Today the April showers have decided to have one last hurrah before May comes. But let that not deter us from excitement about springtime shoes.

On a recent stroll through the high end department stores in New York City, I snapped some pictures of shoe friends old and new that are out in the stores.

First up, of course, how can I pass by the now-infamous Marc Jacobs heel-less shoe? It’s on display at Bergdorf’s in all its oddly-shapen glory.

(those are my MUCH comfier Converse sneakers there reflected on the pavement, and believe me, I won’t be making that trade anytime soon)

At 10022-SHOE, the shoe floor of Saks that’s so big it needs its own zip code, corset styling is the rage. Chanel’s combined it with their classic quilted pattern in a variety of colors.

Though I must say I’m partial to this more literal interpretation of the corset, with ivory waxed canvas peeking through the laces.

Don’t want such crazy high heels (because I sure don’t)? Then how about these classy little loafer-inspired ballet flats.

Or my very favorite shoe spotted on the whole floor, this flat Prada boot.

It’s a flat! It’s an ankle strap! It’s Super Boot!

Tell me this wouldn’t be the perfect footwear for a really well-styled lady superhero. If my wallet had the ability to stretch indefinitely, this boot would be coming home to my closet, that’s for sure.

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By now, we’re all familiar with the Marc Jacobs “inverted heel” pumps, right? Here’s a little visual aid:

Some have already remarked on the quasi-similarity with the work of famous shoe designer Andre Perugia, who was experimenting with heel-less shoes as early as the 1930s. Perugia is a whole fashion chapter in and by himself, and the similarity is definitely there, but we here at Shoeblog believe we’ve found an even uncannier resemblance in these vintage black pumps, ca. 1958-1960 (unlabeled, American or Italian-made):

Turns out that the desire for novelty in women’s shoes gave birth to this particular design concept, a “floating heel,” made with a cantilevered sole and elevated mid-sole cast from one piece of metal sturdy enough to support the wearer’s weight. The patent belonged to Martin Friedmann (1956). Here’s one more example:  

According to Jonathan Waldorf, author of The Seductive Shoe, this was “a short-lived fad” that died ca. 1961.

Well, until Marc Jacobs brought it back in 2008, that is!

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These legs, to be specific–shod in Marc Jacobs “inverted heel” shoes from the new Spring collection:

Oh, ok–you probably guessed it: Victoria Beckham, “Posh” Spice–no surprise there, as she’s certainly known for her daring taste in shoes. As photographed by Jurgen Teller (a long-time collaborator of Marc Jacobs), it is even more obvious how she is perceived–as a commodity, on a par with the expensive bags and shoes she’s helping to sell. More on the disturbing (or disturbingly truthful? can’t decide) implications of the image in this NYT article.

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Sure, it seems rather narcissistic for Marc Jacobs to create a shoe with “love marc” prints but this low heel is quite cute and sure to be a hit with MJ fans everywhere.

Marc by Marc Jacobs “Love Marc” Low Heel available at Eluxury for $275.

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