<p>If it’s summer, women are walking in wedges. “The wedge is not too serious,” says the shoe designer Christian Louboutin, whose red-soled creations are synonymous with sexy footwear.<br /><br />“There is a playful mood to the wedge. You get the height but also have great balance so they are both easy to walk and stand in.” <br /><br />The wedge’s popularity can be traced to the mid-1960s, when Yves Saint Laurent teamed up with Lorenzo and Isabel Castaner of the family-owned Catalan shoe manufacturer Castaner to recreate their renowned espadrilles with a wedge heel. It wasn’t long before stars like Brigitte Bardot and Grace Kelly were spotted in the new style. <br /><br />Wedge shoes are typically designed with heels of chunky cork, a light weight-wood or the rope espadrille approach. Variations of each showed up on catwalks this season. At D&G they were festive, with girly details like flower embellishments on shoe straps, colourful ribbons woven into the heels or a gingham check design.<br /><br />Kate and Laura Mulleavy of Rodarte gave their wedges the look of gilded rococo woodwork. Ennio Capasa, the designer behind the brand Costume National, combined wood and cork for his sandals and topped them off with Mod-looking patent leather in bold hues. <br /><br />The wedge appeals to designers because there is so much surface to play with. They can be outfitted with interesting fabrics, stacked using different materials or embellished with everything from studs to Swarovski crystals. New technology has made it possible to try out myriad widths, cut-away angles and heel-less wedges. Even the more difficult Zori wedge (think Geisha) seen on the Chanel, Marc Jacobs and Kenzo catwalks, which are decidedly more cumbersome, got a colourful update. <br /><br />Wedges also have started to gain a foothold in the winter shoe season, popping up on boots and even wrapping around heels. <br /><br />“I believe a wedge adds the height wanted in a shoe, but is somewhat less formal than a high-heel stiletto,” says Charlotte Dellal, the designer behind the shoe brand Charlotte Olympia. <br /><br />Dellal, whose shoe style leans toward a retro glamour, is offering up wedge options this winter like the close-toed, ankle strap “Tessa” shoes or the lace-up, striped-heeled “Matha” design. <br /><br />As well suited as wedge shoes are for flowing summer dresses and mini skirts, they are now quickly adapting to the demands of the more covered up winter wardrobe. “Remember,” Louboutin says, “when you wear pants you don’t always see the wedge, so it gives the impression of having extra long legs. I don’t think I have ever met a woman who wished she had shorter legs.” <br /><br /></p>
<p>If it’s summer, women are walking in wedges. “The wedge is not too serious,” says the shoe designer Christian Louboutin, whose red-soled creations are synonymous with sexy footwear.<br /><br />“There is a playful mood to the wedge. You get the height but also have great balance so they are both easy to walk and stand in.” <br /><br />The wedge’s popularity can be traced to the mid-1960s, when Yves Saint Laurent teamed up with Lorenzo and Isabel Castaner of the family-owned Catalan shoe manufacturer Castaner to recreate their renowned espadrilles with a wedge heel. It wasn’t long before stars like Brigitte Bardot and Grace Kelly were spotted in the new style. <br /><br />Wedge shoes are typically designed with heels of chunky cork, a light weight-wood or the rope espadrille approach. Variations of each showed up on catwalks this season. At D&G they were festive, with girly details like flower embellishments on shoe straps, colourful ribbons woven into the heels or a gingham check design.<br /><br />Kate and Laura Mulleavy of Rodarte gave their wedges the look of gilded rococo woodwork. Ennio Capasa, the designer behind the brand Costume National, combined wood and cork for his sandals and topped them off with Mod-looking patent leather in bold hues. <br /><br />The wedge appeals to designers because there is so much surface to play with. They can be outfitted with interesting fabrics, stacked using different materials or embellished with everything from studs to Swarovski crystals. New technology has made it possible to try out myriad widths, cut-away angles and heel-less wedges. Even the more difficult Zori wedge (think Geisha) seen on the Chanel, Marc Jacobs and Kenzo catwalks, which are decidedly more cumbersome, got a colourful update. <br /><br />Wedges also have started to gain a foothold in the winter shoe season, popping up on boots and even wrapping around heels. <br /><br />“I believe a wedge adds the height wanted in a shoe, but is somewhat less formal than a high-heel stiletto,” says Charlotte Dellal, the designer behind the shoe brand Charlotte Olympia. <br /><br />Dellal, whose shoe style leans toward a retro glamour, is offering up wedge options this winter like the close-toed, ankle strap “Tessa” shoes or the lace-up, striped-heeled “Matha” design. <br /><br />As well suited as wedge shoes are for flowing summer dresses and mini skirts, they are now quickly adapting to the demands of the more covered up winter wardrobe. “Remember,” Louboutin says, “when you wear pants you don’t always see the wedge, so it gives the impression of having extra long legs. I don’t think I have ever met a woman who wished she had shorter legs.” <br /><br /></p>
