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Tom’s Shoes – creator of the ubiquitous canvas grandpa slip-on — is holding a mega warehouse sample sale this Saturday. Expect to find recent styles and a handful of shoe prototypes that never made it to production. Score!
9 a.m. to 5 p.m at AMS Fullfillment, 29120 Commerce Center Dr., Valencia.
[mappress]
Face-planting on the runway is not the most ideal way to get press, but some designers get off on the free printed ink they score when such incidents occur. Alber Elbaz is not one of those designers. The Artistic Director of Lanvin actually had his models wear flats during his spring 2011 runway show a few weeks ago.
Elbaz spoke to WWD recently saying that his models were initially put into towering titanium heels. “We did rehearsal and all of a sudden I saw the girls couldn’t walk,” he said. “I saw the agony in their faces. They were shaking; they looked like alcoholic girls.”
Fortuitously, there were sandals backstage from the Lanvin commercial collection that saved the day.
“Only 10 or 12 [of the models] said they could walk in the heels, but the ones that couldn’t were, like, 37 of them.” Elbaz continued. “I got very emotional — not that I got mad at them — but I got very emotional that they didn’t complain. You know what? Damn it with image. You can be stubborn and go after an image, but I’m not an image-maker; I’m a dressmaker. If you don’t feel good in something, you don’t look good with it.”
Here here, Mr. Elbaz. We subscribe to your philosophy any day. And while perusing for other amazing Elbaz-isms we found an interview that he did with Natalie Portman for Time Magazine back in 2007. Portman cited the designer as the ultimate fashion philosopher-mentor, with him telling her things like, “Wear flats. You’re short. It’s much cooler not to pretend.”
How very cool.
Why is something instantly more appealing when it requires a waiting list? Last month W Magazine featured a trend report of several A-List couples, including Kate Moss and Jamie Hince. The editors chose so showcase “Wheel” leopard flats ($495) from Jimmy Choo as footcandy that perfectly fits the style of Ms. Moss. Next question. Why is something instantly more appealing when associated with Kate Moss?
The flats have a Stubbs & Wootton feeling, a la velvet slippers worn as house shoes by gentleman who host dinner parties, or prepsters that go to Palm Beach for vacation. I think the look is classic, but not for a young Angelino woman such as myself.
Jimmy Choo’s pair however, fits my bill. The flats feature leopard print pony hair and a slightly pointed toe. They are bold without looking like you tried too hard. Throw them on with skinny jeans and thin-knit sweater and you are good to go.
To join the waiting game, email purchaseinquiry@jimmychoo.com.
I’m not sure why anyone would ever want to look like any of the creatures from MTV’s Jersey Shore on purpose. But obviously someone, somewhere does because Steve Madden now has a glittery platform sandal called “Snookie” that would fit right in on any Garden State boardwalk (or any Santa Monica Blvd. corner, too).
The style retails for $109.95 and comes in black, rainbow and gold glitter. The shoes also come with a 5.5 inch mirrored heel, perfect for using as weapon when someone punches you in the face at the club.
Or you can always get a similar style at any shoe store on Hollywood Blvd., probably for half the price. You can use the savings to buy one of those Bumpit kits they sell in the checkout isle of Bed Bath and Beyond.
My extremely astute college roommate tipped me off to a case of mistaken identity in the form of footwear. It seems that a company called Rosegold has uh, borrowed —almost stitch for stitch — the design of Chloe’s cork and leather wedge.
This kind of feels like a movie based off of an old TV show. The idea is good in theory, I guess. But aren’t there enough unique ideas to go around? Isn’t that, after all, what designers are paid to sit around all day and do — you know, actually design?
Incase you’re interested in either pair, Chloe’s originals are $595 while the knock offs are $168. But for nearly $200, something tells me you can probably find a pretty cool pair of wedges that have their own look.
Photos: Left, Chloe’s T-strap wedge. Right, Rosegold’s version.
While shooting Alison Sudal (the singer known as A Fine Frenzy) for today’s Spring Awakening photo shoot, a pair of ballet slippers caused a bit of a rumpus around the set. Stylist Monica Schweiger arrived raving about the pair of black, leather, lace-up ballet flats by Corso Como that come with a built-in sock. Her 
assistant agreed, pointing to her feet and adding that they were the most comfortable things she’d ever worn. Later, Schweiger pulled the shoes out of her bag in a nice, compact ball and offered them to Sudal, who was getting ready to climb a steep, grassy hill. Sudal also remarked at how comfortable the shoes were (plus she made it up the hill in one piece). Not to mention cute—the shoes were used in the shot.
