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You’re going to start hearing a lot more about Atalanta Weller. She only just set up her own label - her first eponymous collection is for Spring/Summer 2010 – but her designs have been stirring up the fashion world for several years now. This pair from earlier in her career will show you why…more here
It is way past time for me to write about Spanish shoe design. If you are not familiar with what the Spanish can do with footwear, Neosens is a perfect introduction. This is a country that produces some of the finest leather in the world as well as some of the most dynamic designers. A perfect combination for creating beautiful footwear.
Read more about Neosens HERE.
There are so many innovative fashion designers working in China at the moment, and Guo Pei is one of the most exciting. She has only designed a small number of shoes, and normally I would only include designers who focus on footwear. But I suppose that since this is my website I can make up my own rules, and Guo Pei’s shoes are fantastic enough to merit an entire blog.
See more Guo Pei shoes HERE.
I am a major fan of eel leather. Silky smooth and buttery soft, eel skin is stronger than cowhide even though it is much thinner. It has an amazing sheen (as you can see in the Jimmy Choo pumps above), and absorbs dyes beautifully to allow a rich depth of color... read more...
For nearly 10 years, Jeffrey Campbell has been designing provocative footwear. He started in his garage, and now he is one of the most well known independent shoe designers in the world.
For more about Jeffrey Campbell read on HERE.
Salpy Shoes was started 6 years ago by husband and wife team Kevork and Salpy Kalaidjian. He has a background as a last maker and heel sculptor and has an expertise in footwear construction, she was a buyer and merchandiser for a major department store. They work together to create the footwear designs.
Find out more about Salpy Shoes HERE.
I was thrilled when I first discovered Butter Shoes. As the owner of size 9 and a half feet, my chances of finding vintage shoes in my size are only slightly better than winning the lottery. So finding a range of shoes that look vintage but are bigger than size 7 extra narrow was very exciting.
See more Butter Shoes HERE.
Where do I even start? Rachel de Kler’s boots are so amazing that it is difficult to think of words to do them justice – the photos speak for themselves.
See more of Rachel de Kler's boots here.
Austrian designer Simone Springer and Japanese designer Yuji Mizobuchi met while studying footwear and accessory design at Cordwainers College in London. After graduating they set up their design studio in Austria and named their label Rosa Mosa.
Find out more about Rosa Mosa Footwear here.
Natacha Marro left her native Nice in the south of France to move to London where she enrolled in Cordwainers College to study shoe design. After interning, she chose to stay in London, and in 2000 she set up her design studio. She has been making tantalizing footwear ever since.
For more about Natacha Marro footwear take a look here.
You might be surprised at how many people make a living by painting designs on shoes. Normally I avoid these people. I know it takes skill and creativity to painstakingly cover a shoe with hand-painted… things, and sometimes the results are quite charming. But the finished product always seems to fall into one of two categories: super-sweet feminine pretty, or elementary school art project. I can’t do either. But now Cocopunkz have gone and made me change my mind about hand painted shoes.
Find out more about Cocopunkz here.
The fabulous wedge above was designed by Karim Rashid for Melissa Plastic Dreams shoes. And, yes, it really is made of plastic. I am enthusiastic about Melissa shoes for several reasons: the fact that they work with some of my favorite designers, the commitment to the environment, and the lingering memories of my childhood jelly shoes. Remember those? The ballet flats that seemed to be made out of knox blox...
Read more about Melissa Plastic Dreams shoes here.
I have friends who spend a sizeable portion of their income on shoes, but never polish them. They might do so once in a blue moon, or right before they wear them. Maybe you can get away with that if the shoes are cheap and cheerful, the materials are all man made, and you only intend to get a couple of wears out of them. However, if the shoes are leather and you want them in your life for a while, then you need to give them some TLC and they will repay the favor by looking good for years. Honestly, it’s not that big of a deal to polish shoes, and at the risk of sounding like a tedious insurance commercial, you really are protecting your investment.
Discover how to keep your shoes healthy here.
Finsk is the creation of Finnish-born shoe designer Julia Lundsten. She set up her studio in London in 2004 after graduating from the Royal College of Art, and has been producing imaginative footwear ever since.
More about Finsk shoes here.
