Marc Jacobs Shoes

The problem with fashion is that I have rules for myself that I think are a good guide for what I should and should not buy, and then when I see something I love that violates one of them, I’m thrown into an existential crisis. What happens if I violate one of my personal rules, get myself into a situation where I can’t return something that I end up hating, and then feel a tiny bit of rage every time I see them. Not only because I wasted my money, but because I knew better and bought them anyway.

That’s the problem I have with non-leather, and specifically PVC, shoes. I know I’ll hate them once I get them on my feet, at least after a little walking, and yet styles like the Marc Jacobs Wooden Heeled Sandals and Sergio Rossi Plexy T-Straps always tickle my fancy. I really love the look of translucent PVC – it’s something that can’t be replicated by leather, sadly. How it feels is often a different issue. Take a closer look at these two shoes after the jump and then weigh in in the comments.

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I haven’t done much research on the topic, but I’m willing to bet that for most women, the story of Cinderella is where the importance of shoes first became clear. After all, the fairy tale is all about how a woman’s happiness hinges on her ability to fit into the right shoe; how are we not supposed to carry that idea somewhere in the backs of our minds for the rest of our lives? If girls didn’t hear the tale of Cinderella at a young age, I can’t help but wonder if our lifelong relationship with shoes would be different. They indoctrinate us young.

With that in mind, it’s amazing that more designers don’t take on the story of our dear Cinderella in shoe form – the idea is so ripe for interpretation. Marc Jacobs loves a reference, though, and his Marc Jacobs Transparent Pumps make a very clear one, both figuratively and literally.

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Images via Vogue.com

Despite how underwhelmed I was with the collection’s handbags, I actually have quite a crush of the shoes of Marc Jacobs Spring 2011. Jacobs did something he rarely tends to do (sometimes to his credit, other times to his detriment) – he went with a trend instead of trying to create his own. The result is a group of lovely pointed-toe pumps in various materials and colors, most of which would look sharp when taken immediately off the runway.

Naturally, though, Marc couldn’t help but throw in a few half-clear, skinny-heeled cowboy boots (what?) to remind us all that he’s a great master of quirk, but try to ignore them. Seriously, it’s best if you pretend if they don’t exist at all. Instead, focus on the lovely Mary Jane pumps and everything will be just fine.

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In keeping with the unpredictability of his ready-to-wear collections, I had little idea of what to expect from Marc Jacobs Fall 2011 Footwear, only that whatever he chose to do would make me do a double-take. And I was right, for reasons both positive and negative. Let’s start with the latter and move toward the former.

For better or for worse, the most striking shoes on Jacobs’ runway were the wedge rain boots, for lack of a better term. Except when they were suede; then they looked more like wedge Uggs. It would be fun to have a patent or rubber pair for rainy days, but mostly, the shape and feel seemed antithetical to the severe, rigorous tailoring of Jacobs’ clothing.

What made much more sense, thankfully, were the mid-calf Victorian lace-up boots and T-strap pumps. In various colors and combinations of leather and haircalf, these pieces fit the prim aesthetic of the collection perfectly and made me wonder how much use I would get out of a pair of red leather boots. Or what about the white booties with black trim? Surely those would look smart with tights and a fitted cocktail dress.

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Somehow, through all of his time as America’s top designer and creator of all things stylish, Marc Jacobs has never become widely known for his footwear. Depending on your personal style, you probably either think that’s a travesty or a blessing, and I’m firmly in Camp Travesty. I particularly love the joyfully retro tenor of Jacobs’ Spring 2011 collection, including the Marc Jacobs Glitter Platform Sandals.

Other than displaying a thick heel, these shoes ignore most prevailing trends in favor of the type of forty-years-ago glitz that you could have seen standing in line at Studio 54.

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I’m normally immune to the charms of anything too girly or sweet, and in the words of a character from Clueless (Cher Horowitz, I think?), the Marc by Marc Jacobs Bow-Front Sandals are so sweet that they gave me a toothache. And yet, somehow, I’m still smiling.

An ankle strap with anything less than a sky-high heel can be difficult to pull off, so these shoes are perhaps best worn by woman with adorable little skinny ankles. But if that describes you and you’re looking toward spring, please buy a pair so that I may live vicariously. I don’t think they’d go with anything in my closet anyway.

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Granted, I’m not sure exactly what kind of shoes Glinda the Good Witch wears in The Wizard of Oz. I’m not even sure we get to see them in the movie, since she wears quite the poofy pink dress. But if I had to guess, I would guess a shoe that looks more or less exactly like the silver-glitter-dunked Marc Jacobs Mouse Loafers.

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Clearly the Marc Jacobs Glitter Lace-Up Oxfords are quite taste-specific, but they’re just crazy enough to work – if you have the swagger to pull them off, that is.

Not everyone does and in this case, not everyone will even want to, but I’d certainly like to take a crack at making them part of my winter wardrobe. Albeit a limited part – these are not the type of shoes that you can wear with just anything, but Marc Jacobs brogues usually aren’t.

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The Mouse Flats from Marc Jacobs are not new. In fact, I remember him having shoes like this years upon years ago. It seems he just really likes to have these fun shoes in his mix. Come to think of it, Marc Jacobs is always infuses spunky touches in his Marc by Marc line (think Miss Marc).

But the ultimate question is, are the Marc by Marc Jacobs Mouse Ballerina Flats too young or are they the right amount of fun?

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I really want these. Italics are necessary. There’s no other way to accurately express in writing just how divinely weird I think the Marc Jacobs Houndstooth Leather Brogues are. For me, they hit just the right note between practical and extravagant, and ever since I saw Janelle Monae channeling James Brown in her video for “Tightrope,” (really, watch the video, the song is fantastic) I’ve wanted a pair of embellished menswear shoes.

The shoes in the video have a wide swath of graphic white, but I like these even better. The printed metallic houndstooth pattern is retro-glam but also decidedly modern in its application, and I’d love to have these punctuate any pair of skinny pants that I own.

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