The new trophy shoe
Anyone been wearing heels lately? I get mine out from time to time, give them a quick fondle, a quick twirl, and then it’s back to my trainers and flatforms. I miss the glamour though. Into this breach steps, daintily, Olivia Morris, the British shoe designer who began her career at Patrick Cox back in the Nineties when every Saturday morning, queues formed for his cult Wannabe loafers. She later launched her own successful line as well as designing for Hobbs.
At 5ft 8ft and with size 9 feet, Morris has always had a complex relationship with heels, which led her to research the elegant, refined (and low-heeled) footwear of the 18th and 19th centuries. She came up with a 21st-century hybrid – a plush, backless mule with padded insoles and the faintest wedge of a brushed leather sole, all the better to support your back. Not that there is anything remotely orthopaedic looking about this shoe. Far from it. Thanks to
Morris’s extensive collection of satins, velvets (in 15 shades) and vintage prints (Liberty among them), the vibe of Olivia Morris at Home is more dandy than heavy duty.
As someone who used to keep her favourite shoes (aka the ones you never walk in because they’re so high) in cages, she’s considered every step and detail, from the memory foam and the almond toe (more flattering) to the recycled cotton pouches they come in. Most of the fabric she uses is from offcuts. The velvet is cotton (“synthetic velvet is never as nice”) and at its highest point, the heel is 2cm, enough for some elevation and more comfort than a completely flat sole. Originally she planned to launch the line in spring, but lockdown provided a considerable hurdle, not least since the shoes are made in Spain. It also provided context.
“Now that we’ve rediscovered the joys of being at home, not just for working but entertaining, the idea of a house shoe feels right, and not just an ironic nod to the 1950s, when women would change into a fluffy mule to look presentable for their husbands.”
Not that these shoes are confined to the home. “I’m not necessarily advocating walking the dog in them, but they’re definitely made to be seen out. I’d slip them into my bag and change into them at work or in the restaurant,” she says.
On the subject of bags, she’s got those too, “so you can go the whole matchy-matchy if you want”. The first one is a drawstring bucket, £175. Later there will be leather as well, based on her grandmother’s frill-edged knitting bags and embroidered by ex-alexander Mcqueen seamstresses who live in Hastings, near Morris’s home in St Leonards. “This is definitely slow fashion, designed to bring lasting joy. I hope they’re a balance between playful, nostalgic and modern.”
Petrol blue, £245; green printed, £275; metallic, £275 (all oliviamorrisathome.com)