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I’m almost tempted not to write a review about the shoes from Balenciaga Spring 2012 and instead tell you to look at the pictures, because the review should be self-evident. They’re great, in the modern, weird, sculptural way that only Nicolas Ghesquiere can do it.

Not only do the looped leather and architectural heel play a bit with the objective reality of the human foot and the functional necessities of shoe design, but the designs are realized in a lush, luxurious way. Read More…

Images via Vogue.com

It would be hard to overstate exactly how much I like the shoes from Dolce & Gabbana Spring 2012. Although they may not be avant garde, over-the-top or particularly innovate, they are a collection of shoes that I could see being worn proudly and often by a lot of different women. Most of the heels are thick and of a reasonable height, and there’s every material represented from lace to wicker (which I really hope is cleverly disguised leather) to brocade. Read More…

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It took me a couple of looks through the show photos and a couple of days to let it all marinate in my brain, but I’ve come around to totally loving the shoes from Fendi Spring 2012. I’m still no fan of the bags and feeling rather ambivalent about most of the clothes, but the shoes? The shoes can stay. Read More…

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One of my very favorite parts of ever season’s runway shows is getting to see how the venerable Christian Louboutin collaborates with small or independent designers to create signature shoes for their runway shows. As we’ve discussed previously, many young or indie labels don’t have the design experience or manufacturing capabilities to create their own shoes, so a number of shoe companies step in every season to help them out, and Louboutin is among that group. Read More…

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Let’s face it: If ever someone were going to go full lucite on us on a runway, it was going to be Donatella Versace. There’s no way it could have been anyone else, that’s just how Donatella rolls. Brands from Stuart Weitzman to Fendi have done partially lucite heels over the past few season, but no high end brand has reached both the heel heights and level of lucite that can be found in Versace Spring 2012. Read More…

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Can I be blunt for a moment? I’ve been a little bored of the spring shoe collections so far. It seems as though most designers have lacked footwear inspiration for the season, so they’re mostly just piggybacking on what’s been popular for the past two season. Thankfully, though, the universe has given us Prada Spring 2012 to help us forget all the transitional trend growing pains. Read More…

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The problem with runway shoes is that they have to function perfectly. They’re photographed in motion, with the weight of a human being (albeit a light one) on top of them, so their flaws are laid bare for all to see in a way that stock photos don’t allow for. You can see that problem well in these photos of Charlotte Olympia x Matthew Williamson Spring 2012; the pumps look great, but the thin-strapped sandals have feet sliding through them left and right. Read More…

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Because Rodarte is all about very literal references, whether or not you like a particular body of work from the Mulleavy sisters often hinges on whether or not you like the reference they’ve chosen for the season. Although I generally like fashion with a strong bent toward historical art, choosing Van Gogh’s work seemed a bit uninspired; we’ve all seen enough Starry Night in our lives that we can probably skip seeing its visage emblazoned on 80s prom dresses. Read More…