Style you can slip on
The backless shoe has made its way from the catwalks and on to the feet (and Pinterest boards) of every fashion-forward woman this season
Hearst, whose shoe line has just launched at Matchesfashion.com, has included a mule in her collection for the past three seasons. But what is it that she loves about them so much?
“Number one, the comfort and the height,” she says of the heels, which rarely scale higher than three inches. “Number two: if you pair them with a long pant, it looks like a boot, which makes it more seasonless.” The backless shoe is a core product in several other new collections: accessories label Mansur Gavriel launched its debut shoe collection, for SS16, with a rainbow-array of suede, peep-toe mules: it offers versions in electric blue and mustard for SS17.
Handbag designer Paula Cademartori launched her footwear line last summer; her collection includes backless loafers embellished with gems and crossover mules in teak leather with pastel pink, hand-painted heels. “Colour is such an important part of my creative style,” says the Brazilian-born designer. “So I decided to use strong colours for the shoes too, because I love a standout accessory — they’re fun, with a strong, visual impact.”
The mule also stars in the first shoe collection from Attico. The label, launched last season by the Italian street-style stars Giorgia Tordini and Gilda Ambrosio, will offer three styles for SS17: one slipper flat and androgynous, the other two have a curved, Louis Quatorze-style heel.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2017