With spring officially upon us and summer just around the corner, it’s time to break out and step into the new, or rather, borrowed trends in footwear.
While some runway pieces don’t translate into everyday wear, there are some picks that are sure to make their appearance in the general public.
Made out of cork because of shortages in rubber and leather during the lean 1930s, the wedge heel made its debut and provided wearers with stability and style. The wedge popped up throughout the 20th century in different variations, including five inch heels during WWII, a goldfish bowl heel in the 1970s and sneaker wedges in the 1990s.
This year’s variations may not be as outlandish as fish bowl heels, but they do stand out just the same. Wedges feature laces, braided straps and buckles, as well as a punch of color.
Though heels appeared hundreds of years ago, when Catherine de Medici wanted to impress the French Court and draw the attention of her soon to be husband, the Duke of Orleans and eventual King of France, away from his taller mistress, they remain ever popular today.
While Medici was attempting to level the playing field, almost 100 years later, another ruler, Napoleon, banished heels to create equality.
After reappearing in the 1860s, heels have gone up and down throughout the years.
And in true futuristic fashion, this year’s 21st century heels feature metallic toes, transparent frames, pointed toes, ruffles and even rivets.
Heels and wedges are versatile enough to wear to a wide variety of locations, but it’s comforting to know that flats and flat sandals can be worn too, and let our feet take a little break.
Flats and flat sandals date back to the time of the pyramids and even farther. King Tut even had gold flip-flops. This years popular flats aren’t made of gold and won’t weigh down the wearer, or their wallet, but they will add to any outfit, dressy or casual.
Designers this season have taken the ballet slipper and adapted it, giving it a sense of modern simplicity and elegance. Flat sandals offer a similar vibe with clean lines and cool colors.
When it comes to footwear, this season has a lot of options for shoe lovers to explore and create a new look, by using borrowed designs modified to our 21st century tastes.
