Shoe Smitten

FootwearNews.com, NEW YORK, May 16, 2008

“The right pair of shoes can change the feel of an outfit, and even change how a woman feels about herself. A woman can wear confidence on her feet with a high stiletto, or slip into weekend comfort with a soft ballet flat,” Grammy-winning recording artist Fergie said.

She is taking her love of shoes and using it to create a new footwear collection named after herself in partnership with Brown Shoe Co.  The collection will debut in spring 2009, but retailers will have the opportunity to view the collection at the upcoming FFANY show in New York in June, said the company.

“We envision the Fergie consumer as a woman who is chic and fashionable, loves to wear the latest trends and looks for distinctive details when shopping for shoes to add to her already considerable collection — much like Fergie herself,” said Brown Shoe wholesale President Gary Rich, in a statement released Thursday. “Women around the globe know and love Fergie for her music and her bold style. Through this footwear partnership, we can establish another way for Fergie to connect with her fans.”

The partnership will mark the third celebrity shoe line for Brown Shoe, whose brands also include Carlos by Carlos Santana and the Reba McEntire collection.  And judging from these wonderful collections, I expect that Fergie’s will be no less fashionable.  Shoewawa did a fabulous post about Fergie’s favorite footwear that might shine some light onto what her line might look like.  I can bet she’ll come out with some cute maryjane shoes, since she has a song with that title:

What do you think of a line of footwear named after Fergie?

These ankle boots were designed by Stella, the daughter of the ex-Beatle, Paul McCartney. She takes classic themes and turns them into brilliant new designs. She creates a faintly romantic, eccentric young and modern look. Genuine leather is banned from her collections: Stella only uses alternative materials like plastic, vinyl and cork, to produce clothes and accessories that are completely cruelty-free, which makes it that much easier to love her shoes.

I find these Stella McCartney ankle boots fascinating, although they lack the color I usually like in my shoes. But what’s lacking in color is more than compensated for through the elaborate details and dramatic pointy heels. You could wear these in warm weather with a pair of shorts or a mini-skirt, and you could continue wearing them in the fall as it gets colder with a pair of skinny jeans. Marvelous!

As usual, Sarah Jessica Parker looked fabulous Monday at the Sex and the City movie premiere in London. Look at her amazing sky-high Philip Treacy hat! It’s not for me, but she can certainly pull that off. I wish I knew where someone could buy the fabulous Alexander McQueen peep-toes she’s flaunting. Were they designed just for her?

Today I am going to start writing about one vocabulary word a week related to shoes, many from the Shoe Smitten glossary. If you have any words to add to the glossary, let me know.

Aglet - The plastic sheath at the end of a shoelace that makes the lace easier to thread through the eyelet holes of the shoe. The plastic sheath at the end of a shoelace that makes the lace easier to thread through the eyelet holes of the shoe.

Although aglets today are almost always made of clear plastic, in times past aglets were usually made of metal, glass, or stone. Many were highly ornamental, and made of precious metals such as silver. Before the invention of buttons, they were used on the ends of ribbons to fasten clothing together. Sometimes they would be formed into small figures. Shakespeare calls this type of figure an “aglet baby” in The Taming of the Shrew.  Purely decorative metal ornaments called aiguillette are sometimes features of modern military dress uniforms.

Who knew that there was so much history behind that little plastic thingy at the ends of shoelaces? Well, now you know!