I wasn’t sure whether to go with the side view or top view to showcase the Roberto Cavalli Acetate Flower Sandals, but since the party is on top when it comes to these flat summer stunners, the top view seemed most appropriate. Despite my sometimes-unfortunate penchant for leopard print, I tend to be a bit of a hater when it comes to all things Cavalli, but I can’t help but enjoy these shoes. Check out the side view after the jump.

Acetate flowers like these have developed into something of a footwear microtrend, with everyone from Blumarine to Nicholas Kirkwood sprucing up their kicks with a few plastic blooms. If you like your footwear with a healthy dose of whimsy, this is a trend that you should hop on immediately; it’s not for the faint of heart, but a good shoe can turn your foot into a technicolor topiary in exactly the right kind of way. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $1005.

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When Cavalli does things like this, though, he certainly makes it difficult. The Roberto Cavalli Thigh-High Calf Hair Boots are a full 180-degree flip from the cute grey booties for which I praised him last week – they’re mismatched, difficult to wear and more than a little tacky. Which is just how Cavalli likes it, on some of his worse days.

The mere sight of these boots is jarring enough, but then I realized that there’s a completely different animal print on the back (giraffe) than there is on the front (tiger), and it extends down to border the bottom of the boot. I’d love to see someone like Anna Dello Russo wear these and totally rock them out, but on almost anyone else, they’d likely be a disaster. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $4240.

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After all, these shoes show now evidence of the animal print, shiny fabric or slightly Eurotrash (and I mean that in the best way possible) feel for which Cavalli is known. They’re clean-lined, a bit architectural and rendered in demure grey suede. Who would have thunk, eh?

I also wouldn’t have guessed that these shoes would be referred to as “booties,” but I guess Cavalli is just full of surprises today. The most accurate name for shoes like these is probably a sandal-bootie hybrid, which makes them difficult to classify on a retail website but great for the summer-fall transition that most areas of the country are about to enter. Overall, I have no criticisms – these are attractive, modern shoes that you can wear for a variety of occasions and for a huge portion of the year (depending on climate, naturally). Buy through Zappos for $854.

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