Every now and then, Tamara Mellon reminds us that she has a real knack for the absurd when she feels like applying herself. The Jimmy Choo Kevan Sandals are definitely head turners, for better or for worse, which is why they’re the subject of this week’s Fil in the Blank.

Personally, I think these shoes are good fun, but you may disagree. Let us know by finishing the sentence that we started in the title, or if you prefer, go directly to the purchasing phase of this game. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $2495.

Thakoon Printed Leather Ankle Booties, $1055 via Net-a-Porter

I’ve been wanting to write about the Thakoon Printed Leather Ankle Booties for a couple of days now, but I haven’t really been able to find an angle. Finally, it dawned on me that my problem stemmed from the fact that I don’t have any idea whether or not the average shoe customer is interested in something with such a bold print. I’d wear these shoes in a heartbeat, mostly because they’d look great with my very dark winter wardrobe, but I’m also 25 years old, deeply silly and employed full-time by the fashion industry. Do real people wear shoes like these? I want you to tell me.

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Images via WWD.com

Other than one errant shoe collection that I didn’t quite love, Reed Krakoff has done an exceptional job finding an appealing vision for his young eponymous brand and sticking to it. Reed Krakoff Spring 2012 and its combination of sharp lines and a modern color scheme stands to be his best work yet. (We’re pretty excited about the bags, too.)

I’m always partial to brightly colored accessories, and these shoes fit that bill in a way that’s totally contemporary. The mixture of a metal heel with an attached wedge is a nod to two current trends in one, but it doesn’t look faddish in this context. Instead, it looks like what a girl from the future might wear. A very fashionable girl from the future.

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Christian Louboutin New Simple Botta 120 Boots, $1395 via Net-a-Porter

I’ve always said that when it comes to design, sometimes doing the simple things is more difficult than tackling the complicated. When we’re talking about a shoe or boot variety that’s supposed to be a closet staple, not only is differentiating yourself from the crowd of competitors difficult, but so is sticking within the bounds of what customers want and expect from a shoe that will clock major mileage.

When you add that to the fact that most closet staples are simple and sleek, which means that aren’t forgiving of sloppy design or construction, problems can crop up for lesser designers. The Christian Louboutin New Simple Botta 120 Boots, obviously, are a shining example of the exact opposite – when a designer takes on a shoe we’ve all seen before and still hits it out of the park.

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Images via Vogue.com

As I’m sure most of you are aware by now, I’ve more or less given up on Jimmy Choo as a brand. It seems like just a few short years ago that I loved Tamara Mellon’s shoes and bags, but lately, I couldn’t be less impressed. Except, wait…Jimmy Choo Spring 2012 is actually sort of redeemable?

It’s not great, mind you, but it largely lacks the inexplicable missteps that have characterized Choo’s recent collections. This is a solid, wearable group of shoes that has a little bit of something for everyone. In the whole range, many of the designs come in varying heel heights, and Choo also offers a decent selection of flats. Please, please say that this is a sign of better things to come.

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Surface to Air Leigh Platform Pumps, $510 via Net-a-Porter

I’m a total sucker for a heel cutout. Many designers use hollow heels anyway to help cut down on the weight of a shoe with a significant heel or platform, and in a lot of those instances, the shoe would simply be better off if they let the hollowness show.

The Surface to Air Leigh Leather Platform Pumps illustrate this principle perfect. With a traditional heel, they’d still be a cool, modern pair of pumps, but they wouldn’t stand out in a crowd. With a cutout, they’re just as versatile and wearable, but they’re a thousand times more interesting. Making a choice like this over a regular pump is how all those people in street style photos look so put-together and interesting. That, and they have lots of money to spend on clothes.

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Images via Vogue.com

Now that the frenzied rush of all of the Fashion Weeks are over, we can go back and hit a few of the collections that we meant to mention along the way. Bottega Veneta is one such collection that got pushed to the side in the endless onslaught of runway images, but I really wish I had posted it sooner – these shoes are good. They’re a little edgier than you expect for the staid brand, and most of the designs look really wearable.

More and more brands seem willing to work within the negative space that’s created by a high heel, and Bottega’s triangular extrusions create both an interesting silhouette and an interesting surface for adornment, in the case of the collection’s python slingbacks. I see nothing in this collection that would stop most shoe lovers from laying down considerable coin on it.

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Images via Vogue.com

Nothing brings me more joy than getting to write a positive post about a new collection from a brand that’s had some trouble finding its voice in the recent past. Chloe has had its issues since Phoebe Philo left for greener pastures (and eventually Celine), but based on Chloe Spring 2012, I’m optimistic that Clare Waight Keller can right the ship. The entire collection was a win in my book, including the shoes.

Chloe’s never been overwhelmingly known for its footwear, and its the segment that suffered the least under the rein of Hannah MacGibbon. With that in mind, this collection isn’t necessarily a return to form so much as a continuation of what her predecessor already had right. The take on the loafer is both more minimal and more feminine that the shoes that customers are used to associating with the word, and most of these are a workable way to take the trend into warmer weather.

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Images via Vogue.com

If I had to peg down a notable shoe trend for Spring 2012 (Besides mules. I’m pretending that isn’t happening.), I’d have to say it’s the “minimal sandal.” That’s not to say that the overall aesthetic quality of the designs are minimal, but the number of straps sure are. From Matthew Williamson to Fendi to Givenchy Spring 2012, the general mood of the shoe industry looks like it’s about to get a little more delicate.

That’s if anything Riccardo Tisci does at Givenchy can be called “delicate,” that is. Even his Spring 2012 collection, swimming in yards of the palest pink fabric, still has a toughness to it that redeems the work in the eyes of pastel haters. (Moi.) The same can be said for these sandals, which use their minimal surface area for maximum impact. The Givenchy girl may like a pretty pair of shoes, but she’ll never be a pushover.

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Images via Vogue.com

As I mentioned yesterday, I wanted to give these pictures of the Miu Miu Spring 2012 shoes a chance to settle before I wrote about them, just in case they grew on me in the space of 24 hours. Stranger things have happened, and I always like to give Miuccia the chance that she’s well earned by now. Unfortunately, my opinion hasn’t changed very much.

These shoes, with their elfin upturned toes and cowgirl leather inlays, are just not as covetable as Fall 2011′s amazing glitter booties. Not even close. I quite like several pairs of the boots, but if the calves are this tight on the slender limbs of runway models, then I can’t imagine any significant portion of Miu Miu’s customer base being able to zip them. And then, of course, there are mules. Mules. We all know how I feel about those, and I’d rather not go into it again, lest I have some sort of rage meltdown.

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