|
 Flimsy sling back heels or high boots, footwear can be a
trendy accessory, a fetish or an object of continuous experiments with fashion
and style. Every year designers bring the latest fad in for us, and proudly
present the results of their experimenting with shapes, styles, hues, patterns
and ideas, which is reflected in the footwear of the XXI century.
Famous fashion designers have always had difficulty resisting
the urge to idealize and transform the reality, but it was not until a couple
of years ago that their passion for finding new ways of expression reached new
levels. No matter how shocked we might be by the weird fancy-shaped sandals or
boots, they made a quick transition from catwalk to high street. And even the hardened
skeptics have to admit that this is the footwear of the future.
When the Basics are Discarded
The most striking example showing what happens when the
basics are discarded can be seen in Nina Ricci 2009 collection. Heelless platform
shoes caused quite a stir. Could anyone think of the footwear that looked as if
its heels had been yanked off, whether by accident or deliberately? Now this wonder
product of the alliance of advanced technologies and fashion is being adapted
for everyday wear.
There's another "loss", even more significant, since it is
totally unreasonable. Autumn and winter footwear gradually loses the upper
part, which was previously intended to protect from the cold. With each new
season, the footwear loses some inches. It all looked innocuous in the
beginning - first, the booties lost their heels, then boots followed suit.
Increasingly, we can see high boots that reach to the hips, while the foot area
would look more appropriate on flip-flops or sandals. However, this footwear
has one definite advantage - you can wear it around the year, if the weather is
fine. Besides, boots and booties are not only comfortable but also look chic
and stylish. Moreover, they are available in different versions ranging from
fancy, retro, trendy, and sleek. They would go with anything you wear, be it
skirt, pants, jeans to dresses and would up the style quotient by high
measures. You could go for suede booties, booties with bows, with open toes,
strapped booties, with platform, with ties, cutout booties, ruffled ones,
velvet lace ups, cage booties, and even with feathers and glitters. The best
buy of booties would be from Chloe, Roberto Cavalli, Prada, Versace, Louis
Vuitton, Pucci, Marni and Calvin Klein, and Nina Ricci.
Seasonal Changes
In recent footwear fashions, winter often meets summer, and
summer heels by Miuccia Prada are suddenly graced with a fur trim. Though
highly original, these shoes are hardly suited for rainy weather as they would
be totally ruined by the slightest humidity.
Spring and summer shoes have practically rejected the
concept of leather, which luckily still holds its ground with autumn and winter
footwear, though with some major modifications like using reptile skins instead
of traditional leather. Knee-high, over-knee or thigh-high boots in leather,
suede, shearling, drap, lace or silk with round or tapering toes in olive
green, maroons, brown, black, grey, and even gold color would be in rage for a
"stand out" look. You could pair them with short dresses, minis, skinny jeans,
tights, or even long socks. Look for them in collections by Louis Vuitton,
Loewe, Hermes, Giuseppe Zanotti, Lacoste, Alexander McQueen, and Mark Jacobs.
Two-in-One
Along with incredibly weird combinations of footwear detail,
there are quite sensible trends that signal the revolutionization of footwear
fashion. The major trend is to combine one or two styles or several totally
different types of footwear in one piece. In 2009, booties have undergone a
miraculous transformation (toes are now open, heel is higher, and length is
shorter) to make a seamless transition from the autumn-winter wardrobe to
summer wear.
Modified sports footwear, like ankle-high sneakers, is
obviously a part of our everyway wear, while many other sport-inspired shoes
like those with the heel can be a rather shocking development for some of us.
Rubber Around the Year
Recently, leather as the basic material for autumn and winter
footwear has somehow faded away, as many designers chose to substitute it with
textiles, and later switched to thick rubber. A couple of seasons ago, rubber rain
boots enjoyed a huge comeback, but today they refuse to be kept solely for
"walking in the rain" purposes. Rubber does its best to become a trendy
replacement for leather, and sometimes it's so well done that it's hardly
noticeable.
And the last, but not the least. If you are the one who digs
bohemian style, here is good news for you. The 70's look of fringes is back and
that too with a bang. In all the fashion weeks of autumn/winter and
spring/summer, fringed footwear has offered their attendance. Be it pumps,
booties, boots, everything is flaunting fringed look. The best colors for
fringed footwear would be olive green, brown, black, petrol green, russet,
auburn, cocoa etc.
|
