I always think it’s fitting that Paris Fashion Week is the one that rounds out the ready-to-wear collections.  Because they always live up to their reputation for fashion creativity, those French designers.

This year is no exception.

Most obviously, we’ve seen the insane 11 inch, heel-less (or functional heel-less) Nina Ricci shoes.  But the other designers have stood up and brought their A games.

Olivier Theyskens wasn’t the only one playing around with fetish footwear inspirations.  His Nina Ricci designs are clearly related to shoes like these:

But the A. F. Vandevorst shoes also seem to be taking a hoof-shod page from pony style fetish shoes.

 

The Anne Valérie Hash show brought us basket-weaving gone glam.

 

Rick Owens showed a parade of wild boots that sprouted voluminous bunches of fabric and leather, and that, to my great surprise, actually worked.  Like, to the point that I want a pair of these boots.

 

A couple designers thus far have shown us—gasp!—flats.  Yohji Yamamoto, whose footwear I can’t say I cared for one little bit…

 

… and Dai Fujiwara at Issey Miyake, whose footwear I’m more than a little bit in love with.

 

But does it come as any sort of surprise at all that my favorite shoes of Paris Fashion Week thus far belong to the Christian Dior show and the amazingly creative brain of the one and only Mr. John Galliano?  It really shouldn’t.  I think I always love his shoes best.  I think it’s in my contract somewhere.  My contract for existing.

But really, look at these lovely, ornate, fanciful things.  Look at the heel detailing and the strap detailing and the ties around the ankle and… well… let’s just say I won’t be breaking my Galliano pattern this season.

(Paris Fashion Week images from Elle.com and Style.com)