First, the confession: I hate heels. And I never cared how uncool that made me! And yet, I can’t believe the ease with which I glided into Irregular Choice, this fancy shoe store on the legendary Carnaby Street in London’s Soho area. And after hours of gawking at the artworks — yes, these are not just ordinary pairs of shoes displayed on shelves, but wearable art, literally — and not speaking a word, I was like a child lost in a fantasy world, totally unwilling to leave the store.
“It will be impossible for you to walk past this iconic store,” my niece had warned me. Bang on, a few hours later, I popped my head in, attracted by the riot of sky-high heels in hot fluorescent colours with lavish embellishments and in unabashed patterns. Showcasing a dazzling array of offbeat and colourful footwear, the 900-sq-ft store simply stands out on the brightly-lit brick road in Soho.
It is not just the look of the store, which boasts discotheque-inspired walls and murals that capture the imagination, but the products that beckon.
The shoe label was created by Dan Sullivan in 1999 to stand out from the crowd. Believe me, it does! His aim was to create an exceptional offering of fashion shoes with an emphasis on fun, uniqueness and irregular designs. There are plenty of these elements cut, carved and etched in wood, fabric, leather, glass, metal, fur, and you name it.
With much enthusiasm, the buyer’s assistant shows me this season’s launch — the Cinderella collection. Replete with glitter, oversized bows and stunning embroidered embellishments, the blinding pairs come with fancy names and price tags. The most expensive one in this range is called ‘Home Before 12’, featuring metallic pink uppers with gold glitter platforms and clear lucite wedge heels containing rotating Cinderella figurines. Priced at 220 pounds, it competes with ‘Call Me Cinders’, another stunning party wear, featuring wedge heels with digital print uppers, silver glitter platforms and organza ribbon laces.
If these styles are sheer magic, there are also the variants called Ugly Sisters, Faith In Dreams, A Glittering Entrance... — each fitting into the fairytale theme and priced at 110 pounds upwards. With sequin uppers, glistening glitter bows, digital fabric quotes and LED lights that sparkle as you walk, each pair ensures a magical step for the feet, as their claim goes.
Each season, over 300 unique styles are created by the founder, the staff shares with me, while giving a quick guided tour of the shop filled with beautiful surprises. There are kitsch Santa heels, cute squirrels, Alice in Wonderland character heels, deliciously colourful tea pot and Star War heels. The range, themes, designs, colours, shapes, and patterns are incredible and fearless, as I am told the founder is neither guided nor influenced by the fashion industry or current trends.
“These shoes are so truthfully unique that when you wear them, your walk becomes the talk,” says Kate Louise Raye, a regular visitor to the store. “I window shop more than I buy,” she says, admitting she did pick up a pair recently for 125 pounds. “Heels are iconic symbols of femininity and power, and when they are celebrated like this, so weird and yet wonderful, you tend to get addicted,” she says.
Celebrity fans of Irregular Choice include Whoopi Goldberg, Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry, Kat Von D, Jessie J and Nicki Minaj.
With the Christmas season on, I find young girls and women continuously walking in for their moment. There is no dearth of choice, and it doesn’t matter whether you are a compulsive buyer, prospective customer or a conservative shopper.
I neither had the money in hand nor the guts to buy and wear, but the lace-up pumps, the hot pink ballet slippers and the open-toe wedges in bright turquoise — ,from the retro and funky to chic and super modern — each pair that I studied ended up brightening my mood.
Other interesting heels from across the world
Pleaser Beyond red platforms from BananaShoes
This Christmasy red pair is nothing short of daring and provocative, with its ultra-high 10-inch stilettos and the complementing front platform for added comfort and stability. The hot red pair with a Mary Jane design, round toe, classic court cut and iconic instep strap with metallic buckle closure on the exterior side costs 66 pounds. All kinds of stunning shoes that are sweet or sexy, simple or sparkly, comfortable or dangerously high, covering the foot or exposing it, each with its own unique design and style, are found here. You only have to be brave to heel up that high. Check them out at Waterloo Court, Markham Vale, Chesterfield, UK.
Demonia from Attitude Clothing
When you want to make a statement by wearing something unique on your feet, the Demonia range offers knee-high boots in different size heels, soles, patterns and designs with lace overlays, buckles, ribbons, bows, velvet, scalloped edge straps and more. Be ready to shell out 130 pounds and upward.
It is all about attitude here. You just need to know how to wear it, as the store specialises in fuelling your love for alternative fashion street-wear to punk, gothic, burlesque, rockabilly and psychobilly. The shop in Lincoln England is heaven for those who wish to make a statement.
Mermaid from Kobi Levi
Legendary, mysterious, with the beauty of both the human and undersea creature, the mermaid is the inspiration for this design. A special, multi-colour and textured style, following the fluent lines, movement and feel of the aquatic princess, the pair with a 12-cm heel costs 1,700 dollars.
From black swans, flamingos and roosters to whales, sharks and elephants, Kobi Levi designs some of the most creative pairs combining the essence of daily objects with the shape of shoes. Always available in limited editions, so that you don’t have to worry about bumping into someone else wearing the same heels as you! Lady Gaga has used a pair of these funky, sexy, funny and inspiring boots made by Kobi in his studio in Tel Aviv.
Hello Lover Suede Courts at Selfridges Shoe Galleries
Designed by Edgardo Osorio and flawlessly crafted in Florence, Aquazzura footwear has found itself as a cult favourite among fashion’s influential. Top of the wish-list are the Hello Lover Suede Courts, amped with a skyscraper heel and emboldened with an almost jewellery-like band of metallic leather encasing the ankle. Exposing the side of the foot in alluring fashion, each pair is stamped with the label’s signature pineapple motif to the sole.
