If The Shoe Fits

Shoes. The cornerstones of many women's wardrobes. There are countless stores in every shopping mall devoted to them. There are YouTube videos inspired by them. There are fashion designers who have made names for themselves by creating them. Shoes are the articles of clothing that "make" a look, whether it be a flat, a sneaker, a sandal, a boot, a heel, or a slipper.

The current shoe obsession in the fashion world has led to a full-fledged extremist movement. Designers and fashion insiders have been craving shoes so over-the-top that, in some cases, could only be worn once so not to seem like an outfit-repeater. Shoes have been given the power to make the bold statements that the actual outfit usually does. This movement began in late 2008, when the Spring 2009 fashion shows were being shown. In New York, Marc Jacobs created espadrilles that laced up the ankle and had a colored stilleto heel. In Paris, Yves Saint Laurent sent ankle boots down the runway that where made to look like cages, showing the foot through small squares of leather.

But it was in Milan where the over-the-top shoe craze almost went too far. Miuccia Prada paired her beautiful rumpled-silk fifties dresses with vertiginous, snakeskin platforms that, when worn with the little ankle socks of her collection, sent the models tumbling down the catwalk by the handful. The fashion editors in the front rows squirmed in their seats. Some even reached out a hand to help the fallen models. It was a show so painful, that some modeling agencies began to bring up the issue of insurance. Of course, the fashion industry is not known for its warm-hearted, comfort-accomodating nature, and the next season, the shoes continued to get crazier and crazier.

During the Fall 2009 shows, designers threw every issue of wearability and comfort out of the window. There was a tide of towering, thigh-high black platforms at Alexander Mcqueen, and a sea of sparkly, heel-less platform ankle boots at Nina Ricci. Both shoes were cast in many magazine editorials and were stocked in the closets of only the truly daring fashionistas.

Extreme, shocking shoes such as the Mcqueens and the Pradas may sell like hot cakes in the fashion world, but in the real world, women want something a little less…. Crazy. You probably won't ever see a woman walking down the street in a pair of thigh-high, patent leather, platform heel-less boots (like a pair Victoria Beckham once infamously wore.) Not every woman lives the same glamorous life as Mrs. Beckham, and wearing such impractical shoes is just, well, impractical. But seeing women like Victoria, who is a mother, a wife, and a business woman wear fabulously extreme shoes and still manage to do it all should inspire. It should say to women everywhere, "I can take a risk and still live my life." You may get a few stares when wearing said shoes, but at least you know that you are taking a chance… and getting noticed.