WINTER STYLES IN SHOES ARE SENSIBLE

Southland Times, Issue 23676, 26 November 1938, Page 17

WINTER STYLES IN SHOES ARE SENSIBLE

LONDON, October 29. Shoes this winter consider health and good carriage as well as style, I have noticed. Even the towniest shoes have a brogue look, and all are built to give spring to one’s walk. And toeless shoes are definitely out, writes a fashion expert. The best of the winter shoes are those designed for town wear. They are comfortable, and yet smart and new looking. One pair I saw had what they call in America “pavement-proof” soles. These are half an inch thick and resilient, so that they make walking on hard pavements qtiite a joy. The I shoes have cuban heels and high laced vamps, and look perfect with a tailormade. Then there is the three-decker shoe, the rounded heel of which consists of three layers of cork, often in three different colours, and to wear them is like walking on a triple carpet. Sometimes they have triple soles also—and still contrive not to look clumsy. Another variety of new shoe has a hollow heel, and looks a little like a Dutch boy’s sabot, except that the heel is high. The toe sometimes turns up slightly in front, and thus prevents splashing in bad weather. The vamp is high and fastens at the side. > But it is glace with a difference. For one thing, it is dyed to every shade under the sun. It should be possible to have shoes now to match every tone of colour if you are so inclined. Winecoloured kid is especially attractive and very fashionable. Then the softness of the glace is exploited more than it used to be. It is folded and draped and punched and moulded and cut into all sorts of shapes and designs. For evening it is brighter than ever, and made to look more exotic than we could have believed possible. One lovely pair of evening sandals in jade green and gold kid were cut to look like leaves linked together. For more dressy occasions there is the elastic suede pump, unfortunately still rather expensive, but everything, nevertheless, that a shoe should be. It is light and smooth, and fits like a stocking, because it moulds itself to the foot. But, if you are in an extravagant mood, it is the perfect dress shoe. Less expensive is the “camisole” shoe, which has a high vamp and openwork lacing at the side, held together by elastic. Also very comfortable and flattering to the foot. As for shoe material—glace kid has staged a comeback. It is used a great deal with suede, but there are many more shoes made entirely of kid about now than there were..