Herve Leger Suede Ring Sandals, $995 via Neiman Marcus

If you’re a big fan of the Herve Leger bandage dresses, I’m probably about to offend you, so just read on with caution, ok? Don’t say you weren’t warned.

Herve Leger bandage dresses are over. They are so over that I can’t even think of something to which I can accurately compare them. They’re more over than studs, they’re more over that weird grey hair trend from a year and a half ago, they’re as over as it gets. At this point, the only famous people still wearing them are the ones known the world over for looking clueless on the red carpet.

So what does the brand do now? Find a way to progress its look to a place that doesn’t scream “Kardashian wannabe?” No, launch shoes. Namely the Herve Leger Suede Ring Sandals, which look like a footwear re-imagining of the brand’s signature dresses, for better or for worse.

I’ve give Leger a bit of credit for not going directly to elastic-strap sandals when adding a line of shoes, but these suede straps are a pretty close approximation. And what’s with all the rings? I imagine that they’re to add textural contrast, but they look a tad lumpy instead. I like the smooth metal heel and the lack of significant platform, both of which are important elements for Fall 2011, but the straps aren’t doing it for me – besides being lumpy, they’re too obvious a play on Leger’s best known products.

At this stage in the game, that’s not necessarily a good thing. Not to mention that for a new footwear line that wants to charge a thousand dollars for a pair of heels, we need to see something far more interesting and innovative than another pair of strappy back-zip stilettos. Buy through Neiman Marcus for $995.

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