If you walk with a pointy heel 20 centimeters may seem like an extreme sport, armadillo shoes are another level. The footwear is characterized by being rounded, wraps the foot like a shell and ends in a 30-centimeter high and arched support.
The first and only 21 pairs of shoes armadillo performed during the spring parade “London Fashion Week” 2010, and it was the sensation of the moment. Its creator, the Irishman Alexander McQueen; recognized for his rebellious and non-conformist character, it was inspired by Darwin’s Theory of Evolution and Global Warming; betting on the unconventional and succeeded.
In an interview McQueen stated: “I thought they wouldn’t step on the street, but since then we have been able to see some celebrities like Daphne Guinness or Lady Gaga, wearing them; and now we have learned that several models such as Abbey Lee Kershaw, Natasha Poly or Sasha Pavovarova, refused to wear them on the catwalk, considering them too risky”.
Lady Gaga used them in the video clip “BadRomance”while the model Daphe Guiness wore them during a photo shoot by Steven Meisel for the Spanish magazine “Vogue”. After the designer’s death on February 11, 2010, his armadillos have not been manufactured again; except some of the existing pairs, intended for social causes. In fact, in 2015, the firm decided to donate one of the models to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), which in Spanish means United Nations Children’s Fund; to support the recovery of Nepal, after the earthquake it suffered in April of the same year.
Home “christies”, was in charge of conducting the auction and the irreverent singer Lady Gaga did not hesitate to fight for them; she offering $295,000 for the pair. Even the artist wrote in her account of “instagram”: “When a gift comes to you from heaven”; she proudly showing off the snake print sneakers.
For those who want to see part of the work up close -and of course the armadillo- of the renowned designer; you can visit the Alexander McQueen exhibition «Wild Beauty», at the Victoria & Albert Museum, located in the capital of England.
Last year the British firm, now under the direction of Sarah Burton; again topped the first place for presenting the most avant-garde shoes on the catwalk. Other fashion houses, in their quest to go with the McQueen trend, have showcased quirky and unusual models; such is the case of the boots “New Romantic” by Proenza Schouler, the “Tornillos de Miu Miu” fashion shoes, characterized by having an iron heel and a screw heel.
There are many models that “fashionistas” and designers will create over the years, because fashion is like that, innovative and constantly evolving; What is certain is that most women will always support the famous phrase of the renowned Marilyn Monroe, «I don’t know who invented heels, but all women owe him a lot.»