Tag Archives: footwear

Eye On Design: Million Dollar Sandals By Stuart Weitzman

Million Dollar Sandals
Photos By Gail

What we now refer to as the Red Carpet debuted at the 1922 premiere of Robin Hood, starring Douglas Fairbanks, the “First King of Hollywood.” Today, the pre-show parade of stars outside the Academy Awards is arguably as important to the fashion industry as the ceremony itself is to film. For the 2002 Oscars, actress Laura Elena Harring (Mulholland Drive) wore a pair of Stuart Weitzman stilettos ornamented with 464 Kwiat diamonds.

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Eye On Design: Thigh High, Platform Kinky Boots Designed By Gregg Barnes

Kinky Boots Designed By Gregg Barnes
Photos By Gail

By the end of the 17th Century, high heels were considered women’s shoes. Indeed, so strong was the connection between shoes and gender that a man wearing high heels could be arrested in New York under a law that forbade people from congregating in public while “disguised by unusual or unnatural attire.” First passed in 1845 to suppress masked political protests, this law was later used to justify the arrest of cross-dressing performers and bar patrons. Many similar laws persisted until the late twentieth century, when changing fashions and cultural norms rendered them unenforceable

Continue reading Eye On Design: Thigh High, Platform Kinky Boots Designed By Gregg Barnes

Eye On Design: Platform Boots Worn By Elton John

EJ Boots
All Photos By Gail

In the 1930s, companies like Delman and Ferragamo popularized chunky sandals and shoes. The trend continued during and immediately after World War II in shoes produced in materials that were not restricted by rationing, such as cork, woven straw, and wood. British brand Biba proposed platform sandals for women that emphasized the individualistic, expressive flare characteristic of that decade’s fashion accessories — an attitude that men confidently adopted as well.
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Eye On Design: Hullabaloo Mondrian-Inspired Hi Brows Boots

Hullabaloo Mondrian Inspired Hi Brow Boots
All Photos By Gail

These extremely rare, retro-vintage Hi Brows Boots were worn by one of the GoGo dancers on the 60s-era TV show, Hullabaloo. Made of white vinyl with red and blue vinyl panels and black vinyl piping, the red and blue color block design was inspired by the non-representational paintings of Dutch artist, Piet Mondrian. They are low heeled and below the calf in height, with a back metal zipper at the back. Why these boots originally sold for just a few dollars per pair, they can now fetch as much as $700 or $800 on eBay.

Hullabaloo Mondrian Inspired Hi Brow Boots

Hullabaloo was a Pop Rock weekly variety show that ran from 1965 to 1966 (two seasons), NS was broadcast on the NBC network. As with ABC TVs Shindig, which began 4 months earlier, this series combined the musical trends of the day, The British Invasion, Detroit’s Motown sound and the merging Folk Rock trend. Unlike Shindig, this series featured a segment from Great Britain hosted by The Beatles‘ manager Brian Epstein, who presented “up and coming” groups. The weekly hosts, at NBC ‘s Burbank studio, included George Hamilton, Roger Smith, Noel Harrison, Paul Anka and Sammy Davis Jr.

Hullabaloo Mondrian Inspired Hi Brow Boots

The performers, from both sides of the Atlantic, included The Four Seasons, The Beatles, Nancy Sinatra, Gary Lewis and The Playboys, Petula Clark, Barry McGuire, The Kinks, Herman’s Hermits, The Byrds and The Lovin’ Spoonful.

Photographed in the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, Queens, NY.

Eye On Design: Michael Jackson’s Metal Cowboy Boots

Michael Jackson Metal Cowboy Boots
All Photos By Gail

Dennis Tompkins and Michael Bush, who were Michael Jackson’s longtime costume designers, were asked to create a pair of Metal Cowboy Boots (circa 1990) for Jackson. The designers found inspiration in sabatons, the part of a knight’s armor that protected the foot. The singer wore these boots to the White House in April of 1990 to received the Artist of the Decade award from President George H.W. Bush.

Photographed in the Autry National Center in Los Angeles.

Michael Jackson Metal Cowboy Boots

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