Can you tell we’re in a very shoe state of mind here at the office today? We can’t stop!
While Abby’s contemplating Birks, I’m feeling a very different shoe: the Adidas’ SLVR 106.
The mesh wedge sneaker has been around for a few months and getting a fair amount of attention. Both Queen Michelle of Kingdom of Style and Elizabeth of White Lightning have written them up. But even these two fashion forward ladies are skeptical in their admiration.
Personally, I love them. They’re fun and a nice combination (I think) of my two different favorite shoe looks - sneakers and heels. The wedge is orange, a color I’m loving right now. And it’s 4 1/2 inches high - perfect for a tiny girl like me. Plus (according to the website) they offer support and as some of us have foot problems, support with a heel could be a major plus.
Ed note from Abby: I fear looking like Victoria Beckham throwing out the first pitch of that Dodgers’ game on her show. But I fully support Amanda giving these a go.
For me, Queen Michelle put it best: “it’s OK to not be pretty, dammit!” Pretty can be boring, and safe, and these are, if nothing else, interesting.
So what say you?
—AMANDA JEAN BOYLE
I’ve been carrying around a zippered Y-3 wallet under my arm for a week, and suddenly, life is easier. I grab everything I need, all at once on my way out the door, which is too much to fit into a pocket-sized wallet.
So I’m particularly delighted with the newest unexpected twist from this season’s menswear runways - the introduction of clutches to men’s wardrobes.
If you think about it, it’s really not far-fetched. Men carry briefcases and portfolios, which are just as hard to carry as a clutch. So why not switch out an attaché case for a sleek Marni envelope? Plus, these days, we’re carrying cell phones, wallets, Blackberries, keys and a bajillion other things. A giant messenger bag isn’t always a convenient, or appropriate, accessory for a night out.
Dries Van Noten’s zippered patent leather option is pretty basic without adding too many buckles or other distractions we’re sure most guys wouldn’t approve of. We love the blood red Ferragamo, left - it’s big but not annoying.
We bet Marc will be next in line with some playful clutches, since he’s obviously a fan of them himself.
The only problem? Keeping your girlfriend’s hands off them.
—KYLE HAYES
Silvia Venturini Fendi dedicated the latest Fendi menswear collection to poverty, but that wasn’t the only strange thing about it.
Enter wedges for men.
We’re not really sure where they came from, or how they made it to the runway, but what we do know is that this is right up there with Mcqueen’s one-piece bathing suit on the weirdness spectrum.
We know we might take some heat for this, but we feel like this is just another example to add to the list of this season’s misappropriation of women’s wear, to go with cinched waists for guys.
We guess we could see them on certain attention-loving men - They would garner some looks on the street. And we know some guys may want a little extra height, too, but we’re not sure this is the way to go about it.
Who knows, maybe this could be the next big thing, but for now we’re predicting that this is a trend that stays right where it should be - on the runway.
—KYLE HAYES
Walking down Fifth this weekend I saw not one, not two, but three different girls dressed in a variety of outfits accompanied by sneaker wedges.
Yes, sneaker wedges.
Each time I saw a pair walk by, I stopped and watched them stomp past me and thought to myself, “Why?”
Sure, they’re a combination of the most comfortable shoe out there with one of the cutest, but let’s face it, it’s a high-heeled sneaker, which is a little like slapping a heel onto an Ugg and calling it evening wear.
They could be cute underneath a pair of wide-leg jeans, but only because you wouldn’t see the entire shoe. This is literally the only instance we can think of.
We just plain don’t get this one - Are they meant for Posh Spice-wannabes in Phys Ed? Or are rubber triangles under otherwise normal sneakers the new Croc? As in, something hideous that we better get used to seeing around anyway?
Someone please explain, quickly.
—KYLE HAYES