For as much as I love Alexander McQueen, I’ve never been a big fan of the company’s diffusion line, McQ. It should be a bastion of mid-priced luxe-punk fantasticness, but mostly, the designs miss the mark and don’t look as expensive as the should for the prices. The collection experienced a bit of a revitalization in the recent season or two, though, and those lines have indeed offered a gem here and there; hopefully the frequency of those finds will increase in years to come.

The McQ Flame Applique Leather Flats are one such piece that caught my eye, and even if they didn’t share a motif with the Prada Flame Shoes, which are the most talked-about shoe of the season, I’d still like them. That they offer a less expensive, more wearable alternative to the Pradas is just icing on the cake.

Flames like these have been a favorite of the pin-up/rockabilly set for what seems like decades by now, and it seems like people are trying to make that subculture into a wider fashion trend. If that’s the case, these shoes are a good place to start; they’re just bold enough to to clearly evoke the look, but the flat sole and familiar color scheme means that they’d make a great addition to a pair of black cigarette pants and a simple sweater. Unless you want to look costume-y, I’d keep them away from a full skirt. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $395.