The Tamesis
Haute couture is often considered fashion’s rarest stage, and this season is no exception. Look closer at the details, however, and things start to get a little psychedelic—especially when it comes to shoes. No, your eyes are not deceiving you; your eyes are not deceiving you. You’re not haute couture – the recent runways have been littered with some wild and wacky heels, from Schiaparelli’s peacock-point pumps to the earthy toadstools that set the stage for Matthieu Blazy’s ethereal Chanel haute couture debut.
Of course, heels plucked straight from a fantasy world are hardly a new thing in the fashion world, and trompe l’oeil is basically a tradition. Nicolas Ghesquière’s Spring 2007 Balenciaga Lego pumps, Alexander McQueen’s Spring 2010 Armadillo platforms, Y/Project’s Cinderella slippers — and, of course, Chanel’s own incredible footwear history, as documented by Instagram’s most popular shoe archivist @larslala.
In fact, footwear has always been home to weird ideas—here, we take a look back at some of the most bizarre heels in fashion history.
