You may recall us discussing Christian Louboutin's totally impractical fetish ballet heels, way back in October last year. Well now I have uncovered these unusual shoes, which are apparently all the rage in Japan right now. Note the pointed ballet heels (above, right), which begs the question - has Louboutin been taking style notes from our Japanese friends? Meanwhile, I am totally in awe of these horse shoe lace-up platform boots (above, left), which would be great for tap dancing, but little else I'd imagine. Click here to see more weird and wonderful creations.
Related: Video: 6.5 fetish heels aren't made for walking, but it happens! | What's more important to you - style, price or comfort?
If you are to believe the blog-o-sphere (and why wouldn't you? Humph!) then those ghastly plasticy things, otherwise known as Crocs, could feature in the September issue of French Vogue. According to the buzz, this picture, starring Raquel Zimmerman in a pair of bright orange Crocs *shudder* form part of an editorial shoot for the upcoming issue. And here I thought I'd never the see the day... Crocs in Vogue? What has the world come to?
Related: Crocs in the wild
Here is a light bulb moment for the books. A mother-of-three has come up with a simple way for you to change your shoe colour without having to buy a new pair of shoes. Bernie Hurst-Crossley of Worthing, West Sussex developed the idea of a zip section, allowing the wearer to add different shades of fabrics. She first came up with the concept on holiday, when she was forced to pay £125 excess baggage charge for having ten pairs of shoes in her luggage. Now Nooshooz has been born, a new range complete with stiletto, flip flops and wedge styles, priced between £80 and £155, they're available from September. For more info, visit: www.nooshooz.co.uk
And now for a bit of shoe business news... Faith has been put up for sale after Barclays, the company's bank, was forced to employ financial specialists to run a fire-sale of the business.
The drastic measure was implemented as Barclays is owed £25m by Faith, and declined Bridgepoint's (Faith's private equity owner) offer of a debt-for-equity swap.
It is believed that the struggling UK footwear chain has been hit badly affected by a poor economic climate. Sadly, as many as 100,000 jobs could be on the line by the end of next year.
Related: Light grey Stogo ankle boots from Faith | 'Aikiko' satin ballet flats from Faith
Kate Moss has a pair. Heidi Klum has a pair. And soon Olympic swimmer Rebecca Adlington will have a pair too, because Steve Madden, who makes these gladiator sandals, promised to send her a pair if she won an Olympic Gold Medal. Rebecca won gold in the 400m freestyle this week, so it looks like the company will have to come good on their promise.
They won't be the only shoes the swimmer gets as a result of her victory. Speaking to The Times this week, Rebecca, a self-confessed shoe-addict, said: "Well, I was promised some Jimmy Choo shoes if I win, so that's one pair ... and my mum's promised to get me another pair of Christian Louboutin shoes."
An athlete who swims for shoes - now there's a motivation I can understand!
Related: More shoe news
To celebrate the 70th anniversary since the release of The Wizard of Oz (can it really be that long ago?) 20 of the world's top designers are partaking in a scheme to rework Dorothy's ruby slippers for Saks Fifth Avenue.
Designers including Christian Louboutin, Manolo Blahnik, Betsey Johnson and Sergio Rossi were invited to recreate those famous shoes to be unveiled during next month's New York Fashion Week.
Here is a first look at Sergio Rossi's design sketch, which features CRYSTALLIZED™ Swarovski Elements. All designs will be auctioned off, with the money raised going towards charity.
Related: Wizard of Oz Ruby Slippers
Before you say anything, no these aren't actually shoes that you can wear on your feet, but they are pretty cool aren't they? They are ornaments for your home, made from sustainable greenery. So even though you can't wear them, they will make your home look a treat. And they do get me thinking about how eco-friendly my shoes really are.
For more eco-friendly fashion, visit our sister blog, Hippshopper.
Related: Natalie Portman steps into vegan chic market | Keds to go Eco-friendly for Artists for Humanity
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