High heels, odd conventions and the occasional argument with gravity. Written by a man who wears heels and has rather a lot to say about them.
A T-strap shoe has one excellent virtue: it looks as though somebody in the design department understood the assignment. Not merely *make a pretty shoe*. Make a pretty shoe that actually stays at…
A slingback looks exceptionally composed from the front. Then you look behind it and discover the entire shoe is being held together by a single strap and the wearer's optimism. It is fashion's v…
A peep-toe shoe exposes just enough toe to start a conversation, then pretends to be shocked when one occurs. I have always admired that level of hypocrisy. It is nearly aristocratic…
One of fashion's more entertaining ideas is to sell a shoe with the back missing, charge handsomely for the missing material, and assure you that this is minimalism. I admire the audacity. Not ev…
A lace-up heel invites you to perform a tiny ceremony before going out. There is a shoe, a length of ribbon or leather, and a promise that the result will look effortless. Several minutes later y…
A loafer is a charming little hypocrite. It arrives wearing the respectable uniform of the boardroom, the library and the sort of gentleman who claims to dislike attention. Raise the heel and sud…
There is a particularly satisfying noise made by a good boot heel on a polished floor. It is confident without asking permission, and sufficiently rhythmic to convince the wearer that the room ha…
One day a man decides to buy a pair of high heels. A modest ambition. The internet responds by presenting three competing size charts, six contradictory conversion rules and a smiling model whose…
There are many difficult conversations in life. One of the least dignified takes place between a person's foot and a pump that would very much like to go home alone. You take a step; the heel lif…
There is a time to make an entrance in spectacular heels. The driver's footwell is not that time. It contains pedals, very little space and an impressive collection of things that can go wrong if…
- The Bold Unisex Trend Revival What makes Mary Janes shoes so perfect for the modern man whos stepping into heels? The strap. That simple bar across the top of…
A kitten heel sounds like the sort of shoe one should approach with a saucer of milk. In reality, it is an elegant low heel with a surprisingly sharp tongue. I…