Thursday 12 May 2011

Irregular Choice... these shoes are made for, erm... walking.

I’ve been off the radar for a while, largely because due to pollution amongst other things I was forced to hide in a darkened room with my inhaler doing a passable impression of a gothic consumptive (plus paracetemol and day time tv).  I’m now back in the land of the living as much as I will ever be and my thoughts have turned to shoes.
I suspect we all have our foot maladies, personally I don’t like feet, think toes are ugly and the idea of reflexology brings me out in hives. I do like shoes however, mainly because they cover feet and make them look attractive. I don’t like the sandally strappy type of footwear. Nor am I keen on the wedge type shoes loved by many stylish ladies. Perhaps a Remix wedge shoe in red or green would be ok, but white or pale blue and pink simply remind me of nurses’ shoes or cleaners’ feet. Also I feel wedges only look good on long slender legs.
My major problem is that I have those wide pointy feet, you know the type that poke out of the bottom of Norman tunics in parish churches. Some shoe people are good for this foot shape: Clarks do the job, New Look’s and Next’s wide fit can be comfy (although this season’s designs are not my cup of Oolong).  In fact recently shoes have done little for me, the tranny/wag heel doesn’t suit and is excruciating to wear.  As for all these chunky, strappy monstrosities I don’t want to look like the mutant child of Spartacus and Barbarella. Flip Flops are not fit for anything, even if they are fit flops. Those Vivien Westwood plastics look appealing but I am waiting for someone to tell me how they feel, I recall plastics first time round and even when flat they produced horrendous suppurating blisters.
My hopes at the moment rest upon Irregular Choice, who have a branch in Carnaby Street and also sell through Schuh on the high street. Many of you will be familiar with them, but if not they put the fun back into shoe design. In addition they sometimes have space in the front for wide tootsies: this is partially because they champion the round toe shape. Where they really come into their own is sheer quirkiness and interesting embellishments, trimmings and colours. These shoes are statements and some I suspect will only come into their won when combined with plain colours and simple clothes. Many have a vintage feel, some are downright daft. But the quality and price are not bad. I bought a pair of their Union Jack Courts for my mother who is a conservative dresser but she loves wearing them. Shoes are perhaps where more minimal women really can go to town style wise, especially as they are not as reliant on body shape or age for their effect. Currently I have my eye on the shoes below. The basic shape has a nice vintage feel but the toe is covered with tiny plastic little bunny buttons, impractical, whimsical and perhaps a bit silly but I do wear a lot of black and they would look nice with the black opaque tights  I wear all year. I’ve put up some pictures of other shoes from the current range that I fancy, they are all available from the website and cost between £60 - £90.  I prefer the shop in Carnaby Street (I really have to try shoes on) which has cheery young staff who dance to Abba, I also like the canvassy bag decorated with robots and the clever shoe boxes you get. Has anyone out there got any shoe recommendations to share? Let me know! xx

Bunny shoes!



These have a rather nice 30's / 40's feel.
Lovely lucite style carved heel.
The image on the front is an applique pink pussy.
Pretty detailing on these brogues.

10 comments:

Straight Talking Mama! said...

I do like Remix but nowadays I prefer Rocket Originals, their shoes are fab. www.rocketoriginals.co.uk

Also I think you should check out Miss L Fire, I think you'd like them!! http://shop.misslfire.com

Hope these help!

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LandGirl1980 said...

"you know the type that poke out of the bottom of Norman tunics in parish churches" - HA HA HA!!

Loving the union jack courts :) And yes - Miss L Fire have some super shoesies!

Mim said...

They're possibly a bit sedate for you as the ones you've shown are lovely and colourful, but Hotter's 'Charleston' shoes are great (http://www.hottershoes.com/en/Occasions/Special-Occasions/42044_charleston). I've got a black pair of work and they're really comfy. I'm thinking of getting a pair of 'Quickstep' ones next.

(Yup, I wear boring shoes, but I can walk for miles…)

garofit said...

Irregular choice are definitely fun. I've always found them sort of rockabilly for some sort of reason. Miss L Fire can be interesting too. Personally I prefer Poetic Licence for vintage inspired shoes, they combine quirkiness and prettiness in the right dozes for my taste.
I would like to buy Remix, but they are out of reach money wise, and I am not sure after reading the reviews that they are worth the money. Stunning, yes, but at that price I would really want them to be comfy too.

Kally said...

I have the Irregular Choice ones with the lucite style heel, bow and monkey charm but in the 'Oz' variant which are turquoise and red with gingham. They are wide at the front, I had to go down a shoe size in them.

They're fairly comfortable, unfortunately I've not had a chance to wear them much as I don't want them to get wet and the weather here in Manchester has not been particularly clement recently, so I can't tell you whether they're comfortable over a long period.

I also have some of the Vivienne Westwood plastics, the 'Lady Dragon' style with the cherries on the toe. They are actually really comfortable but I tend to walk out of them as I've never really worn slingbacks before. Those are also quite wide and necessitated going down a size. Plus they smell like sweeties!

RedlegsinSoho said...

Some other useful comments have gone! recommending L Fire shoes and so forth.
Kally, I am even more tempted by those Viv of westwood plastics now. x

Sammy said...

I'm in love with the broagues at the bottom, what on earth are they?! Do they have a name?

RedlegsinSoho said...

Not sure what the name is but they are in the current Irregular Choice range. Minn x

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