Party Shoes: Art and Drama for the Holidays

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The new shoes for fall are stunning and not in a good way! If you like ultra-high platform shoes, fur-covered flats and fashionable wellies, this is your season. The season is loud, artsy, idiosyncratic and definitely not boring!

Valentino’s skyscraper pink platforms defined the shows, but the classic ballet flat is back on the catwalk and definitely easier to wear. Miu Miu paired ballet flats with long socks for a covered-up look. The Miu Miu ballet flat itself comes with a satin bow in several colors and another style with a Mary Jane strap. Mansur Gavriel styled a square-toed ballet flat with a tiny flat heel and bow. Tory Burch displayed a ballet flat in leather with a satin wrap tie that goes up the leg.

Mules and sling-back pumps were the style trend for evening wear that highlighted metallic and rhinestone materials. Undoubtedly, Salvatore Ferragamo stole the show with his crystal-encrusted slingbacks, sleek, classy and sexy. Paris Texas stiletto mules with a rhinestone-embossed vinyl toe strap were dramatized by the rest of the shoe in smooth purple leather. Jil Sander presented square-toe, backless, low heels in gold and in silver metallic lambskin to go with party outfits. Bottega Veneta walked ruched, metallic lambskin pumps with translucent square heels. Loewe revealed a thin-strapped sandal accessorized with a humongous silver bow tied around the ankle.

Boots for fall are a given. The thigh-length boot or over-the-knee boot is another trend that was in many designers’ shows for fall. The boots were worn with mini-skirts or long dresses slit on the side to show off the boot. Victoria Beckham paired a black dress with a slashed skirt to dramatize a pair of white full-leg boots. Giambattista Valli offered long, thigh-length black reptile skin boots and a short coat for the fall. Alexander McQueen unveiled a white over-the-knee boot with small belts and buckles every few millimeters.

But not all boots were knee-high. Moto boots are for those who want to indulge their bad side. The most charming was Balenciaga’s Cagole. The stylish, short lambskin moto boot with a two-and-three-quarter-inch kitten heel and their signature aged-silver hardware bridged the gap between sophistication and bad.

The Cagole highlighted another trend, the needle-toe shoe. That’s right, pointy toes are back. The pointy-toed shoe may be the biggest style change this season, switching from square-toed shoes of seasons past to a fresher look. For an updated look, pair pants with a pointy-toe shoe peeking out. Prada led the field with a sling-back mesh pump carried on a curved kitten heel. Coperani introduced a sling-back pump with diagonal detailing and a needle toe.

Mary Jane-styled pumps, flats and platforms were evident in the fall lineups and ready for casual parties. Carel Kina introduced red patent Mary Janes with three buckled straps across the instep. Marc Jacobs’ Mary Jane was in plaid with a thick rubber sole and one strap across the top. Miu Miu exhibited a denim pump with a square heel while Sam Edelman went with a beige flat highlighted by a silver buckle and strap across the instep. Prada presented a version of the Mary Jane with a pointed toe.

The funky curved heel was a big trend this season; it was shown on pumps, platforms and other shoes. Bottega Veneta led the pack with a high platform and an inward-curving square chunky heel adorned with a large buckle across the ankle. Prada presented a classic black pump with a slanted chunky square heel and a strap across the ankle. Loewe’s red balloons attached under a strap to the front of a white sandal and a crystal drop heel on a black calfskin mule were some of the other artsy shoes in the fall collections.

Fuzzy-wuzzy accents were on all types of shoes, and if you want to wear your pooch, the designers will show you how. The shoes, for the most part, are indistinguishable under the faux fur that looks as if you are wearing your Maltese. Some, of course, stood out. Bottega Veneta flaunted a high wedge completely covered in bright orange fleecy fur. Another bright orange entry was by Arch, who clipped the fuzz on their mule and covered both the toe strap and chunky three-and-a-half-inch heel in short, bright orange fuzz. Loewe styled a shoe with a layer of long fleece on top. Both Thornton Bregazzi and Simon Miller showed flats covered with long twists of fiber that look like you are wearing your house slippers. Pajama parties, anyone?

No matter your choice, there are plenty of styles to choose from. From metallic and glitter to fuzzy-wuzzy, from prim Mary Janes to thigh-high boots, and from the-sky’s-the-limit platforms to down-to-earth ballet slippers, this holiday season there is something for everyone.

Sources: bustle.com, vogue.co.uk, cosmopolitan.com, elle.com and whowhatwear.com.