Not off-FENDI-ded

Sure it's plastic but it's cool. Plus I am sure it's the really really expensive plastic.  High quality plastic that is perfumed or something. By now you are thinking but in the summer time I sweat. Right? Well let me tell you the people who can afford these pay someone else to sweat for them. Geez! Or at least the plastic surgeon has zapped their sudoriparous glands therefore void of any human body malfunctions. Anyhooooo I like these designs but i'll take mine in leather thanks.

Photos from Fendi website

Gold!

Sergio Rossi's Filagree sandal. It's pretty luxurious and I'm a sucker for gold. Who doesn't want to be dripping in it? Says the Lioness. These guys are a little Roman-esque a little Grecian princess but a whole lot of IN YOUR FACE AND SHOW ME THE MONEY. That's soooooo money.

Photo from Sergio Rossi Website

Ding! Fratelli Rossetti

Awww ain't it cute! A shoe for teen hep cats and daddyo's. Makes me wanna go to the drive-in eat curly fries and drink a milkshake. 

Colour blocking

A friend of mine a couple if weeks ago as we had planned to venture through the Art Gallery of SA (yep folks I still here) had the big cojones to step out in her vibrant mix up of shoes. Yes, they are the same style but come from two different pairs. A very bold move at colour blocking. So intense it was, that 'passer-byers' actually did a double take. It was amusing to watch a big woosh of colour as it whizzed past.      Living in a sleepy town of 1 million plus does this, does it not? That is wake the folk up? So why don't we do this more? Most people around the globe are very conservative and yes i'm all for a time and a place but i'm still waiting for the resurgence of the New Romantics, I hope you guys watched the Leigh Bowery doco. 

I'm in a mood, an over the top glam mood. Wrap me up in mink, call Harry Winston and paint ball me in colour. Why should I choose from black and or white? Why not magenta and electric blue?

Ombrè Delight

Photo correspondance from my pal in Milan.  My pal,  he says to me 'Signorina Soapie you gotta de zee dis. Is amazinga, you know?'.  Si, I says to my pal, I says 'Giuseppe, you are-a so righ, is a beaudiful shoes, eyesa gotta share wid da world, you know?'

So Mr. Magli Sir, you have struck a fine and dandy chord with a few of us. It's a luxurious sea of ombrè delight. Exotic skins can be worn only those brave enough to be just enough, exotic.  My heart skips and jumps and sings a little diddly piddly song of 'gleeeeee'. 'Hooray' Signorina Soapie shouts I found a shoe for my future husband/s to wear and when they finally come out of the closet at least I know they'll be high queens of style. Tears of joy.

skechers publicity

This entertained me...The End!

Car Shoe

I like these fancy tassle loafers, maybe its the snake skin or maybe it's because it has a grandious buccanneer  fru fru appeal to it.  All I can hear when I look at these is Peter Ustinov's voice laughing in a 'aha, aha' kind of way.  The question is Sacrificers would you be caught dead wearin' em'?

Chicken liver pip squeak, mate!

Slutsville. Can you take it?

Well well well, what do we have here?  Ahh yes the ill-fated designs of Versace.  Times are tough, sure I get it but to pander to the rising class of stripperhood because let's face it these are WORKING heels, for a working gal.  Well now, someone is either showing off their 'inner slut' or how business smart they truly are.  As street walking and male entertainment seems to be on the 'rise' again (all puns intended).  Why not do it in style? (It's a style, sure it is).  I mean when you're doing whatever it is that needs to be doing (human vacuum cleaning) why not spend a small fortune on plastic and shit mesh that warbles and wanes, stretches and pulls, stud it and make it trash white (I believe that's a pantone colour name or at least should be).  White the colour of purity and wet t-shirt competitions.  Excuse me does it come in a size 45?  Yeah, that's right these are clomping platforms.  Talk about chomping an apple through a picket fence.  Only the face a mother would love.

Expensive never looked so cheap.  Eye of the beholder?

Turning Japanesa

I really think so...da bada da ba da

Going 'West' again

Our patron saint's holy grail of footwear.  Yes another pair has been found...Thanks to the very sweet Paul Leroy, check out his blog.   Shear vanity was to blame for these puppies, long dress (t'was the style of the time) to conceal that the pint sized Mae, was shorter than just plain short.  This woman had taste though, it's an elegant last, lovingly designed and luxurious materials used.  I still want to know who the cobbler was.  If anyone knows tell me, tell us all.

Photo found from either Bonhams, Julien's or Profiles in History

Shoe Vid

For those who could not attend Fashion week Paris 2012 (filmed in 2011), here is a delightful snippet featuring a bucket load of tasty fried footwear.  I do not know the name of the author of this clip but they sure know about good music.  My vote, two thumbs up!!

Meet the jungle

Green snake skin dudes and dudettes, could be trashy but Pollini here with their fine elegant last and design makes me go, ooooooooo!

Deep Red

Deep red (not the horror film by Dario Argento although wearing a 12cm heel all day...), an elegant luxury with half a golden heel and gold lining.  Delicate pattern and sophisticated curves.  For real collectors of shoe beauty and craftmanship.

  

While drinking a coffee and eating cake made from rice flour at a hip little joint just off Corso Buenos Aires the charming and chatty proprieter eagar to talk about the future of the Italian accessory industry, assured me of the emergence of high craft manufacture (the re-birth of the artisan).  Going back to traditions of high quality, lower production and calling upon the older generation to pass on knowledge that nearly has been forgotten.  Usually tempted to take the advice of the taxi driver or hairdresser as gospel seeing as though these folks could take charge of any dire situation, economics, world crisis, how to make the best Ragu etc.  I sat there and listened to his philosphies (also cornered and not able to hide or politely excuse myself) it immediately took me back to what I call the golden era of Italian fashion and music the mid 1950s-60s and 70s (no  I did not time travel back there, I can't prove my theory, I do not own a magical crystal).  What a wonderful renaissance that would be, new thoughts, new processes, having an open mind, keeping alive tradition, saying let's try to make that crazy design instead of no it can't be done and I can't be bothered trying to figure it out.  Sounds rather bitterly optimistic...And all that for one pair of red velvet pumps.    

I propose a toast, to The Future! 

Industrial strength

A tough man's shoe.  It can kick you in the pants and make you cry and still look good with jeans...And now for some lumberjack forest man music, makes me wanna chop a tree.

 

VALENTINO! Shoes! Part Two

Hello my pretties...

Red Booties

I like these Red Booties, they have a real cobbler feel to them, dare I say Robin Hood?  The skill of handcraft artisan is a dying art.  Such a shame but it is so time consuming and expensive.   The coolest thing was that this lassie was dressed in a very 'art/drama teacher' 1980s black  layering dramatic attire and then POW! Red Shoes!

Pope Slippers

Nothing is more sacred than that of the Pope's slippers also known as the humble Loafer.  How fitting of the designer to have the foresight to add a halo and devil's horns.  Good Vs. Evil, the Left Vs. the Right, Black Vs. White, Angelina Jolie Vs. Megan Fox...Oh the drama, oh the tears.  At least in a pair of loafers you can be truly divine.