Shoe-booties lead trends for fall footwear

Tag : toe shoe

In most of the country, though, it's simply too warm to wear thatnew tweed suit or metallic-thread evening coat. But another one ofthe season's hot trends can tide you over: the shoe-bootie.
They've been around a few years, but this year is likely to be thepeak in terms of sales, footwear designer Stuart Weitzman said.
"The bootie is the new shoe," he said. "They were not a runwayfashion item at first, they were street fashion items - and that'sa much stronger influence."
Shoe-booties are available in open-toe versions, ones that lookGoth or ones that look like oxfords. Weitzman said they sell justas well in sunny, warm climes as those preparing for the leaves toturn.
They are substantial shoes that can take a towering heel, whetherit's chunky and stacked or a slim stiletto.
Other than that, though, the shoe-bootie is hard to define becausethere is such variety. Booties are Weitzman's second, third andfourth best-selling items at retail right now, topped only by anover-the-knee riding boot - another trend. But with that, heexplains, women are likely to only buy one pair while they'll filltheir closets with booties.
James Ferragamo, women's leather product director of SalvatoreFerragamo, says a form of booties have been worn since 1300 B.C. inSpain and they have been part of the Ferragamo collection since the1930s. Booties, however, really caught on when the miniskirt waspopularized in the '60s.
"Our bootie is created on a special boot last, so parts ofFerragamo's booties are direct results of an original boot," JamesFerragamo explained. "The middle part of the bootie, over theinstep and arch, and the part of the bootie that curves around theankle are the exact parts of a boot."
That leaves the front and the decoration to more closely followshoe trends.
"They look great with skinny denim, boot leg trousers, skirts anddresses. A major trend on the runways this season featured platformand peep-toe booties styled with bold tights and worn with dressesand skirts."
Garth Mader, divisional merchandise manager for shoes andaccessories at Endless.com, said he's already counting onlight-colored booties for his spring lineup.
"Customers really reacted to the trend, adopted quickly and havenever stopped. ... There's a lot of talk about suiting coming backand the shoe-bootie is the perfect partner for that."