Footwear to Die For

On the way to Asakusa on Sunday, Abby and I stumbled upon some amazing footwear. These zebra-toned platforms are simply to die for (if they don't inflict bodily harm on their owner first!). I suppose platforms are a gift to the short people in the world. But I feel for her ankles. Does walking around in these things qualify as risky behavior?


On the rebound subway ride, we sat opposite this pair of lovelies. I can only imagine the blisters and bruises caused by those heart-shaped panels. But it is the blingy baubles dangling from the ankle straps that really caught my eye. Oh, where are the fashion police when we need them?

a-bomb!

For once, I am nearly speechless.

We sighted these shoes in the genkan of Yumeya, the extremely elegant ryokan in Niigata Prefecture where we stayed during our recent Golden Week trip. They look so benign -- plain, creme colored leather with low heels and bow-bedecked toes -- until you read the name written inside. a-bomb? What was the designer thinking? The next morning the pumps were reclaimed by their owner -- a very average-looking, middle-aged lady. I wonder if she realizes that she is walking around on shoes named for a deadly explosive ... I considered asking her but decorum got the better of me.

Plastic Shoes

On the way home on Friday, I noticed these shoes in a Juban shop window. Kind of a Gucci-style loafer but made of pure plastic. Aren't they ridiculous? Who would buy them? Let's hope they are just for display. Given the popularity of plastic shoes among young Japanese women I can not be sure about this. I will keep an eye out for any well-heeled gents sporting the slip-ons but that might not be until Halloween.

In all fairness, I have owned a pair or two of plastic shoes in my life. There were the purple pumps that were all the rage in New York in the 80s, the red Crocs that I held onto for about a week before deeming them too ugly for public viewing, and the black, Issey Miyake slippers I sometimes don during rainy season. They now seem destined for an early retirement since they make socks slip and generate heel blisters. Can you say "design flaw"? While I do like a good pair of high-quality flip-flops (I wonder what happened to those nice Reef brand blue ones that went to camp with Eve last summer?), this whole flip-flop boom has gotten out of hand. And if someone could come up with a suitably fashionable and durable alternative, I would stop buying leather shoes altogether.

Taco Belle

The other day my friend and I chanced upon an exhibit in the Spiral Building of accessory prototypes designed and made in Tokyo's Taito Ward. Apparently, Taito-ku is a hotbed of creativity. Or wants to be. The first item on display, a pair of high-heeled, pink lace-ups with frilly, fabric skirts encircling the toes, floored us. Kind of Wicked Witch of the West meets Little Bo-Peep. Absolutely ridiculous. Yet charming at the same time.



Our attention was then lured away by a second set of shoes. Sandal-like and slightly more practical, this pair seemed to be fashioned after folding beach chairs. Made mostly of wood, they did not look particularly comfortable. But they might function nicely as sushi serving pieces. Would that Eve had been with us.



My favorite item of all was the purse shaped like a taco. You can see it in the photo above, next to the man-bag resembling a baseball mitt. I am only speculating that Mexican food inspired this design. But on close inspection you will notice that it is made of tortilla-shaped, leather layers that fold and snap together at the top. Composed of two sheets, each layer is actually a flat pouch. Oh, how I love a purse with compartments. Yet the bag's coolest feature by far was the open space sandwiched in the middle -- the ideal place to stow the NYT. Japan certainly has a way with voids.

Now for my critique. The bag's designer, an elfin 32-year-old whose portrait hung on the wall nearby, ought to reconsider her color scheme. Does beige really go with everything or nothing at all? And the hardware was a little too Burlington Coat Factory for my taste. But those are cosmetic concerns. If she plays her cards right, this product could have a rosy future on the shelves of some swish boutique.

While I did not share these comments with the exhibit organizers, we did complete written surveys which awarded each of us a spin on the lucky draw machine. A bittersweet ending, we both missed out on the big prizes but won little packets of chocolates tastefully adorned with brown ribbon.