Enfnts Terribles

The Higher The Shoe, The Closer To God

The year was 2008, and Miuccia Prada just presented her Spring ’09 ready-to-wear collection in Milan. One of the more iconic Prada collections to date; just ask any seasoned fashionista who likes a good pop culture moment. The collection was so tenderly suggestive, with highlights on natural construction, ’50s silhouettes, and pure Italian glamor. But then there goes that controversial yet alluring shoe—or better yet, shoes. As Prada girls trickled down the runway, attendees couldn’t help but notice the sheer struggle these killer heels bestowed.

Not one, but two models ended up teetering and *gracefully* falling on the runway, and one model decided to do the grand finale with no shoes at all. It left Prada fanatics with divided opinions. Some critics blamed it on the styling (the pairing of the shoe with toe-length socks), and some blamed the heel for being too high. Others vouched that the shoe was a piece of art and that the slow and careful model struts left people hyper-fixated on the garments. No matter the reason, Miuccia’s Spring 2009 show falls into that timelessly chic category in fashion history (pun intended).

We Say, King Of Fashion, You say, Alexander McQueen

Now that we’re talking about killer heels, it would be a shame not to mention the shoe that rules them all. British Vogue labeled them as one of the 20 most iconic shoes of all time, adored by many (including Daphne Guinness, Kelis, and Lady Gaga), yet feared and hated by numerous industry insiders. If you still hadn’t guessed, we are, of course, referring to Alexander McQueen’s ‘Armadillo Shoe’ from his last collection Plato’s Atlantis.

It is no secret that the late Alexander McQueen was—or still is—the King of Fashion and the master of his craft. Yet, his last collection Plato’s Atlantis was such a Herculean moment in fashion history—so ahead of its time—that we are yet to place it in a certain period of fashion and era. However, the infamous ‘Armadillo shoe’ got a great deal of mixed reviews at that time. But everyone, and we do mean everyone, was talking about it. The Paris Review labeled them “aggressively ugly”, and Sarah Mower titled them as “grotesque shoes that looked like the armored heads of a fantastical breed of antediluvian sea monster” for Vogue Runway in 2009. And us? Almost 13 years later, we are still left speechless.

The 30-centimeter shoe, with a 23-centimeter spike heel, with an armadillo/lobster-like silhouette left industry supermodels in pure shock and terror. Slavic beauties and industry giants like Natasha Poly and Sasha Pivovarova declined to participate in this iconic show due to their concerns for their safety. It all sounds incredibly spooky and scary. Still, all the models that did decide to walk a mile in Alexander’s killer heels left the runway without a single scratch, tumble, or fall, which is—to put it lightly—praiseworthy.

Drop-Dead Gorgeous

Killer heels have been around for as long as we can remember, and Valentino is only one of the many brands that re-introduced drop-dead gorgeous shoes for the upcoming seasons. Balmain, Bottega Veneta, Versace, Saint Laurent, Maison Schiaparelli, Proenza Schouler, Vivienne Westwood, Marc Jacobs, Fendi, and even Dior—gasps in Maria Grazia Chiuri—all took a slice of this killer cake. A lot successfully as well! One brand took this trend to a whole new level during Milan Fashion Week, and maybe even foreshadowed some moments that took place during Paris Fashion Week.

Beate Karlsson sent each and every model tumbling and falling during the AVAVAV runway debut last September in Milan. Beate’s meme-worthy designs have been sending people and media into a frenzy for a while now. The Filthy Rich collection for AVAVAV is no different: a perfectly commercial collection with no compromises on the ‘conceptual’ side of things. The collection itself is a dig at how often fashion collides with luxury and riches, even during trying times like recession and global downturns. Beate stayed true to her whacky aesthetics when it came to footwear; she replaced the intimidating chicken leg shoes with more commercially acceptable moon boots and feet-like knee-high heels.

In short, whether you like it or not, killer heels are a paramount piece of fashion history, and now they’re back in full force—more dangerous than ever. It’s finally time to bring out the highest of the highs and show off your best tumble and fall. Whether you’re returning home post-clubbing, or you’re going off to brunch, tumbling, tripping, and falling are in again!