How the white shoe got posh
OH, HOW we used to pour scorn on the white stiletto, the shoe that stereotyped a whole generation of Lycra-clad, bighaired young women who supposedly lived for nothing more than to dance around their handbags.
Such was the general contempt for the Eighties look that pigeonholed London’s eastern suburbs, that the white stiletto — indeed, all white shoes — became the ultimate in toxic footwear.
Well, the Essex Girl is having the last laugh. It’s not just her trusty white stiletto that has been strutting up and down the coolest of catwalks for more than a year now, it’s the way her shoe has divided and multiplied. Today, every shoe shape comes in white. And they look great.
My first foray into white shoes felt brave. It was a couple of years ago in Paris during the shows (for me, the most dangerously tempting of times to seek retail therapy) when a beautiful pair of loafers called out to me from the Balenciaga shop window.
APRACTICAL flat shoe shape, yes, but could I really justify spending hundreds of pounds on such an impractical colour? Was I merely under the influence, as I often am, of one of the most creative catwalks? How would they translate in real life? And weren’t they going to turn my already big size 8s into laughably ginormous canoes?
In fact, they turned out to be my most reliable shoe. I’ve worn them, rain or shine, ever since. They work with everything in my wardrobe — black, navy, neutrals, colour and print. And no, far from having a clown effect, they make my feet look elegant. Or so my friends tell me.
I now have an entire collection of white shoes, from boxfresh pumps to square-toed jodhpur boots of the type last seen in the Sixties, when Man first walked on the Moon and designers Pierre cardin and André courrèges were proposing chainmail mini-dresses and beehive hats.
Don’t get me wrong; I’m not suggesting this summer’s white shoe takeover is yet another retro trend — so do beware of those white mid-calf go-go boots, unless you happen to be a twentysomething fashion stylist with an ironic sense of humour. But a white brogue or loafer? Sophisticated. A kitten-heeled mule? Low-key sexy. A simple white slide with a pair of jeans? chic.
White shoes are the definitive outfit highlighter. They make dark clothes ping and give colourful outfits balance. They elevate a look in a way that a black shoe can flatten.
Just this morning, I threw on my black kick-flare jeans and cream silk shirt with a pair of black block-heeled shoes, only to glance in the mirror and replace them with a pair of white woven slingbacks from H&M (£19.99, hm.com).
My reasoning? The white looked more interesting, more considered and, if I’m not mistaken, redirected attention away from my thighs, making me wonder whether I should just abandon black shoes altogether.
So where to find the best doit-all styles? If you’re willing to battle the tweens in Topshop, head there for super slides (£29), slingbacks (£59) or zip-side ankle boots (£85). All available from topshop.com.
The best smart round-toed courts can be found at Whistles (£139, whistles.com) and Uterque’s mules with a knot on the toe are a steal in the sale (£54.90, uterque.com).
One last thing to consider on the white shoe front is not only their agelessness — truly, women of any age can wear them — but the power of their emotional uplift.
OK, I may be stretching the point a bit, but thinking of ways to cheer up my recently bereaved mum, my sister and I took her shopping in London. It was in Liberty, her all-time favourite store, that my mum, 82, plumped for a pair of white Tod’s loafers.
‘They’re just so comfortable, Bec,’ she said, looking chic as can be. Her smile said everything to me about the wonders of the white shoe. Rebecca Lowthorpe is Fashion Director of Grazia