Linear Elegance Of Shoes For Autumn

Press, Volume C, Issue 29467, 20 March 1961, Page 2

Linear Elegance Of Shoes For Autumn

IBy MOLLIE MACKENZIE]

Fashion apart, there’s a crisp, linear elegance about the newest shoes. Spike heels are finer than ever, but not as high. Toes are as pointed and even longer.

A more sharply-angled inner side wall emphasises the balanced construction and, where practical necessity dictates, heel heights are varied with no loss to the structural delicacy of the silhouette.

One maker appropriately calls this trend the “flowline.” Another attributes the tapered-toe elegance to the Italian influence. In any event, feet will be more snugly fitted and sophisticated in the season’s footwear with its high-rising vamps, discursive elegance and decisively feminine outline. Brown Big News In colour, the big news is brown, worn with almost everything, like the black of other years. Aniline dyes, soaked into the leathers, give depth in tints of “nectargio,” a light brown, ‘’bronzegio," rather darker, and "pheasant.” Shades, from fawn to tans of every degree are named otter, commuter, terracotta, nutshell and whisky. As well there are many shoes for active or spectator sports in what anyone can recognise as a good "polishing” brown. Black appears most prominently in formal shoes, at their best in suede, and new in mutation effects of “currantgio” calf like a glossy blackcurrant. Continuing the sombre theme are rich garnet reds, ivy greens, passion purples and navy. On the light side is caramel, cashew, string and almond green with a few chutney tints in reverse calf sports styles.

Even shoes copy the daytime mode in covered-up classic court stylings in satins and brocades, which may be dyed to match a gown, or in gold leather. Gimmick Trims Trimmings grow from the leather. An American model snakeskin shoe has a double cuff, one studded finely with nail heads, the underlayer cut away. Sketched are some styles demonstrating the variety of trimming gimmicks of the moment and these are but a few of those available There is the trim city-life court with symmetrical loop of self-leather stitched in white. There is the countrywalker in brown stitched to a moccasin line with a practical elasticised leather gusset across the high vamp collar. It has a veneered stack heel. A finely-tailored spectator sports shoe in nutmeg suede has glace bands stitched and slotted and brass-buckled at one side of a high-pointed vamp. The low bobbin heelets are of composition resembling cork. Needle-pointed toe and heel on close-built pump

structure have an individual touch added with the double ruff of matching satin calf, thonged across the throat of a high-stepping town shoe in passion purple. Fringed Circlets Tiny fringed circlets of leather set at either side of draped leather folds, decorate a pair of shoes available in a wide range of wanted shades. A shoe for the casual life in town or country is the rough suede flatty in almond green with punched motif, side interest developed with an uneven slot tied with a white silk braid bow and bobbles and a white-covered heel. Supple calf moulded classically in an imported beige shoe by a famous Norwich firm has a medium spike heel and restrained detail of punch-holes and stitching over toe and heel. A local-ly-manufactured shoe on almost identical lines comes in a wealth of colour choices. Another Norwich firm produces the formal black suede with precisely cut-back vamp, the high fan line set off by a beaded buckle.