EVENING SHOES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22618, 5 January 1937, Page 3

EVENING SHOES

ELABORATION IN CUT THE CHINESE INFLUENCE Evening shoe fashion this season is full of glitter and excitement. Even the simple court model is finished with a buckle of rhincstones or a clip of pearls. Some shoes go a step further in daring, and have their classic plainness relieved by punchwork and interlacings of contrasting kid. Elaboration in cut and trimming increases throughout the whole gamut of footwear until you arrive at the most fascinating of all, 17th century style toeless sandals made of narrow straps completely covered with jewel-like stones or tiny mirrored sequins. These backless sequinned sandals are not as fantastically unpractical as they sound, for in spite of their seeming delicacy of line and general air of fragility, they arc so designed that there is plenty of strength to them, where strength is needed, and, because of their very diversity of colour, they may be worn with a number of diii'erent gowns and colour schemes. Somewhere between these two extremes of the classic court shoe and the exotic sandal are several extremely interesting new modes. The most important illustrates the Chinese influence. This undoubtedlygrew out of the Chinese Art Exhibition last year—for shoe fashions take longer to germinate than do those of millinery or dress. There are other important fashion trends in evening shoes this season besides the Chinese and the 17th century. There are, for instance, the cloquc kid models, which may be worn with either plain or patterned fabrics. Gold and silver kid are definitely coming back, not only as trimming, but for entire shoes. The best models are always given individuality, however, by lacquered designs, jewelled trimming or satin inlays. The high cut brocade sandal, with cut-out straps across the instep, and the buckle-trimmed court shoe are both beautifully Edwardian. Most definitely 1936 of all are the new suede and kid sandals, which are marvellously chic with the new woollen evening gowns and tweed evening wraps.