.A.M.B. are still high – they have a 5″ heel and a 1.25″ platform – and still beautifully shaped, but they’re just a little less terrifying than the Giuseppe Zanottis I can’t seem to stop talking about, and the various lookalikes they’ve spawned. Are they shoes for a novice platform wearer, as the name suggests? Well, probably not, to be honest. But if you’re looking for something slightly less OTT, I think these would be a great pair of winter wedges, as the taupe colour will allow you to wear them with everything, and the closed toes will be warmer than all of the peep toe versions around. Just don’t wear them when it’s icy…
These are also available in black, and are $275 at Shopbop: click here to buy them.
I have a bit of a soft spot for Kate Middleton, a.k.a The Duchess of Cambridge. (Or just “The Duchess”, as I would insist on being called if I were her. Fergie who?) It’s not that I particularly love her style, or anything – I suspect she’s very much constrained by various “rules” concerning what members of the Royal Family should and should not wear, so we probably don’t get to see much of Kate’s real style. No, my interest in her comes purely from the fact that she’s a fairly “average” young woman (if there is such a thing), who has suddenly found herself with the mother of all wardrobe dilemmas. I mean, I know how hard I found it to pack for a summer vacation during which the only people likely to be taking my photo were members of my family. What on earth must it be like to have to pack for a tour of Canada and California during which every single item you wear will be scrutinised by the world’s media?
Pretty hard, I’m guessing. Although having a large amount of money at your disposal would surely help.
What kind of shoes would you pack for such a trip, I wonder? Why, trusty old nude pumps, of course!
Kate’s shoes are by LK Bennett and are now sold out, however, the brand also makes a very similar shoe called ‘Andie‘, which comes in black, red and taupe. Perfectly classic, perfectly versatile, and perfect with the Erdem dress she wore to step off the plane.
