What Would Project Runway Shoe? Episode 4: Empire of the Sun

As a huge Project Runway fan, I couldn't resist but come up with a weekly Friday post that I've titled 'What Would Project Runway Shoe?" (#WWPRS) where I suggest a shoe to go with the winning look of the week.  We’re in Week 4 now and the claws are definitely out.  Spoiler Alert!!  Stop reading if you want to wait to watch last night's episode first. :)

What a crazy hard challenge they had last night!  Philip Treacy has an unparallel vision with his hats and he is clearly a force to be reckoned with in his craft.  Major kudos to Michael Costello for his winning look last night that played off the gold tones of the red sun-like hat. (http://www.mylifetime.com/shows/project-runway/season-8/designer-portfolios?designer=michael%20c)   He paired his drapey dress with Steve Madden’s Caryssa in a nude tan color.  This was a good choice because it did not fight to be seen as a whole outfit.  You want the hat to be focal accessory to the dress.  Picking a neutral shoe will not fight with the drama that the hat brings to the outfit. 

Having said that, I would have gone with a little more shimmer to bring the gold story throughout the whole outfit.  I mean, let’s be real here, the woman wearing a Philip Treacy hat is fierce and embraces drama.  So my pick is the Nine West ‘Accolia’ available at Piperline.com (http://piperlime.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=59435&vid=1&pid=518829&scid=518829032).  The simple straps in the gold tone go very well with the design of Michael C.’s dress because of their asymmetric design.  The tan Steve Madden is a good choice for the purposes of the runway but the Nine West ‘Accolia’ harmonizes, as Michael Kors would say, with the dress’s aesthetic.

Strangely enough, I have these in silver that I wore for a wedding I was a bridesmaid for a couple of years ago.  I’ve worn them two or three times since then.  They don’t have a terribly well padded sole but they don’t feel like you’re barefoot either.  They have a very decent 3” heel which is not too high “to show the good china” in a short dress. ;)  This shoe hasn’t gotten great reviews in terms of wearability.  This is partly due do the fact that the straps are made with synthetic materials which tend to stretch in a way that leather normally does not.  This is a shoe you want to be a little snugger for this reason.  I have worn them out dancing, wore them for 10 hours for a wedding including pictures and dancing.  They aren’t the epitome of comfort but for $49 they really complete Michael C.’s empire of the sun ensemble quite nicely.