The Art of the Statement Shoe

There is a particular kind of social confidence that comes from extraordinary shoes — one that is entirely different from the confidence borrowed from a designer logo. A truly exceptional shoe communicates something about its wearer's relationship to beauty, to craft, and to the pleasure of dressing that no other single garment quite achieves. This is why even the most ardently quiet-luxury dresser often permits themselves a single piece of absolute shoe drama.

**The designers who define the category**:

Manolo Blahnik (manoloblahnik.com) — the octogenarian Canarian-British designer has been making shoes of extraordinary beauty since 1970. His Hangisi satin pump with jewelled buckle, worn by Carrie Bradshaw in the first Sex and the City film, has become one of the most iconic shoes of the twentieth century. His silk-satin mules and his sculptural heeled sandals are equally significant.

Roger Vivier (rogervivier.com) — the house that invented the stiletto heel in 1954 (the heel was named after the Italian knife) and created the square-buckle pilgrim pump still sold today as the 'Viv' Choc. The Strass buckle pump is among the most photographed shoes in fashion history.

The Row (therow.com) — unexpected in this company but entirely deliberate. Their Mara sandal and their ballet flat in supple nappa leather are examples of a statement shoe made entirely through material and proportion rather than embellishment. The most sophisticated exclamation mark possible.

Bottega Veneta (bottegaveneta.com) — their intrecciato-woven leather shoes and their sculptural square-toed mules represent the apex of contemporary Italian shoe design.

**On height**: The most versatile statement shoes are not necessarily the highest. A beautifully shaped kitten heel — Malone Souliers (malonesouliers.com) is the definitive contemporary address — or a perfectly proportioned flat sandal with extraordinary detail makes as much of a statement as a six-inch heel, and can actually be worn for the duration of a brunch.

**The rule of the statement shoe**: When the shoes speak, everything else should whisper. A remarkable pair of shoes requires nothing else of its outfit except simplicity, excellent fabric, and confidence.