YSL fall 09 Campaign

via ysl.com

Yves Saint Laurent fall 09 campaign featuring Christy Turlington by Inez & Vinoodh.

The Straps of Spring 09

The stap trend that was quite prevalent in s/s 09 mens shoes had very mixed reviews. I don't know exactly how I feel about it, but I do think it is an interesting idea. One of the reasons is the different ways it is used have quite varied effects. I like its use at Louis Vuitton where it hides the construction of the shoe. It could be an oxford, or a derby, or a whole-cut, but this is neatly hidden away. In the YSL I like that the grosgrain is not limited to the strap, but also used along the topline. At Prada the rubber bands circle the whole shoe, and at Dries Van Noten a buckled leather strap covers a brogue which make them seem like an afterthought. This is not necessarily a bad thing - just interesting.

top to bottom:
Louis Vuitton via gq.com
Dries Van Noten via selectism
Yves Saint Laurent via ysl.com
Prada Campaign featuring Louis Simonon and Claude Simonon, shot by Hedi Slimane via prada.com

Prada Womens f/w 07 08

via momist

via frillr

Those Prada claw shaped heels were so simple and have been so influential. I needed a little tribute. I really like the idea of carrying on curves and matching up lines wherever possible. It creates a more purposeful visual flow in a shoe, and these are a perfect example.

Dior Homme f/w 08 09

via evilmonito

What a great little collection of shoes this was. And sleek. Sooo sleek.

Symmetry

via mr.hare

A beautiful image by Jenny van Sommers and Taylor Schwarz.

Alexander McQueen "Armadillo" Shoes

via style.com

Everyone has blogged about the Alexander McQueen s/s 2010 runway shoes designed by Georgina Goodman so there isn't too much left to say. I just wanted them on here. Hopefully some museums have snapped up a couple of these gems. WOW WOW WOW!

Chanel s/s 10 Clogs

via style.com

Allot of girls seemed to hate the clogs in the s/s 2010 show, but I love them. I wasn't a fan of some of the details i.e. leg ribbons, but the simpler styles where the focus was more on the chunky shape were great. They become almost cartoonish on the end of the models thin legs.

Dior Homme s/s 10 High Top Sneakers

via highsnobiety

Just a few days ago I posted some of the shoes from Kris Van Assche's s/s 10 range. As creative director at Dior Homme he has carried on the super-laced idea (which I can't get enough of it seems) to these high top sneakers. Deciding which I like more is making steam come out of my ears.

Proenza Schouler f/w 09 Shoes

via proenzaschouler.com

The s/s 2010 shoes from Proenza Schouler had some great ideas, but I found to be... well... They're sitting out this season in the fugly corner along with Louis Vuitton. Which is a shame, because these offerings from f/w 2009 were killer. Crazy, Sexy, Cool.

Bernhard Willhelm Sheakers

via oki-ni

Charming & breatheable. Bernhard Willhelm is known for being unconventional but it's when this translates into all the little details that originality becomes beautiful.

Kris Van Assche s/s 10 Shoes

via selectism

I'm not really sure how to express how much I love these.

Dries Van Noten s/s 10 Shoes

via rawshoes

via style.com

via gq.com

Dries Van Noten offered up an eclectic array of shoes in his mens and womens collections for s/s 10. Raffia, snake, patent, fabric, elastic, laces, buckles, slingbacks, black, brown, tan, cream, patterns - it's all there. Hold two shoes from the mens collection up next to each other and you would have no idea that they were from the same show but as a whole they totally work. The womens shoes have the element of the heel, that is at once understated and distinctive - a very hard thing to accomplish. Variety is the spice of life, and this shit is HOT!

YSL Hardcore

via jak&jil

Yves Saint Laurent, Jonny boot and Cage boot on the streets.
Can I be in your gang?

Damir Doma

via slamxhype

via selectism

via oki-ni

These Damir Doma shoes are so beautiful and minimalist while still having a definite character and reflect the brand perfectly. Upon close inspection it is clear how well considered every detail is - and how bout them zips! The second image is from the stunning flagship store at 6 rue des Arquebusiers, 75003 Paris.

Creepers 2

via lateboots

So it was brought to my attention that I failed to add these Alexander Wang f/w 09 creepers to my previous creepers post, which in my opinion is a huge oversight. So here they are in all their fringed, acid washed, buckled glory. After all, a girls got a right to creep too.

Stingray

Stingray leather, or Shagreen, is tough and durable with a uniquely textured surface of tiny round bumps. Popular in the Art Deco period for use in furniture, and commonly used in Thailand for wallets and belts, it's popularity in the the fashion world (as with all "exotic" leathers) fluctuates. It can be treated in many different ways, to show-off its texture, as can be seen in the examples above.
I believe the effect of dyeing the leather one colour, and then dyeing the raised area a lighter colour uniformly over the whole skin, displays the texture to it's full effect (as illustrated in the YSL.) Being a bit of a texture junkie, I also love the combination of stingray and suede, as they seem to be polar opposites.

top to bottom:
Christian Dior s/s 09 via style.com
Making the Dior shoe
Stingray
Stingray leather (Shagreen)
Mr Hare via mrhare
Nike via kicksonfire
Yves Saint Laurent f/w 09 via fashionbombdaily