ASOS ‘Poison’ candy stripe platform shoes

These shoes are the perfect example – for me, at least – of when fashion goes too far. The red and white canvas uppers, for instance, are absolutely perfect: in fact, as soon as I saw them, I let out a little gasp of joy, because that red and white combination is as summery as it gets, and basically has “Shoeperwoman” written all over it: and I also love the white heel, which complements the uppers nicely.


They’re the footwear equivalent of a day at the beach, aren’t they? They make me think of cotton candy, boardwalks and golden sand – none of which would necessarily be the perfect match for stiletto heels, mind you. (Well, OK, the cotton candy would. I’d caution against wearing stilettos on boardwalks or in the sand, though, and you can trust one who knows on this one…)

The fact that they’re made of canvas, meanwhile, may be off-putting to some, especially given the £65 price tag, but makes them even more appropriate for warm weather, as the canvas will be much more breathable than leather/pleather, and will make it possible to wear closed toes on even the hottest day.

But the uppers aren’t really the main feature of these shoes, are they? No, if you were to wear these, all eyes would be on this:


The cutaway wooden platform. And it’s not that I dislike it, exactly. In fact, on another shoe, I may even love it – it’s certainly usual, I’ll give it that, and it instantly made me think of Gianmarco Lorenzi, and his penchant for platforms a bit like this.

But it doesn’t really look like it belongs on this shoe, does it? A small, white platform to match the heel – or even no platform at all – would’ve made these shoes lethal to me, but somehow this wooden one looks a little out of place, and seems a bit like an attempt to make a classic, summer style more “fashion forward”.

That’s just my opinion, however, and there’s always the chance that I’d change it as soon as I tried these on: it’s happened before.

What do you think, though? Does the platform ruin the shoe, or is it the making of it?

(If you’re of the latter point of view, by the way, you’ll want to click here to buy these from ASOS.)

11 Comments

  • They are fabulous – with one wooden layer platform, though. This way it’s way too much. I would love to buy them if they didn’t have the cutout wooden platform. I even considered going to a cobbler to have it removed… but I guess it’s better not.

  • looks like the kind of shoe I might buy as a whim thinking they were unusual/quirky then never wear them!

  • I don’t think the wooden platform goes with the red and white stripes, with or without a cutaway. This is a very mismatched shoe. Also the white heel brings to mind stripper shoes for me.

  • I’m quite fond of the little cutaway.
    I think, if anything, it’s actually the heel I don’t like. I’d much prefer it if the heel were the same as the platform and maybe a little chunkier…

  • I have to agree…the platform puts me off.
    It is the thing that tips it over the edge. It’s too much. My debit card would have been knocking its plastic knees together if it had been a hidden platform!

  • I was observing them a couple of days ago while sale-shopping on Asos. I thought too that this platform is too much, and it doesn’t look wooden at all. Too plastic..

  • this wooden platform make them just so special and on closer look there is some gold between stripes – they are just so perfect and without this unusual wooden platform I wouldn’t be even half as amazed by them as I am now :). Sailing in the woods.

  • The shoes are fun… the platform does detract a bit from the “summer” nature of them…but, a fun shoe. Sans platform, I’d recommend them for purchase in a heartbeat

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