Juicy Couture Flats

High heels, pumps, stilettos, wedges, platforms… no matter which style you prefer, heels are an essential part of every fashion-conscious woman’s wardrobe. They’re so important that we’ve been known to invest hundreds of dollars on ONE perfect pair; a perfect pair that leaves us so broke we’re forced to transition to Forever 21 for the rest of the year.

What if you can’t wear heels, though? What if a stiletto is simply not in your future due to a disability or some other circumstance? What if you’re klutzy or your feet are too big? Whatever the case may be, women who can’t wear heels often feel left out and limited. It’s a high heeled world out there and the rest of us just walk flat-footed in it.

I was able to wear chunky heels all throughout high school and college. Not well, mind you; I was always stumbling and tripping everywhere (I have the scarred knees to prove it!). It was a mess. After college I realized that I couldn’t wear them at all and begrudgingly resigned myself to flats. At the time there weren’t a lot of stylish flat options out there and I found myself panicking at the thought of wearing Birkenstocks for the rest of my life.

Today is a different story. Designers have caught on that heels aren’t the only shoes most essential to a wardrobe. Flats have inundated the fashion industry; even Manolo Blahnik and Jimmy Choo are offering more grounded designs. Some might argue that flats are so popular they’re giving those high-hovering pumps a run for their money.

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Most would agree that fashion is an art form. It’s an avenue of self expression and a means to reveal to the world how you represent yourself. Are you sophisticated, classy, preppy or sporty? Are you punk rock, avant garde, retro or grunge? Make no mistake, your outfit says a lot about who you are; people will undoubtedly conjure up their judgments.

Whether or not this matters to you is personal issue and I’m in no way implying that anyone should or should not look a certain way. I believe everyone is entitled to their own unique style; their own artistic face forward. Personally, I like to take risks in fashion. I thrive off the feeling of leaving my house every morning knowing that I stand out from the crowd.

While taking a few risks in life is typically a good thing, how far is too far when it comes to fashion? The other day I was surfing the internet and came across a pair of Nicholas Kirkwood, Alice in Wonderland, heels that were made for Parisian department store, Printemps (in honor of Tim Burton’s adaptation of Alice in Wonderland). Take one look at these gorgeous, densely decorated, shoes and it’s obvious they’re not meant to be worn but I’m almost certain that not everyone sees it the same way.

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Japanese culture is a complex, yet fascinating phenomena that tends to revolve itself around one main goal: harmony. Even in today’s street style, cutesy Hello Kitty items are paired with punk, masculine pieces to create some sort of complicated balance. One of my favorite Japanese street style blogs, which I stumbled upon on Jane Aldridge’s blog Sea of Shoes, is DropTokyo. It’s certainly edgy and captures the essence of Japanese style on a daily basis.

If you take note at the footwear, you’ll notice that no matter how ordinary or extraordinary the shoes are, most of the time the subjects are wearing platforms or flats of some kind. In fact, Japanese footwear in general tends to follow this mantra; the foot is always, for the most part, level so pressure is applied evenly to both the heel and ball of the foot. It’s spectacular to witness the usage of something rooted and conceptual as harmony in something so functional as footwear, and somehow it always seems so fashion-forward.

Rei Kawakubo (founder of Comme des Garçons) and Junya Watanabe are both Japanese fashion designers that have reached all corners of the world with their forward-thinking collections. You’ll find that within their design there is a heightened sense of complexity and simplicity working together in each garment. In addition, their footwear seems to follow. Heels are never steeply high nor are they thin; rather they are chunky and grounded.

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We’ve all done it. We’ve all been caught greedily staring at another woman’s pair of fabulous shoes. It happens in the mall. It happens while getting your morning coffee. Sometimes it happens when you least expect it;  you’re in the middle of a day dream and suddenly face-to-face with a gorgeous pair of Alexander McQueen heels that you can’t tear your gaze from.

Having got caught red handed and mid-drool on several occasions, I know how awkward it can be when the owner notices she has an admirer. In situations like that, though, I always smile and say, “I adore your shoes!” All is forgiven. But what happens when you’re staring for the exact opposite reason? What happens if you can’t tear your eyes away from a pair of shoes because they’re the most God-awful, horrendous looking things you’ve ever seen? Unfortunately, that happens more often then I’d like.

Having bared witness to some pretty ugly shoes over the years, I’ve come to the conclusion that there are some popular styles out there that should never have seen the sketch from a designer’s pencil, let alone made it on to somebody’s feet. Below, are a few examples of shoes that have made me scratch my head and ask, “What were they thinking?”

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How does anyone begin writing about Dame Vivienne Westwood? Going through the motions of simply describing her designs and regurgitating her bio seems to undermine her monumental influence on the fashion industry. The scope and depth of her life’s work has been nothing short of ground breaking. And yet, there’s something to be said for acknowledging the fact that she’s worked so incredibly hard at her craft; perhaps she deserves a little frivolous chatter about her accomplishments. She’s earned it, after all.

Westwood has been deemed the Queen of Punk due to her critical roll in the materialization of Punk Rock in the 1970’s. In the early 1980’s she gained international notoriety for her Pirate and New Romantic look. Even those who don’t closely follow fashion know her bold and original work. Her popularity is unwavering; she continues to influence and spread her creative wings across generations.

On the topic of spreading wings, Westwood’s Spring/Summer women’s shoe collection features some intriguing sandals such as the Anglomania Wing Shoes. These sandals are100% recyclable and were designed for eco-friendly brand, MELISSA. The design showcases a wing shooting out at the ankle, a whimsical and artsy touch that will certainly crane necks with interest.

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