Spring Shoes With Restraint
Feet that look imprisoned are just the thing

Want to be on-trend this summer in the footwear department?
Forget the usual dribble about going boho, metallic or peeptoed. Start thinking confined spaces.
Shoe designers on the cutting edge have created a look this season that resembles a cage.
That's right, a cage.
Multiple straps straddle the arch and encase the sides of the foot. They can be flat or high, wedges or stilettos. Overall, they resemble some sort of isolation cell. Or maybe a
medieval torture machine.
And on the subject of torture, anyone have their home appraised lately? But we digress -- perhaps. Is there a coincidence here?
In any case, the question is whether these shoes, once affixed to the foot, ultimately make the wearer look assertive or aggrieved.
The best are busy, coupled with a strong heel, and have a certain heft and authority. The most sublime example of the genre that I've seen is by Yves Saint Laurent, part of their spring '09 collection. They're cage-like, yes, but with no suggestion of pain.
If you can't afford them, at a whopping $1,590, don't give up. Plenty of other purveyors are happy to entrap your credit card...err...feet, for much less.
Shown above: Belle by Sigerson Morrison, $265, on piperlime.com.
Email Kathryn at KathrynWexler@hotmail.com
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