Decade of Shoe Trends – 2008

I am sorry this posting was late.  My mother wanted me to take her to DSW and I can’t deny my mother a pair of shoes, right?  Who am I fooling? I wanted to go, too.

The defining description for shoes featured in 2008 runway collections is: snubbed toes.  Alexander McQueen has covered platforms, a very high, very thin heel and a little metal plate on the toe.  I remember seeing a photo of Charlize Theron wearing a pair of these.  They were beautiful then, beautiful now, but this style seems to have disappeared.  I think they are as wonderful as the pointy toes of 2001. 

Alexander McQueen also played around with cutouts, quilting and embelishments.

We also saw a hybridization of pumps and booties.  Alexander McQueens are shown above, and here is Prada’s.  These are difficult to see, but I think they have about a 7 inch shaft.

Prada also played around with chunky heels and chunky platforms.  Remember what I said about Galliano being a few steps ahead in my 2007 post?  This reinforces my guess that we will be buying this silhouette in about 5 years.  It is going to take me 5 years to reconcile myself to the idea that wearing something from my high school wardrobe is a good thing.  *Shudder*

Marc Jacob featured buckles and more buckles, without an ultra high heel.  I really like these boots.  Notice the snubbed toe.   

Calvin Klein featured covered wedge boots.  We now see that EVERYWHERE.   Still nice. 

Calvin Klein played with the wedge heels, John Galliano played with the size of heels.  He has a squared toe, although not as extreme as McQueens, and very high.  The heel is chunky, and sits way back on the foot.  Both pumps below are absolutely gorgeous, but look really awkward. I am not convinced that they would be easy to walk in.  Something that did translate to the masses is decorating the heels. 

Valentino Garavani retired after the 2007 season.  The shoes featured in Valentino’s 2008 Couture were not wonderful, but I noticed Dior began playing with heel and shoe silhouettes in their couture line.  Super high, platformed and has the shape of so many ankle boots of today. 

If I could meet one designer for lunch, it would probably be John Galliano.  Actually, I would rather be at the table next to him so I could just watch him.

Decade of Shoe Trends – 2007

 2007 shoe designs can be described with one word: platforms. 

Alexander McQueen offered covered platforms with pencil thin stiletto heels.  

Ralph Lauren offered the LBD of shoes.  The platforms make the heel about 2.5 inches.  This is a workhorse shoe.  I have this pair and wear them often. 

Prada showed us the new platform.  I am not wild about this platform shape, but give me a couple of years and I might grow to like it.  By then the shape will have moved onto something else.

John Galliano seems to be three steps ahead of everyone.  I am wondering if this is the shoe of 2014, with super chunky heels and platforms.  The model didn’t shave her legs.  She must be related to me.

If it wasn’t platformed, it was embellished.  Alexander McQueen’s purple feather with clear heels and Prada with multi colored flats.  Not wild about either.

Valentino Couture offered a pair of the prettiest shoes I have seen in a very long time.   

Love them.  Love the V in the stockings.

Decade of Shoe Trends – 2006

We saw lots and lots of sandals & shoes with multiple straps and cutouts on the 2006 runways. 

Alexander McQueen was criticized for being too mainstream with this collection.  Notice the curved heel still being used, notice also the multiple straps that criss cross the model’s foot is used extensively today.  

Can anyone say gladiator? 

Platforms and more platforms were shown.  I am showing Prada’s because they were the most interesting.  Ralph Lauren had some wedges that were just too heinous to include. 

Prada also showed us lace up, peeptoe boots. 

Dior showed us the shape of many booties to come.  Add an half-inch hidden platform and you have half the ankle boots listed in Zappos and almost all of Alexa Chung’s shoe wardrobe.  

As an aside.  Mark Fast was critisized about using plus size models on his Spring Runway in 2010.  What many forgot was that John Galliano used all sorts of sizes, all sorts of ages, all sorts of everything in his Spring 2006 RTW Show. 

 Here is the first I have seen one of my favorite style.  Several designers have taken this silhouette and tweaked with it, but leave it to Galliano to start it.

I think what happens is when an innovative shape comes out, it takes a couple of years to get into the stores, then it takes me a couple more years to like it, then another year for it to go on sale.  I am just now getting away from slingback, embellished, peeptoe pumps. 

I guess my New Year’s Resolution should be that I will buy newer shoes more often.  That’s the ticket.

Decade of Shoe Trends – 2005

I think 2005 is when we started seeing celebrities wear booties with dresses on the red carpet because designers showed us several booties with short skirts on the runway.  

Ralph lauren showed us a menswear oxford bootie that is higher than his previous season.  Nice heel.

I noticed something interesting with these Marc Jacobs suede shoes with disc studs.  They aren’t the pointy, punk studs that we have seen on Rock and Republic and Louboutin shoes, but we have seen several studs show up on shoes everywhere the past couple of years.  Again showing that everything old is new again. 

It is interesting, Alexander McQueen went high with his covered platform booties and wooden soled platform satin boots, 

while Mr. Platform,  John Galliano,  went without platforms in his Dior fall RTW collection.  Go figure.

In Couture, Valentino softened their toes and embellished these d’orsays that have about a 3.5 heel.  They are pretty, but I like last season’s better.

A Decade of Shoe Trends – 2004

In 2004 the toes got rounder and the heels got higher. 

Ralph Lauren offers what an average American woman could or would wear.  I think this is why I am drawn to his designs.  This is what Lauren offered in 2004.  I like the sandals better than the slingbacks. 

On the other side of the spectrum is Alexander McQueen.  In 2004 he offered a beautiful pump with embellishments and a wonderful pair of boots that might also morph into leggings.  I couldn’t find a photo of them to determine if they are boots or leggings. I have to admit I Love the sparkly leggings and boots. 

  While Alexander McQueen’s designs can be over the top for most women, as I look at these designs I would probably wear them if given a chance.  (Although I am looking at them with 2009 eyes.)

Prada’s Ready to wear shoes still hadn’t incorporated platforms and the heels look like they are about 3.5 to 4 inches, the toes are rounded and featured graphics and exotic leathers on pumps.   The snakeskin slingback pumps are timeless. 

John Galliano.  Here is what he offered in Dior’s fall 2003 line.  So platforms are being shown, but not as extensively as today.

 Design houses were having a hard time. Only 6 design houses showed couture in 2004.  Balmain dropped their couture line in 2003. Valentino was the last of the old design houses to show couture.  Here are some Valentino designs.

As I look at the snake skin pumps I wonder, “What the hell is that blue tissue doing in her right shoe?”

These shoes are beautiful, but the thing I wanted to point out is her stockings.  They have subtle stripes that are noticable at a distance, which I find intriguing.

This is why I like Valentino.