SHOES ARE MADE FOR WALKING
Despite heels being the celebrated footwear in fashion, I have always had a life-long love affair with flats, says Ng Yi Lian
Flats spell much more than just comfort and practical in today’s fashion world.
In fashion, no matter the season, at any given point, the musthave shoes are usually sky-high stilettos—that are architectural marvels—or the classic staple pumps in timeless hues of nude and black. Towering Manolos, Choos and Louboutins are the ones that we drooled over in Sex and the City; celebrities only don high heels on the red carpet. It’s usually the case on most runway collections as well. While it makes commercial sense for designers—stilettos often have pricier tags—the allure of the heel has also become deeply ingrained in women’s psyche with the plethora of complex contradictions such as empowerment, sexual appeal, femininity, subversion and fetishism.
Flats have hardly ever been the footwear of choice. They are the seemingly dowdy sisters of the sexy stilettos and the options women keep in their bags to change into when the going gets tough in steep heels. They are always on reserve—the afterthought or the second option.
Despite all of the above, my love for flats has continued through my fashion journalism career. I have, on my last count, 70 pairs of footwear, of which only 20 per cent have an elevated sole or heel. It first started with an unhealthy obsession with Birkenstocks during my late teens when, within two years, I’d accumulated 15 pairs. Then naturally, as with most people, there was that sneakers phase—which I continue to dwell in. Converse collaborates laborates with Maison Martin Margiela a and Puma with Mihara Yasuhiro? Oh h yes, hello!
The wonderful thing g about flats is the option to switch h between androgyny and femininity ity easily, which explains my purring ng when I saw Repetto ballerina ina flats lined up beautifully by y colour at its flagship store on Rue de la Paix in Paris last month. I walked out with two o pairs within five minutes. “There’s There’s no need to second guess your purchases,” I told myself. elf. “Comfort, aesthetics and nd versatility? Oui!”
Stilettos belong, obviously, to the women’s s world. But flat shoes are more versatile, what with the e choices of Oxfords, brogues, loafers, ers, sneakers, ballet flats, sandals, boots and so much more. When it comes to flats, just like menswear, it’s fair play. So why not celebrate the sartorial choices? oices?
Alber Elbaz and Yohji Yamamoto, two fashion designers I’ve long admired, evidently have had similar thoughts about women in pretty dresses and flats. For their fall/winter 2013 collections—Lanvin and Yohji Yamamoto—they sent models down the runways in soft voluminous ladylike frocks with hard leather Oxfords and brogues. It reminded me of the blacktie soirée I attended for Hussein Chalayan show during Audi Fashion Festival this May. Since I did not have even a single pair of high heels at home (they are all under my office desk for moments of fashion emergencies), I had to resort to wearing my Converse X Play Comme des Garçons high tops with my asymmetrical Carven dress. Imagine how flattered I felt when Mr Chalayan noticed my outfit and said to me, “You should wear my clothes.”
When Australian designer Dion Lee was in town some months ago for multilabel store Inhabit’s 10th anniversary, I noticed, in conversation during his model fittings session, that he paired his cruise 2014 collection with the now-cool-again Birkenstocks. Immediately afterwards, I marched right to the Birkenstock store in Wheelock Place and bought the very same black patent leather one that Lee put on his models. I’ve since matched the androgynous sandals with m my cute frocks from Burberry Prorsum, Prorsum Opening Ceremony and Prada. And have we not learnt anything from the t ingenious Phoebe Philo since her spring/summer 2013 collection of o furry Birken-stockesque sanda sandals that have evolved into the pony-haired po slip-ons of fall/winter 2013? 2
Wearing towering stilettos with girlie dresses has become so typical and boring. In this age of customisation where every w woman wants to own somethi something that’s one-of-akind, w why not dress one-ofa-kind too? Be unpredictable and c contrarian. It is even more empowering and sexy when a woman can ooze poise and femininity without ha having to resort to bodyhugging clothes and uncomfortable footwear. It’s time to give those sky-high red-soled stilettos a rest. Surprise with a pair of flat loafers o or sneakers.