We saw them first on the style queen herself, Miss Victoria Beckham but what would we think if they filtered down to the high street?
Italian fashion designer Antonio Berardi designed the unthinkable heel-less boots for Mrs Beckham. They created a stir when she wore them to the launch of The Beckhams ‘Signature’ fragrance in New York.
With a large and weighty platform sole under the front of the foot, you have to put your toe down first rather than your heel to maintain balance. The shoe has a bigger platform sole which stretches back further than normal and gives support under the arch of the foot.
Taking a while to get the hang of walking and leaning back to stop you falling over for Victoria Beckham it must be a walk in the park. Like many items hot off the catwalk, these boots need an instruction manual to get into and a super sized shoe horn would be necessary.
Like most high fashion pieces they are a work of art and beauty is in the eye of the beholder. To me they are outrageous, filled with fantasy and everything I would expect from such a high profile designer. They were made to give the silhouette of a ballet dancer but I worry that the silhouette would simply turn into a tottering mess if I attempt to walk in them. These superhero style boots obviously require great strength to operate, yet I’m surprised at the super slim celebrities who seem to be squeezing themselves into these new age boots.
Over the past two years shoes have been getting increasingly extreme, with the first heel-less footwear in the shape of a beautiful gold sandal. The Italian designer started the heel-less shoe trend in the summer with the heel-less sandals which were actually bought by Uma Thurman, Gwyneth Paltrow and of course Posh Spice. Berardi wowed the fashion world when he unveiled the heel less shoes in his spring/summer collection in Paris. The shoes were then recreated into a pair of boots for the more adventurous fashion addict. Fashion is about versatility, fun and risk, But what do the experts say?
“Heel-less boots are very bad for your foot and back” – says a spokesperson for The British Orthopaedic Association. “I strongly discourage wearing these boots. The heel should provide proper foot support.”
I can’t help but wonder if Berardi’s design is impossible to wear? After all, heels alone make you feel enormous pain after long hours, so with no heel at all I’m quite concerned. Well, according to Berardi these shoes do not cause any pain and in fact with no heel but huge support in the front of the shoe he assures the fashion conscious they are quite comfortable.
Berardi said: “They are perfectly balanced. When the girls come for fittings, they look a bit daunted, but by the end they say it’s just like wearing a regular shoe. They are graceful and there is a ballerina nature about them. Having a heel is really just psychological.”
Just £3,000 is all that stands in your way in buying these works of art and for this hefty price tag you would have to be sure you have good balance.
With designers like Alexander McQueen, Antonio Berardi and even Marc Jacobs gracing the runways with heel – less shoes it’s fair to say that heels are OUT!