Corso Como ‘Ballasox,‘ $60. Available at Revolve Clothing.
Photos courtesy of Revolveclothing.com and, at right, Jeaneen Lund.
There’s a spring shoe trend afoot (ha!) that includes beaded, patterned styles fit for Pocahontas. Balmain’s spring repertoire includes a thick strapped, beaded flat sandal that could have been made at summer camp, while Nicole Richie’s House of Harlow just released a pair of destroyed suede, beaded moccasins that look like they walked off a reservation.
These shoes are all good and fine. But the imitation pieces don’t hold a candle to actual Native American footwear from the late 1800s, as we recently discovered while flipping through the amazing book Native American Clothing: An Illustrated History by Theodore Brassler during a recent visit to the Hennessey + Ingalls bookstore at Space15Twenty in Hollywood.
The Sioux had some of the most gorgeous, elaborately beaded designs with colors of mint green, cobalt blue and vibrant yellow dotting both the tops and soles of their shoes. Moccasins with beaded bottoms were worn by wealthy horse owners to show that they didn’t need to walk. Teenage girls also made them for the boys 
they were crushin’ on and sometimes the favored child in a family would be the lucky wearer of the lavishly adorned footcandy. Guess Christian Louboutin’s red soles don’t seem that innovative after all.
While Richie’s design is cute and Balmain’s sandals are quite fun, they look weak next to the real deal — which will set you back upwards of $1,200 if you can find a pair at auction or at a Native American artifact gallery. And truth be told, neither modern day pair looks worth their price tag. The House of Harlow version is $225 and, though not yet in stores, it’s a safe bet that Balmain’s flats will be, uh, more than that. We expect many Steve Madden-esque versions to appear at the mall as the weather heats up, too.
We’re gonna pass on the beaded shoes thing for now. Thankfully we still have our old beaded necklaces from camp.
Photos clockwise from top: House of Harlow moccasins, Sioux moccasins circa 1885 and Balmain’s spring 2010 beaded sandal.
For two long years, I’ve wanted a pair of Top-Siders. And for no reason besides pure laziness I have yet to make my purchase. But after a friend pointed out these understated metallic suckers on JCrew.com and said that they “seemed like me,” I’ve decided to finally take the plunge. I can already envision a sun-filled spring day with a biography I’ve been meaning to read (also for two long years), my favorite seersucker chiffon sundress and these Sperry’s glistening on my feet. A more realistic scenario probably involves my new shoes getting stepped on while rushing through the aisles at Ralph’s. But hey, a girl has to have her day dreams.
Sperry Top-Sider metallic boat shoes, $98. jcrew.com.
“It’s a gift to support these dogs and keep me out of the doghouse,” said one happy Jimmy Choo customer, carrying a bag of the brand’s luscious foot candy that would soon be a gift for his wife. Choo hosted an in-store soiree last night for the Brittany Foundation, a SoCal-based dog rescue, and to celebrate Choo 24:7, the London-based cobbler’s latest collection.
The line is comprised of basic, wardrobe staple styles in varying heel heights, colors and materials, and is designed to transcend trends (and recessions). Styles including round toe, patent leather pumps and square toe flats come in nude and black patent leather, black satin and even animal prints. Though most of the shoes are nothing new to the Choo empire, a slightly Prom-ish pair of platform slingbacks have been introduced for the collection and will probably appeal to those who wish for Giselle-like height upon waking up in the morning.
This seems like a fantastic way to remind women about the fashion items actually worth buying during troubled times (if our personal times were slightly less troubled, we’d be buying a pair of nude patent pumps from the collection ASAP). But by the looks of the happy shoppers making their way through the store last night, business must be booming somewhere.
Lucky dogs.
Few style choices are more enduringly precious than a pair of Toms. Unlike other hideous footwear that won’t go away in L.A., I hope they become the Lacoste of shoes (“the gator never goes out of style,” or so we’ve been told for years).
But I hadn’t thought of gifting the charity line until I saw founder Blake Mycoskie’s holiday video. (For those who don’t know, Toms gives a pair of shoes to a needy child in Argentina or Ethiopia for each pair of Toms purchased. How great is that?)
Gift cards can be sent online if you’re not up-to-date on the shoe sizes of your loved ones. — Krista Jennings
