Oscar de la Renta ‘ Talina’ peep toe sandals

Oscar de la Renta ‘ Talina’ peep toe sandals, £725

When you see the words “Oscar de la Renta” next to a pair of shoes, you instantly know they’re not going to be cheap – and such is the case with these silver ‘Talina’ sandals, which, at £725, aren’t exactly an inexpensive option.

You also, however, instantly know these aren’t going to be your average pair of shoes, and that, too, is the case with these sandals. They’re not necessarily a style I’d want to buy myself, but they’re definitely the kind of shoes that make you stop for a second look, so I guess in that respect, they’re doing their job.

Why wouldn’t I buy them myself? Well, quite apart from the price, obviously, at first glance, these struck me as being rather bridal in style. They’re not wedding shoes, exactly, and they could definitely be worn for any event that called for a dress shoe, but something about all those little bows screamed “here comes the bride” to me – I’m not sure why.

What I DO know, however, is that this is a serious case of bow overload. I’m a fan of bows on shoes, as most of you know, but this is perhaps a little bit much, even for me, and is veering dangerously close to ‘Betsey Johnson’ territory. (I say that in the nicest possible way…) So, they’re ever so slightly sugary-sweet, but they have at least avoided looking too twee by adding the high stiletto heel, and the mirrored silver upper. Put these in baby pink, and we’d have a problem, but the metallic colour, and the overall shape of the shoe does help. Speaking of the shape, these are almost boot-like, in that they’ll cover the whole foot: this is a style that’s very popular for sandals right now – whether or not you like it, of course, is up to you.