Office 'Jay-Bird' flamingo platforms

Office ‘Jay-Bird’ flamingo platforms, £65

I first came across these shoes on Polyvore (I think), and I could’ve sworn they were by Charlotte Olympia. They have the same distinctive demi-platform, the same quirky feel… they have all of the elements of a Charlotte Olympia shoe, in other words. Then again, they ALSO have all the elements of Office’s ‘Oooh La La’ watermelon platforms from last year (by which I mean the shape is all but identical), so it shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise to learn that these are by the latter, rather than the former. If you love them, meanwhile, it’ll also come as a huge relief: they’re £65 at Office, but if they were by Charlotte Olympia, you could probably add another zero to the end of that price tag: ouch.

Although I like these to look at, they’re not something I’d buy, purely because they wouldn’t really work with my personal style, so my £65 could be better spent on something else. I do find them interesting, though, and it’s always good to see a high street brand try something a little more adventurous. I know the watermelon pumps had a lot of fans, so perhaps these will too: time will tell!

What on earth do you wear with flamingo platforms, though?

In most cases where a shoe has more than one colour on the upper, I’ll pick out one of those colours and build the outfit around that. In this case, however, the orange and pink used on these are both very bright: I think either of those could be a bit much if worn head-to-toe, so I’ve picked out the black and white from the flamingo’s beak instead. If in doubt, one of those shades is generally a safe bet, after all and I think this dress would look good with almost any pair of brightly-coloured shoes: