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…the Oscar shoe-o-rama, that is. How can it be, right? And so, in that spirit, go visit this Gallery of Oscar shoes (complete with post-party pics), in which you’ll have fun pairing the shoe to its owner:
We all love shoes, right? And sure, sometimes we joke about having shoe fetishes, but often that phrase is used for exaggeration.
Today, let’s give a thought to actual fetish footwear.
Personally, while these shoes sometimes make my feet hurt with sympathy pains, I find fetish shoes to be fascinating. Like works of art. Their shapes are so different from day-to-day footwear that I sort of divorce them from the category of "shoes" and look at them purely for their shapes. And since I was a ballerina for years and still drool over a beautiful foot en pointe, the shapes that fetish shoes make (especially those in the fetish footwear category "ballet shoes") are beautiful to me.
To follow the ballet shoe analogy, take a look at these "Ninfea" shoes by a company called Punitive Shoes
or these, the "Galatea"
But it’s not just the ballet fetish shoes that are so interesting to me. Look at these drag queen shoes (by the same company), the "Prince Albert"
or these spherical stacked “Xixi” heels
They’re like sculpture.
I think the argument can be made that high heel shoes are a subtler and more pervasive manifestation of shoe fetishization. I mean, they’re intended to keep the wearer from walking normally and put him/her off balance. Fetish shoes are about the same purpose, just taken to a higher level. Not to mention the fact that buying fetish shoes implies a mutual consent between wearer and observer that buying and wearing mass-market fashion heels doesn’t.
Footwear subculture… very interesting.
The 79th Annual Academy Awards have now come and gone, and I must say that it was the most entertaining Oscar broadcast in recent memory. The interpretive dancing, the sound effects choir, the song by Jack Black, Will Ferrell, and John C. Reilly, Ellen as host… all deserving of A+’s in my book.
And due to some creative and asymmetrical hemlines, we even got a peak at some shoes on the red carpet. Apart from Anika Noni Rose in the Stuart Weitzman shoes of 2007 (see Shoesense’s post below), there was a lot of metallic going on in the shoes this year (and every other year… metallic evening shoes is a classic trend as old as the hills, and never gets tired).
So, without further ado, I bring you the 79th Annual Academy Awards, Shoe Edition. Much like the Science and Technical awards that are given out at a separate reception, this set of awards rewards achievements in a specialized area.
The Oscar for Easiest Shoes to See goes to Cameron Diaz:
Following the current trend of platform heels, which I think is very nice looking. Gives the shoes a feel of Old Hollywood glamour. I like Cam’s shoes much more than her dress, I’ve gotta say. And thank you, Ms. Diaz for wearing something that lets us see your feet nice and clearly.
Also nominated in the same category as Cameron was Beyonce Knowles, wearing a dress I couldn’t stand, but some more nice sparkly silver platform heels.
These are a bit less interesting to me than Cameron’s, but still quite nice. Again, much nicer than that horrid dress that looked like it had been bought as a bathing suit cover up in a beach shack on St. Thomas.
The Oscar for Most Age Appropriate Use of Non-Typical Eveningwear Shoe goes to Ivana Baquero (the girl from Pan’s Labyrinth) for these white boots:
Off the red carpet, these wouldn’t have stood out to me, but on the red carpet, they’re a choice that’s certainly off the beaten path. And I’m a big fan of wearing ankle/low boots with short dresses. This look manages to be age appropriate and stylish all at once. Well done, Ivana!
The Oscar for Most Age Inappropriate Shoes on an Entirely Overrated Celebrity goes to Patricia Field for these tacky snakeskin multi-color monstrosities:
I’m deliberately sparing you the rest of her outfit, which was further accessorized by a giant Bulgari necklace that looked like a huge penny flattened on the railroad tracks. These shoes look like they’ve come straight from a drag queen revue. Perfect in exaggerated stage performance? Maybe. On the red carpet? I think not.
The Oscar for Best Use of Metallic Shoes (Non-Silver) goes to the newly-minted best supporting actress, Jennifer Hudson for these bronze colored heels:
They’re none too interesting in and of themselves, and again, I hate the dress. Don’t even get me started on that jacket that looks like it’s been made out of those silver light reflectors that professional photographers use. But the shoes themselves were a nice change from all the silver.
The Oscar for Best Shoes Paired with Worst Dress goes to Meryl Streep for her black ballerina-inspired platform heels:
I really do love these shoes. They’re probably the ones I’d choose to wear of all the shoes posted here. And I ADORE Meryl Streep. Not just as an actress, but also for her irreverent sense of humor and spunky personality. Her fashion choices, though, often leave me perplexed. And this one is no exception. So I’ll just focus on the shoes and congratulate her on those.
And finally, the Oscar for Patron Saint of Lovely AND Comfortable Shoes goes to the one and only Taryn Rose.
Yes, the woman we all love, admire, and thank, who provides shoes to the stars (Angela Bassett and Oprah have been seen multiple times in her shoes) as well as the masses (well… the masses who can afford it) that are both beautiful and comfy. I only wish we could see what’s on her feet beyond that tantalizing glimpse of pale sandal.
Ah well, there’s always next year.
The Oscars so far are replete with muted light colors–shimmery champagnes, dusty grays, off-white jacquards, pale peaches, and the like. And shoes, of course, pick up the trend–such as this stunning shoe Stuart Weitzman created for ‘Dreamgirls’ star Anika Noni Rose.
According to the press release, the Diamond Dream Shoe, created exclusively for the actress, is a silver evening shoe with a stiletto heel, adorned with 1,420 individual brilliant cut Kwiat diamonds, weighing over 30 carats. The diamonds are set in platinum circles, inspired by Kwiat’s timeless Circles Collection. The spectacular shoe is worth half a million dollars.
‘As Anika pursues and accomplishes her dream, I wanted to recognize this young actress by creating a luxuriously glamorous shoe for her to wear down the red carpet on Hollywood’s most celebrated evening’, said designer Stuart Weitzman.
Now I’m going back to watch some more fab glam action!
Let’s return to our regular schedule of Friday Shoe History Corner with this famous pair of Ferragamo heels made for Marilyn Monroe in the 50s (I think the pair sold for over $40,000 at an auction). Click here to see more of the 40 pairs Ferragamo designed for Marilyn Monroe. These stilettos covered in sparkling red stones are by far the most famous of the bunch. I would venture that far to say they are iconic.
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