Haute Heels: Couture Shoes from Elie Saab & Jean Paul Gaultier

Another round of the highest of high fashions has strutted down the catwalk in Paris over the past couple days and among the wildly extravagant clothing was a collection from Elie Saab. True to the haute couture definition, this collection was all about the extreme opulence of hand-sewn details. The overall aesthetic wasn’t over the top, but the intricate detail took the designs out of this world. Likewise, shoes from the show weren’t loud in form, but showed refined elegance.

Whereas Elie Saab is the ultimate ball gown fantasy, Jean Paul Gaultier is the ultimate masquerade fantasy. The French designer is known for his in-your-face design aesthetic (remember Madonna’s ’90s cone bra?), so his couture shows are pretty much the most expensive costumes you could find on the planet. Plain pumps would never do for a show like this. Instead, the footwear matched the larger than life clothing detail for detail.