Old News: Why past-season Prada shoes are perfect for now
Welcome to Old News, where our vintage-obsessed commerce editor, Roberta Schroeder, runs us through the runway relics currently occupying her wishlist (and resale searches). From the most iconic designer pieces on the planet to niche yet collectible accessories, this is your ultimate insider's guide to building a wardrobe that outlasts the trend cycles.
Last year, a styling concept dubbed ‘the wrong shoe theory’ went viral among shopping communities. In short, the idea was that the most successful looks of the year all had one common thread: a pair of unexpected shoes. Girlish dresses were contrasted against clunky sandals, while pointed stilettos gave tracksuit trousers sudden elevation. The idea in itself is quintessentially London: the capital is known not for matching the elegance of Paris or glamour of Milan, but for offering something iconoclastic and rebellious.
While I'm not normally someone at the forefront of a fleeting fashion trend, in this case, I was well ahead. Miuccia Prada has always been my ‘wrong shoe’ woman: I’ve been relying on her weird and wonderful footwear to upset otherwise ladylike looks since I first sold her obscure designs as a department-store Saturday girl during my university years.
Nobody crafts pumps or platforms with as much personality as Miuccia – and especially (in my humble opinion) the Miuccia of the Nineties and Noughties. The key to her most memorable catwalk moments has often been an unexpected shoe: chunky soles and off-colour kitten heels upset the prim proportions of her neat dresses and nerdy suiting. They’re the key to that quintessential, unmatched Prada quirk.
The best case-in-point here is a shoe any runway twitcher will know well: the Flame sandal, which debuted as part of the SS12 collection, before being resurrected for AW18. These have, of course, been on the resale wishlist since I started compiling it, but I’ve never come across a pair in my size.
I have, however, invested in several perfect pairs of Prada shoes and, as wonderfully weird as they all are, they’re some of the things in my line-up I actually wear the most. I use them as an easy impact booster, slipping them on to make a roster of wardrobe classics feel unique to me: my fail-safe evening look of boxy black tailoring suddenly stands out when there’s a pair of buckled satin sandals peeking from the hem, while silky slip dresses don’t feel quite as demure against the flash of a six-inch tread-sole platform.
My current favourites are a pair I really did earn: I’ve been searching for these glossed black leather platforms from the AW14 runway for years (no exaggeration). They’re the perfect piece to tip the balance of a look into darker territory, making puff-sleeved Simone Rocha dresses or a slouchy suit feel subtly subversive, without the peril of a pin-thin stiletto heel. (Another thing to note about Miuccia’s shoes: while they often look intimidating, they’re unbelievably comfortable: a crucial consideration when talking about shoes this towering).
Frothy, neon-tinged feathers are another Prada calling card that has appeared in several collections, including some more recent ones. I snapped up these black satin sandals, surrounded by a froth of Sesame Street foliage, on Ebay earlier this year, and I’ve worn them countless times: to work occasions (with that trusty double-breasted black suit) and to weekend drinks with a pair of boyfriend jeans and shoulder-scraping earrings.
There are prints, patterns and glittering embellishments in store here, too. If you like the idea of clashing tones and textures, a great place to start is with a bag and shoe in contrasting colour palettes. I’ve found dozens of brilliant Prada printed pieces on my scrolls: some of the best are below (although, if you’re new to the resale game, know that you’ll have to click quickly when you see something you like). And for something that’ll make a carefully curated wardrobe of basics feel fresh for the new season? Consider those molten silver pumps from AW18, which are in perfect box-fresh condition over at Vestiaire Collective.
And if you do find those Flame sandals in a 36 (I'll settle for 37 in an emergency), I’ll pay a generous finder’s fee…
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