Comfortable shoes could be a trend in the Fall! In the Sunday, June 28 NY Times Style section’s “Pulse” column, a mini piece appeared about lace up shoes. Oxfords, lace ups – specifically men’s style shoes. It cited a right-on rant by Andre Leon Talley on Vogue.com that noted how women have become fashion lemmings. He called out shoes that would better serve as “torture chambers” when he wrote, “Too many career women look like a herd of fashion beasts, aping one another in impractical shoes….”
I would go one step further and ask why any woman would buy and wear a pair of shoes that look like demented playground equipment. Think about jungle gyms, monkey bars and sliding boards on steroids that recall a bad acid trip, a lingering nightmare, or an early Betty Boop cartoon where the shoes come alive after midnight and chase our heroine through the streets. How far can you walk? Can you stand up straight? Most importantly, can you run for the train or from a creepy date?
I love heels and wear them regularly, but I refuse to be hobbled by stupid shoes. However, this does not mean that sensible granny shoes are my fate. Oxfords and saddle shoes can be kinda funky. I loved them on Janelle Monae in her “Many Moons” video (check it out on You Tube). I like the androgynous look, but it's not for everyone. Although these shoes are already a smash hit in the UK and the number of fans in downtown NYC is growing, most women will likely bypass this trend. Not me.
I've worn saddle shoes and heartily embraced the resurgence of Hush Puppies in the 1990s. I still have a pair of their two-tone cream and ginger suede oxfords. And I'm absolutely devoted to Converse. I'm looking forward to the arrival of wingtips for women.
After reading the column I checked the Internet for prices, styles and colors. The brands that I found, Charles Tyrwhitt (made in London), Dieppa Restrepo (hand made in Mexico), and s/sense (made in Portugal), are pretty slick. Unfortunately, all of the shoes that I liked best were in the $200 price range. A pair of Kenneth Cole was discounted to $100. I'll wait for the knock-offs.
Click here and scroll through the photos at Governor's Island for a better look at these shoes. There are lots of pics here, but I think you'll enjoy them all.
2 comments:
I appreciate a good shoe like any other woman. Growing up, my mom would often say there were only two things that would stop her from working. One was a bad tooth ache... we have all been there. The other would of course be feet that hurt from a wicked pair of shoes that had no mercy. Can I get an AMEN!! So while us women of the world unite in our "shoepalooza", the men, like my hubby depend upon a bountiful selection of 1 black, 1 maybe 2 at the most shades brown. Are you kidding??? Would we really be able to handle that???? I can tell you right now.... NO!! I have come to embrace my insatiable appetite and love of shoes, sandals, boots etc. Having said all of that, I have to tell you about ZAPPOS. Many of you may already know about ZAPPOS, and I have to admit that I was not really one for online shopping for obvious reasons, but I have purchased some incredible sandals. The return policy is great, and often times there are no shipping charges. And don't worry about shoe selection, all designers are represented here. Prices from low to high, high. So, I've seen prices as low as $20, and as high as $1200. Yes my friends, something for us all!! Well, now that I have had a discussion on one of my greatest joys, I feel like a need a cigarette. How about that??
They say that Zappos has a cult following and there really isn't anything like it. I hope that the new owners, Amazon.com, don't mess it up! We'll be on them like a swarm of bees if that happens.
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