After seasons of sneakers, brogues and all manner of clunky flat footwear storming many of London’s runways, spring ’16 ushered in an elevated shoe point of view. Sure, their were still sporty-luxe takes on trainers (see Christopher Kane’s safety-buckled styles) and comfort sandals (see Burberry’s crisscross slingbacks toughened up with hardware-shop chains), but what really stood out were all the new heel silhouettes on display. Turns out tall is back.
While most were single-sole, Sophia Webster applied her playful graphics and razzle-dazzle to a weighty and very high platform sandal this season. And Hunter continued to explore the idea of a high-heeled wellie. While they looked great on the runway, it takes a certain type of conviction to carry these off for actual puddle-jumping.
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JW Anderson rethought the brogue as a sharp, square-toe stiletto in molten metallics. Instead of bells and whistles, this new shape, with an exaggerated seat and counterpiece at the heel, had an extremely current frisson of past and future.
Mary Katrantzou also deserves kudos for her Lucite-heeled python-patchwork booties, another collaboration with Gianvito Rossi. They were an artful complement to her mixed-material ready-to-wear.
London can always be counted on for witty collaborations, and this season was no exception. Three of the best — and most unexpected — pair-ups included Chelsea Paris with Jean Pierre Braganza, Jimmy Choo for Antonio Berardi and Tabitha Simmons for Roksanda Ilincic. Peter Pilotto went the opposite route, launching the label’s own signature line of footwear.
Click through the gallery below to explore all the styles.
