There are some shoes that are the boiled-down essence of their particular look.   That have become synonymous over the years with a whole variety of lifestyles.

You have your anti-establishment Doc Marten 1460’s (introduced in 1960).

Your once-athletic and now indie/alternative Converse All Stars (introduced in 1917).

There’s your ultimate in uptown ladylike chic, Repetto BB flats (introduced in 1956 and named for their intended client: Brigitte Bardot).

And your life-of-leisure Gommino driving moc by Tods (introduced in the 1970s).

See… a shoe can evoke an entire lifestyle.

For more of the top 50 iconic shoes (as chosen by Footwear News), check out the slideshow at their site.

2 Comments »

I must give credit to my aunt for introducing me to On Pedder. On Pedder, named after the street the first shop was opened on, is a high end accessories boutique located in several asian countries (when will they hit the US?). Bi-annually, they publish a magazine called Pedderzine which showcases the latest fashion accessories. The latest publication, by integrating nature with accessories, is simply far out.

A spoof of a Natural Geographic cover with Dries Van Noten sandals. By itself the sandals are flirty and girly. Against the gray city backdrop and on top of what might (for a novice like me) look like an oil rig, the shoes remind me of the rainbow of colors that oil leaves behind.

I’m terrified of bugs and reptiles, but have to make an exception here.

Spider, ewwwh. Repetto sandals that looks like spiders, ahhhh!

Alexander McQueen patent sandals. This is one moth I’d love to have in my closet.

Jimmy Choo Python Sandals as a bee.

A knee high version of the gladiator Givenchy sandals we blogged about earlier this week. The slinky effect reminds me of a serpent or black snake rearing its head.

And lest you think we only blog about shoes, there were also a ton of other noteworthy accessories that must be showcased. Including:

Golden Goose Leader handbag. Any entomologists reading the blog? I have no idea what bug this is, but it’s gruesome.

Wouldn’t it be great if all caterpillars morphed in python hoop earrings?

Or if cockroaches rocked these designer sunnies?

And last, these Chloe booties really do blend well as a part of the spinal cord.

5 Comments »

Last week, Shomore mentioned the designs that have been made to celebrated legendary ballet slipper company Repetto’s 60th anniversary.

Time for this intrepid Shoeblogger to hit the streets and head to Bergdorf Goodman in NYC to see these shoes in action. Well… on display, more like.

Lovely creations all, with contributions from many creative walks of life. You have your fashion personalities, like designer Proenza Schouler and model Jessica Stam.

You have your actors, both Hollywood (Chloe Sevigny and Kirsten Dunst)…

… and international (Gaspard Ulliel).

You have your musicians (Kim Gordon).

And, of course, you have your multi-hyphenates, like former-supermodel-singer-actress-possible-soon-to-be-First-Lady-of-France, Carla Bruni…

… and singer-actress-longtime-paramour-of-Johnny-Depp, Vanessa Paradis.

But of all the shoes in these windows (and there were many shoes in those windows), my favorite by far was this feather-enhanced pair by Chiara Mastroianni, actress and genetically blessed offspring of Catherine Deneuve (who also had a pair of Repettos on display) and Marcello Mastroianni.

These are just gorgeous. They’ve got the Hermes winged sandal thing going on, but in a very delicate, feminine way that’s just perfect for these ballet-inspired shoes.

All these shoes will be auctioned in October, with money raised going to the Repetto Foundation and UNESCO’s “Danse pour la vie,” which gives money to international dance and ballet schools.

3 Comments »