High heel fashion crimes – when top designers get it wrong

The Outnet is a great idea – a website where you can buy fashionable designer shoes and clothing seen on net-a-porter, but at seriously discounted prices.

nfortunately shoes that are “slow selling”  are sometimes not being bought for a reason. And that reason is because they’re ugly!

The Outnet is a little bit like an archive of high heel designs that should never have been designed in the first place, by people who really should know better.

Of course that’s not the full story, but it sure is fun to look at what happens when fantastic designers have an “off day” on the sketchboard.

As Exhibit “A” I give you the Charlotte Olympia Priscilla glitter-finish leather pumps above. Now we loooove Charlotte Olympia’s fabulous platforms – which are famous for good reason – but these are just too much. They make me ill just looking at them.

Proving that taste is subjective, they’re were sold out quickly on The Outnet for £216.67, which was just 60% off their original price. So what would I know?

Sometimes the issue is a good idea but bad execution. I love the neon trend, and love Brian Atwood but somehow these printed canvas sandals make me feel a migraine coming on. Perhaps these shoes are an exception to the rule that heels don’t cause headaches?

Plenty of fashionable women thought me wrong though and picked up a pair for £185, again a saving of a juicy 60%.

Oscar de la Renta also makes the my of shame with this trend-gone-wrong sandal. The trend is the clear PVC high heel craze but the execution seems awry with the ghastly tasseled ties, metal eyelets and lace-up front to this rather cheap-looking plastic conglomeration.

Those who disagreed snapped up a pair for half-price, that’s £262.50 for designer shoes.

Pierre HardyI do not know where to start with this wedge heel from Pierre Hardy. The shape and color are on the wrong side of ordinary, but this shoe’s worst feature is its velcro-fastening ankle strap.

It looks like something you’d use to bang in a nail. Again, that was just my view. Those who disagreed got it for £243.75 from the Outnet – that’s 55% off – and the shoe duly sold out.

Finally, while we’re speaking of velcro it would be wrong not to mention these mesh and suede ankle boots from Alexander Wang. They’re not for me, but they float the boat of many customers for the price of £196.87, a discount of 55%.