I Want Some Spring(/Summer 2011) in My Step.

Hello, chickens. 

I'm conscious that I've had my Critical Hat on a lot lately, what with my indignation at Superette, Calvin Klein and Jennifer Aniston in Allure magazine...so as a welcome antidote - and after the crushing realisation that I will never be able to afford this season's Miu Miu heels - I want to talk to you about shoes. It'll be as though second-wave feminism never existed... *plants tongue firmly in cheek*


First: the Miu Mius. They were for me one of the highlights of the S/S 2011 shows (in fact, so were the dresses - I wrote briefly about it in my post Miu Miu: Gatsby on Acid? ). Part brogue, part spats, part 30s dancing shoes, the demure shape, metallic leather and neon shades culminated in what I thought were some seriously cool footwear. Want a reminder? Course you do...

What I love about the them is the way they decorate the front of the foot - I'm no fetishist, but there's something very sensual about the glimpse of the part between ankle and toe, especially when the ankle and toes are hidden. Of course, the 'corset-style' lace-up and multiple straps help to eroticise the look a little...

After long deliberation, I've decided these are my favourites.

And look how they emphasise the curve of the leg (at least for people with legs like gazelles):

Anyway - I like them. You get it. I had a happy old time discussing with Pearl W which ones I was saving up for...but tragically, as it turned out they retail at £700 they won't be my First Pair of Brand New Designer Shoes after all. But, as we all know, once you're strung out on something, it's hard to let it go...which is why I couldn't resist turning to my faithful old pal the highstreet in search of a fix.

Topshop's 'Heels' banner.

At first it was a bit disheartening - the Dorothy Perkins could do with a bit of metallic spraypaint, and the New Look ones, while sporting the requisite straps, are a little underwhelming:

These Monsoon lovelies at least have a degree of the filigree flourish:

Veering more towards shoeboots - check out the bondage-esque straps on these two offerings from Office.

So far so dull. Where are all the eye-popping brights?! Just as we all yearned for autumn at the tail end of summer, as the grey days drag on I'm now dreaming of spring sunshine - the kind of days that require you to have an array of peeptoe shoes at your disposal to show off a glimpse of your colourful pedicure. Well look no further - Kurt Geiger are bringing the colour this spring. The top lefthand ones also have the nude/yellow/metallic combination that I find so delectable in the Miu Mius...

In the end, though, it looks like 'neon and metallic leather brogue shoeboots' is too much to ask from the high street. These Méchante of London are closest in nailing that glitzy roller-derby aesthetic - relatively cheap at under 200 notes. Perhaps flouro-pink toenails would give them the right feel...?! 

So for now, at least, the Miu Miu-shaped gap in my life is here to stay. (As for feminism...just remember, heels may make you as tall as the fellas - but you might not be able to walk at the same pace... )

Which were your favourite shoes from SS 2011?

Would you save for the designer or splurge on the high-street?