Top 10 is a recurring feature showing off 10 great styles, products or ideas. Today: fall shoes and boots.
By Lesley Kennedy
1. L.A.M.B. "Jaco" sandal in black ($299). At Nordstrom.com. 2. Marshall's peep-toe ankle bootie. 3. L.A.M.B. "Rasta" open-toe ankle boot ($345). At piperlime.com. 4. Madden Girl "Kendra" platform peep-toe bootie ($49.95). At DSW. 5.Betsey Johnson "Karatta" plaid ankle boot ($235). At piperlime.com. 6. Jessica Simpson "Katie" platform peep-toe in eggplant ($89). At piperlime.com. 7. Christian Siriano for Payless ankle boot. 8. Pour la Victoire "Adriane" zipper boot ($315). At piperlime.com 9. SM Luxe Trump studded cut-0ut ankle bootie ($79.95). At DSW. 10. Zigi Soho Zipora platform bootie ($69.95). At DSW.
There is nothing timid about this season’s footwear. Forget dainty. Get over plain. And if it’s delicate? Just walk away.
This fall, think bold. Think sexy. Think in-your-face. Platform heels, big, wide straps, buckles, studs and adornments galore make your shoes your fashion statement. And those peep-toe, or thick gladiator styles you bought this summer? Just add tights and they’re perfect for fall.
In fact, Valara Gee, director of merchandising for DSW, says the aggressive shoe trend will only get bigger in seasons to come.
“In this economy, you really have to be motivated to buy something that’s not in your closet, and nobody really had anything that looked like this,” she says. “And I think you need a stronger shoe to balance the silhouettes women are wearing. If you put on a pretty, tiny stiletto heel or strappy sandal, you’re just not going to be able to balance it with the layering and the stronger silhouettes on the shoulders. It’s harder to balance that out with a shoe that’s barely there.”
Stacy London, style expert and co-host of What Not to Wear, says she loves a bold shoe.
“It fits my personality, what can I say?” she says. “I mean everyone is doing them. …I think there’s also been this almost fashion answer to the recession, which is that a la grunge thing. And that comes back to, well what do you do to kind of spice that up? How do you make a stronger statement? So, accessories are playing more and more of a role in the way fashion is coming up with ideas that are still affordable without having to revamp your entire wardrobe. And shoes are always a part of that because they can change an outfit so easily.”
Women always like to look sexy, says Stacey Bendet of Alice + Olivia, who also has a line with Payless. “But the mood right now is definitely a darker sexy with a rock ’n’ roll feel,” she says.
Jennifer Gosselin, shoe expert at Piperlime.com, says the aggressive shoe trend really took off after Sarah Jessica Parker’s character, Carrie, wore the Givenchy Extreme Gladiator sandal in an episode of Sex and the City.
“There was a tremendous growth in popularity in shoes that had this covered vamp or ‘upfront’ look — somewhat of a cross between a high-heeled sandal and an ankle bootie,” she says. “It’s a strong shoe, and, possibly, projects its own sense of power and confidence to the wearer, hence the appeal.”
London says this shoe only becomes a problem when heels really aren’t in your best interest in the first place.
“I think there’s something very architectural about them and that makes them sort of generic – you can pretty much wear them with everything,” she says. “There’s a platform to go with sort of a bohemian style, there’s a platform to go with a sort of super-edgy rocker style, and you can certainly just do a little platform loafer or lace-up for a kind of collegiate style.”
You do, however, need to be aware of your body type and the way some of these strong details will look on it, London says.
“There are lots of T-strap ruffles, which you have to be careful with, because even with a platform, when that covers your whole foot — like a ruffle — it can make you look like you’re standing in a bucket,” she says. “I’m seeing a lot of these super-high platform boots, ankle boots, even booties – like shoe booties – and a lot of them have fold-over flaps. Again, that’s something to be very careful with if you have shorter legs because it will shorten your leg line significantly.”
So, once you find the perfect style that works for you, are these shoes to wear out at night, or can you wear them for day?
“Well, it depends who you ask,” Bendet says. “I carry my 10-month-old in bright red platforms.”
Here are our Top 10 shoe and boot looks for fall. No wimps allowed.
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