CONTRIBUTOR POST: ICONIC FOOTWEAR
Contributor: Mary Jane Fashion
Shoes are an indispensable part of our
everyday lives, taking us through work, play, birth, death and everything in
between. There are those of us who are certified obsessed with shoes and there
are those of us who only see them as a means of getting from ‘A’ to ‘B’. Whichever
camp you fall into, you have to admit that we really couldn’t be without them.
Over the years, some truly exciting styles of shoe have featured in our lives,
becoming pop culture sensations and urban legends. Some shoes come to define
our childhoods, are objects of nostalgia and sentimentality. Like all other
accessories and fashion in general, shoes tell us stories about the people we
are and the times in which we live. We’ve created an homage to some of the
classic and best-loved shoes and shoe styles that we all love and relate to.
Alexander McQueen’s Armadillo boots
There are few designers who have you can describe as truly innovative, and Alexander McQueen is one of them. Before his untimely death in 2010, he demonstrated his originality and his creative prowess with great abandon, garnering fans and admirers the world over. One of his most iconic boots, and arguably one of the most iconic shoes of all time, came in his last collection, Plato’s Atlantis. The boot was used to reflect his show’s overall narrative of humanity retuning to a fish-like state after the melting of the polar ice caps. It succinctly combines elegance with grotesque form, curving dramatically round to look simultaneously like both a sea-monster’s claw and a ballerina’s foot en pointe.
Cinderella’s glass slipper
As children, we watched the Disney animated
classic and gazed in wonder at Cinderella’s magical pair of glass slippers. In
2015, Disney made a live-action version of the film, with Lily James in the
titular role wearing a pair of shoes fashioned from Swarovski crystals. These
shoes are a magpie’s dream: sparkly and shiny, they are the ultimate in fantasy
footwear. In real life, they would be completely impractical to wear to a ball
and run around in, posing a great risk of damaging and cutting helpless feet,
especially for those of us who are heavy-footed. Still, with such a delicate
and pretty pair of shoes, we can only be allowed to dream…
Jelly shoes
Sparkly jelly shoes are perfect for kids
growing up, especially as they are an apt and effective way of recreating the
pair of glass slippers belonging to Cinderella: without the glass but with all
the sparkle. Jelly shoes were particularly popular in the nineties, and are now
a style of shoe that is fun to reminisce about. They embody a carefree time of
make-believe and magic that we can re-visit and laugh about. The classic JuJu
style did make a minor comeback a few years ago, but if we’re being honest with
ourselves, they are probably best left in the past. If you would like to invest
in sophisticated, grown-up jelly shoes, Melissa for Vivienne Westwood offers a
quirky range of popping heels and flats that are decorated with some of the
latter’s signature designs.
Converse All Stars
At some point, we all graduated to Converse All Stars, the
classic sports boot designed by Chuck Taylor. Although originally used as a
basketball boot, the style become an international phenomenon for teenagers and
ragamuffins the world over. Some have found their Converses notoriously painful on their first outing but soon become
their comfiest pair of shoes. Part of their appeal is the fact that they come
in a multitude of colours and styles, meaning that you and all your friends
could be wearing the same brand but never the same shoe. Work a classic
Converse boot by pairing with skinny jeans and a T-shirt, like these from Mary Jane Fashion wholesaleclothing suppliers.
Dorothy’s ruby slippers
One of the most famous pair of shoes in
existence, Dorothy’s ruby slippers from the film The Wizard of Oz are an inspiration. A delightfully sparkly pair,
it’s hard to believe that the shoes were originally supposed to be silver and
pointed, as described in Frank. L. Baum’s novel; however, the production team
wanted to make full use of the film’s Technicolor, and so went for a hue much more
vibrant and bursting with colour. These shoes have enchanted viewers ever since
the film was first released in 1939, spawning a thousand copies and sending
generations of shoe-lovers into a frenzy.
Comments