Following up from the YSL Cage Boot, we bring you another iconic style likely to evoke deep shoe desire for those heel lovers out there! Introducing the Salvatore Ferragamo F wedge bootie. Let’s take a closer look at this stunning shoe and decide whether its worthy of a place in your shoe collection.
Firstly, a bit of history –
The F Wedge shoe was originally designed by Salvatore Ferragamo in 1947 as a sandal. He was apparently inspired by the ships stern on his travels back to Italy from America and his innovative design earned him a prestigious Neiman Marcus award for style in Dallas.
The eye catching heel was originally placed on a sandal made with clear nylon straps, very much like fishing line to create the invisible sandal. Kirsten Dunst wore a version of these to the 2016 Cannes Film festival. Apparently the upper of the shoe was the original from 1947 – now there’s an advertisement to buy quality footwear!
More recently in the House of Ferragamo, English designer Paul Andrew has taken over the reigns. He has performed a splendid job of recreating this iconic heel style with his F Wedge Bootie. There is also a lower cut ankle boot and updated sandal to choose from if this style doesn’t rock you, but from where we are standing the bootie is the pick.
We have spoken of Mr Andrew before with regards to his statements about the amount of collagen present in the modern day foot. Whilst we don’t agree with his apparent knowledge of foot anatomy, we do credit him wholeheartedly on his design skills. Let’s take a closer look at this boot!
Why does the style work so well?
The striking heel design is unbelievably eye catching and unmistakably Ferragamo. The simplistic upper design in the bootie and black velvet upper contrasts perfectly with the gold heel. This shoe is enough of a statement on its own and we wouldn’t recommend anything but simple lines for the rest of the outfit. Jeans, t-shirt and a jacket, or a LBD would be ideal. Afterall, everyone’s eyes will be on your shoes!
Are they comfortable?
Mr Andrew has made some rather hopeful promises about this shoe and has stated that this design is like walking on air. But is it??
Let’s get a little scientific here – what we actually know is that any heel over 5cm becomes potentially pathological to the foot. That essentially means that the forces on the forefoot are likely to cause changes to the soft tissues and possibly joints of the foot. It has nothing to do with the amount of collagen in the plantar fat pad! The heel on this shoe is over 5cm so I’m sorry to say that you really shouldn’t be standing all day in these.
However, there is some genius in the F wedge heel design. We know that if the shoe heel is placed centrally under the heel bone then there is more chance of the weight of the body being supported under the heel which in turn gives the forefeet an opportunity to rest. Given that the F Wedge heel is actually placed under the midfoot we are questioning what this actually does to plantar pressures? Our guess is that it will still be more comfortable than a shoe with a heel that is placed too far back. The upper of the bootie is pointed, so probably not a great choice for those of you with anything more that a minor bunion or other toe deformities. We suggest going up half a size if you have a wide forefoot. The bootie also appears to sit firmly across the top part of the foot, so if you have a really high arch then it may not be the shoe for you either. Average width feet with minor forefoot deformities should suit this shoe.
Is it worth the splurge?
ABSOLUTELY! If there is an iconic shoe to add to your collection, then this one has to be at the top of the list. What’s not to love with this Ferragamo boot? Gold heel, deco styling, black velvet upper, tick, tick, tick!
Shop TWH’s Iconic Shoe #2 on The Shoe Equation. If this one is not for you, we have hand picked all of our favourite styles from the best fashion and designer brands, and broken down which shoe is going to be right for you. Happy shoe shopping!
Until next time,
E&E
Image credits: Ferragamo, Pinterest, @fashionedchicstyling. Get in touch via our contact form to have your image credited.
