Rise of the ‘b*tchy, pointy shoe:’ Ultra-severe high-heel is fall’s must-have footwear, with one designer saying it signals Americans are sick of sloppy COVID-era outfits and Birkenstocks
- New York stylist Micaela Erlanger revealed that she has been using that term for year to define the angular-shaped shoes that ‘represents a certain attitude’
- Designer Tamara Mellon compares the resurgence to the power dressing days of the 80s and 90s describes these extreme shoes as ‘the fashion item of the fall’
The ‘b*tchy, pointy shoe’ is back and ready to slay as fall’s fashion must-have footwear as Americans are ready to return to the high-style days pre-COVID.
As one New York stylist Micaela Erlanger reveals that Americans are ready to put their sloppy COVID-era outfits and Birkenstocks to rest and replace it with the season’s spikiest (and most narrow) footwear.
Erlanger is talking about some of this season’s most cutting looks from kitten heels and boots to stiletto pumps, or as The Wall Street Journal‘s Katharine K. Zarrella put it ‘with toes so sharp they’ll get confiscated by the TSA.’
The b*tchy pointy-shoe,’ is a term Erlanger has ‘used over the years.’ Though it may sound a bit harsh, this fierce footwear, she said, ‘represents a certain attitude.’
As one New York stylist Micaela Erlanger reveals that Americans are ready to put their sloppy COVID-era outfits and Birkenstocks to rest and replace it with the season’s spikiest footwear
IN: High-heels, also known as the ‘b*itchy, pointy shoe’ are fall’s fashion must- have
OUT: The casual open-toed, flat Birkenstock worn during and post- COVID are losing its appeal according to some fashion experts
The shoes have a signature look that possesses an angular shape and narrow point and the look that many posh designers are showing this season.
From Balenciaga’s Knife shoes to Prada’s cutting kitten heels, Tamara Mellon’s boots and Alexander McQueen’s metal-tipped mules.
Designer Tamara Mellon compares the resurgence of the pointy toe to the ‘power dressing’ days of the 80s and 90s and describes these extreme shoes with ‘severe toes’ as the ‘fashion item of the fall.’
‘After Covid, people need something that looks fresh and different,’ she said.
The loss of appeal for the Birkenstock coincides with the larger rejection of overly casual attire, the designer pointed out.
‘When you’ve had too much of one thing for too long, the pendulum’s going to swing really far the other way,’ she said. ‘
So we’ve gone from a Birkenstock to a bitchy, pointy pump.’
Designer Tamara Mellon’s camel-colored stilleto-heeled boots are sleeky and sexy
A picture of Prada’s kitten heeled- shoes that are one of this season’s hottest styles
Though these stylish shoes may look fabulous, the way they feel on the feet is an entirely different story. For some, the narrow shape may be way too constricting.
But, Marion Parke, a podiatric surgeon-turned footwear designer confirmed that there are ways to get around it.
She suggested to avoid the pinching some may experience, opt for a shoe that isn’t too long, which will push the toes into the point where the toes become squished.
Instead, choose a shoe that is shorter in length and have a cobbler stretch the width if necessary.
