My search for the unique has lead me to Ndeur. Mathieu Missiaen has created a brand around his hand painted designs, including these truly original shoes. The self-titled "graphist" from Canada has produced some bold print shoes, that are sure to get you noticed. They may not be to my style but Mathieu's originality has to be applauded. To appreciate more of Ndeur's design go to the homepage for all contyact details and sales.
Street Peeper, and the Facehunter have offered some bright footwear options for January. Last week we even saw the Facehunter, Yvan, sporting some fab red boots himself. I myself have some "Dorothy" style Mary-Jane shoes...minus the sparkle; I think it may be time to dust them off.
Christmas can be a difficult party season for the tall. Shoes present me with a daily dilema but my anxiety increases two-fold during the festive season. I wear flats - my feet are the size of small boats, so they seem the obvious choice. BUT Christmas party wear does not lend itself to the wearing of my usual maritime specials, you are supposed to do heels. have placed a small chink of light at the end of my shoe tunnel. Heels can still look quirky, even if you are tall and they are kind enough to offer me a variety of heel heights to ease my head bump potential. What I like about Office is that they offer you a look book so you can preview your purchase on a real foot of a real human cool person (see above)!
I worry about surcoming to all news trends...but I'm afraid the myriad of brogues available have truly sucked me in. Above left, are pairs from Office, relatively reasonably priced at £60. Urban Outfitters offer a more expensive but no less stylish version, at £100 - their main appeal for me is the colour, glorious grey (a rather juxtaposed phrase for some!) So one new trend definitely has my support.
The 118 118 ads in the U.K. have a lot to answer for! They have spawned a love of all cheesy 70's advertising that Nike have tapped into, producing this superb result! Their re-issue of many 70's classics is championed in this retro ad campaign. The website takes the form of brochure, The Oregon Runner, featuring advice, ads and articles that all harp back to 1977! The spoofing continues with a moustache maker and a caption game! Look at the trainers...don't they seem so much more appealing? The Nike marketing moguls strike gold again!
So, this is a contentious post...for some reason, unbeknownst even to myself, I really like these shoes. BUT only to look at, I'm not really sure I could actually wear them, or could I! You can see the quandary these sandals have put me in! These wing back sandals by Irregular Choice are so appealing; I think they need to be tried on to settle this internal conflict! (Click on the images above to enlarge)
I am loving the new ad campaign by Camper shoes. The Spanish company has always intrigued me, as they have managed to combine function and fashion so effortlessly. Despite being a multinational brand, their stores have a boutique feel to them, which holds great appeal for their shoppers. I am loving these criptic ads - strange, seemingly unrelated products with an impact on the footwear, genius.
The sandal debate rolls on and I've been mesmerised by these gladiator style sandals, called Athens by Ted Baker. They're just really pretty - maybe it's the swirled, circular leather shapes or the pleasing tan shade but I just really like them. Best of all, they can be bought on-line in Ted Baker's e-store.
As those of you who are regular readers know, I have feet like boats but still love flip-flops, so what options are out there for me? Office shoes spring to mind with their great range of the slops. I'm still a sucker for the metallics, I think their shiny glare detracts from the size of my feet! My personal favourite is the Drake soft gathered thong, top right. The leather looks unbelievably soft and I hate to use this word...but "dreamy"! (can't believe I just said it!!) The Donna buckle toepost, top right, is a classic thong sandal but I love the high ankle strap. Below, the Dovita X-Stitch, ankle strap in black leather, has that distinctive gladiator look, that seems to be everywhere but is still undeniably cool. So..it looks as if the boats may make an appearance this summer and they'll be wearing Office!
I have feet that could unfortunately be mistaken for canoes - which isn't a great look! In the summer I can cope with getting out the flip-flops as I have no foot shame...but if there is a kinder alternative, especially for other peoples' eyes, then I'm willing to try it out. So, what are the alternatives? Well, peep-toed shoes spring to mind but I hadn't been able to find any that I loved...that was until this weekend. I spotted these little gems by Bertie. The reason I love them - the shimmery white with the gold piping. You can't see their true beauty in this photo but once on the foot, they can transform even my hobbit-like boats, into acceptable specimens! Check out The Shoe Studio for more from Bertie.
I love these t-strap flats, simply because they're a little bit different. I don't really do heels, so flats are my friend...but recently the selection I've seen in stores is a little boring, just the ubiquitous ballet shoe! So its refreshing to see a different style. I love the t-bar strap and ankle buckle. Unfortunately I can't find a Joie accessories U.K. stockist but they are available from Shopbop in the U.S. (they do ship internationally but this can really up the cost). If anyone has any U.K. Joie information, please let me know.
I had a bit of a shock today, Eley Kishimoto is now available on ASOS! These 70s Court Shoes are just so delightful and original - very Eley. I just really didn't expect ASOS to stock such an avant-garde designer. One benefit is that there are usually plenty of discount codes for ASOS, so some Eley Kishimotos could be yours with a potential 20% reduction. I can't stop looking at them (is that weird?)!!!!
Are skulls "in" or "out"? To be honest I don't really care...I just really like these shoes by Alexander McQueen. I've got one of his skull scarves in black chiffon with the blue print and it does add a little something to every outfit. I might treat myself to these shoes...but maybe they're a little fashion "now" for my liking! See for yourself at Net-a-Porter.
Office London has recently started to stock the Adidas Sleek range. Designed by Fafi these trainers are really quirky and original. I love the fact Adidas are trying something a little more fashion forward - I'm not really sure if I'd wear them..but I do think Fafi is amazing. She is a female graffiti artist based in Paris and I adore her cute designs. Please check out her beautiful website.
I love these shoes by Office. The colours are amazing and the style is sooo original...they shall be mine! I'm a little unsure of how I would wear them - the elastic, flip back would rule out opaque tights...I think. As soon as I saw this look I thought of Rachel Bilson - she shows how these colours should be worn - a beautiful, polished look.
I love Urban Outfitters! They've taken quirky kitsch to the High Street while still making it affordable. I don't really "do" high heels - they're special occasion shoes for me - so flats are my daily staple in footwear. I love the great selection of flats Urban Outfitters have on offer on their U.S. site - hopefully the U.K. site will catch up on stock soon. Heels take me to 6ft 2 - so if you're like me and feel a little self conscious (not to mention nervous) at such a height - check out these great flats.
This london-based label launched in Autumn 2006 and sell exclusively at Kurt Geiger . I love their vibrant colour mixes and quirky, eye-catching details. My particular favourite is the grey court shoe above (although I'm still debating whether or not to get the tan!). I think they'd look amazing with some fab opaque tights and a shift dress. They retail at £95, which I think is a pretty good price for such an original shoe. Check out some more great shoes from their range below.
