Lunedi Lunacy

And  I will restate - and no I do not protest too much - I am not a retifist!  But for my favourite shoe fanatics (you know who you are don't you Cecilia? Lara? Shirl? Jessica?)  here's a perfect Thanksgiving gift.

Once again:  Happy Thanksgiving??????

October 8-  1582: Because of the implementation of the Gregorian calendar this day does not exist in that year in Italy, Poland, Portugal and Spain.

S is for Shoes.. or maybe Shirli

 'When I design a shoe I think about it as a sculpture to wear, an art piece you live with. You and your body affect its look and it affects yours. Footwear should have its life with and without being on the feet, on the contrary to cloths that exist only when being worn'.

Kobi Levi

Israeli freelance shoe designer

Now I know it may seem that I've revealed a streak of retifism during the four years I was in Italy but honestly I'm not turned on by shoes.  I just find that what designers expect women (and sometimes men) to put on their feet sometimes entertaining, often funny and frequently high art.    I do have other friends who's obsession with shoes does seem a tad unseemly - oh hi Shirli Happy Birthday this one is for you.

FOR AROUND THE HOUSE

ON THE PLAYGROUND

ROSA KLEBB'S SADDLE SHOES?

THE HUMAN CONDITION? 

In my artistic footwear design the shoe is my canvas. The trigger to create a new piece comes when an idea, a concept and/or an image comes to mind. The combination of the image and footwear creates a new hybrid and the design/concept comes to life. The piece is a wearable sculpture. It is "alive" with/out the foot/body. Most of the inspirations are out of the "shoe-world", and give the footwear an extreme transformation. The result is usually humoristic with a unique point of view about footwear.

Kobi Levi

http://kobilevidesign.blogspot.com/

WATCH THE BIRDIE

JUST TO CONFUSE YOU

ONE OF THESE IS INSPIRED BY A CARTOON CHARACTER - OKAY MAYBE BOTH!

And my favourites:

GONE TO THE DOGS

Apparently Kobi is currently working on a collection of shoes for men.  I can hardly wait? 


Thanks to Elaine for passing these on - and I repeat I am not a retifist!

08 settembre/September - La Natività della Beata Vergine Maria

Lunedi Lunacy

Now surely - I know don't call me Shirley - neither one of my faithful readers thought for a moment that I would go to Milano and not take photos of shoes????   I mean come-on now!  It was my last chance to take a look at the gloriously outrageous over-the-top fashion statements that are scarpe in Italy and more particularly Milano.  I just know I'm not going to see anything like these on the Sparks Street Mall or at Bayshore let alone adorning the tender tootsies of les belles dames d'Outaouais.

Just a reminder that a left click on the image will give you - should you really want one - a closer look at the art of the calzolaio.

As I strolled past the high-end shops on Via Monte Napoleone and Via Santo Spirito I came across footwear that once again had me wracking my brain to image where or when they would be worn.  Or perhaps more accurately why?  And let's add the remaining interrogatives?  Who would wear them and how exactly do they manage on those bloody cobblestones?

It would appear that despite a few lighter items, obviously for the beach provided you don't actually go to the beach, ladies of fashion will be sporting lots of thick leather straps and buckles this season.  And a few will even be aping my grandmother by wearing high button (okay laced) shoes as street wear.  But it also looks like they'll be changing into the comfort of ballet slippers for those more informal moments at home.

If the colourful booties at Missoni weren't enough I knew I could count on Rene Caovilla across the way to feature a few little items to stimulate the imagination and empty the pocketbook.  And notice the ballet slippers - they really are becoming all the rage.

And the rain and an approaching train departure meant I had only scratched the surface of the quadrilatero della moda.  I never made it over to Via della Spiga or the side streets for a gander at some of the more outrageous windows.  I'm going to miss the crazy world of Italian shoes - it always made for entertaining viewing.

20 giugno - Sant'Ettore

Italian Engineering Feets

Yes I know that should probably read "feats" but honestly every time I look at shoe store windows here in Italy I'm overwhelmed by the minds that could dream up footwear like this!  And I'm not just talking about the high fashion centres in Milano or Roma - these photos are from stores in Marsala, Trapani and Argrigento in Sicilia.  Not exactly the captials of the haute souliers. 

Perhaps even more remarkable than the footwear is the way that many of the women here are able to navigate cobblestoned streets and dodge careening motorinos while tottering along in them.  And still keep their poise as the runway models that they all know they were meant to be.

And you know its odd before I came here I don't ever recall looking closely at women's shoes. I've certainly never wanted to wear them - I mean I don't have the ankles or the calves for them and drag has never really been my thing. But damn you have to admire a country that can produce engineers to create footwear like this and more importantly the women who can figure out how to wear them.

14 maggio - San Mattia apostolo