Last season, I had a major problem with the way that Valentino chose to incorporate metal straps into its shoe collection. Metal is a wonderful material for a lot of items, but when used in shoes, its placement should be nothing if not judicious. Those Valentino footwear designers could take lessons from the team that put together the shoes for Givenchy Fall 2011. Even if you’re not a fan of the overall design, the incorporation of thin metal bangles into several kinds of straps was spot-on for fall.

The platformless, pointed-toe shape of the pumps also hit on another major footwear trend, as did the occasional patterned shoe. I have a feeling that some people may balk at the choked openings and severe angles, but for the Givenchy girl who loves a heaping helping of edge to go along with her quirk, the collection’s shoes turned out far better than its bags.

Photos via Vogue.com.