[saann]

Quote:

At Monday evening’s CFDA awards at Lincoln Center, the audience was transfixed by actress Naomi Watts, presenting the award for Womenswear Designer of the Year, careening across the stage of Alice Tully Hall. A mix of a lurch and a teeter, her walk was typical of so many red-carpet striders who buckle forward as they balance on the pinhead stiletto of a seven-inch platform shoe—and the lovely Ms. Watts was the first to acknowledge it: “It’s embarrassing having to walk in these shoes in front of all you models who walk in these for a living.” DSK’s perp walk was nothing compared to this. The problem, of course, wasn’t Watts; it was the sky-high platform Louboutins she had chosen to wear with her gold Calvin Klein frock. Over the past several years, shoes have clearly gotten higher and higher, and in an effort to all be eye level with Amar’e, female celebrities, and those who emulate them, have taken to shoes inspiring little confidence and significant vertigo. Helen Mirren was famously quoted citing platform shoes as a beauty secret along with sucking in her stomach. “Four-inch platforms give you great height and make your legs look unbelievably long. I used only to be able to get them in stripper shops, but now you can buy them everywhere—although, unfortunately, that means everyone else has discovered the trick too.” Discovered the trick indeed but mastered the art of walking in those tricks? Not yet. The fashion world has recently extolled the virtues of the kitten heel, the wedge, the classic stiletto. At Carolina Herrera’s resort collection presentation the next morning, for instance, Manolo Blahnik patent sandals looked discreet and elegant. While celebrities believe themselves to be fashion forward in their extreme heels, the question is whether they are putting their best foot forward in those heels. Watching Watts navigate the stage, one was struck by the image of perennially chic Inès de la Fressange on the Croisère in Cannes a few weeks earlier in either of her two showstopping red-carpet ensembles—her flat Roger Vivier sandals the pièce de résistance both times.

Vogue.com article and picture

I thought this was interesting because I've been noticing a general direction moving from platforms to lower heels and flats. Not to mention wedges. And I have to be honest, platforms when done nicely are still, in my opinion, very nice. But it feels like designers just add a platform to the shoe because everyone else is doing it, or just to give it a really high heel to cover up a lack of creativity. It feels more like an afterthought.

It's everywhere and too saturated so I welcome this change of direction.

[Lela London]

The change of direction is great. But I love platforms, haha.

I love seeing confidence in kitten heels, it's something I find very hard to pull off.

[shoesexy]

I'm a huge fan of high heels, but these massive platforms & seven inch stilettos are characteristic of the trying-too-hard reality television wannabe --- incapable of actually doing the work, or unwilling, they just put a platform on it in a vain attempt to hide their inadequacies.

I'm ready for Manolo Blahnik to be back in vogue(pun intended).

As for "dress flats" ..... heavens no.

[saann]

I agree, I still have certain problem with dress flats. Especially if they have a tiny, tiny heel added to them.
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[CommanderTMugler]

Sometimes it's sad to see a shoe just contrived for the hell of it. Specially when it was headed in the right direction but ruined by a block added to give more height.

Sometimes it works on the right woman, if the shoe has some thought into it and can be built where the proportion of the heel doesn't look "off" and the design is nice as well and worn by that say someone a bit taller than the average person yet not as tall as a high fashion model (Blake Lively, Beyonce) who can carry off a bit bigger shoes and walk in them then by all means do it.

But when the shoe is used as a desperate attempt to add height to wear a dress that requires more height then its just silly, while you do the dress "justice" the overall look is horrible, celebs just end up looking uncomfortable plus when they can't walk in them so it's just a disaster waiting to happen.