Ankle Strap Sandals

Talking design through the mind and eyes of a shoe designer.

The question I’m most often asked is, how do I design and develop a shoe style?

To answer that, let’s start from the beginning of a style in my current collection named Pierrette.

I’m very meticulous when designing the small-quantity, high-quality collections for my brand, LOU.EARL. Once I start working on a collection, I focus and immerse myself in it night and day, even waking up at night to jot down ideas. I must spend all minutes and hours of my day on the creation process and can’t have any other distractions otherwise my collection won’t be the best it can be. This has been a very difficult thing to do since starting my small brand as the majority of the days, I’m working on the back end of the website, marketing, photo planning, finances, customer service, shipping orders, or other left-brain tasks that require me to focus on logical and analytical aspects of the brand.

When I first came up with the idea for the flat leather Pierrette sandals, I was in the factory in Italy and had already created the prototype of Fialta which is a similar looking style, only with a 2” stacked block heel. I immediately loved the flat version of this as I myself prefer to wear flats with my everyday casual style. 

The Aesthetic Design of Pierrette Sandals

When traveling throughout Europe, I’d fall in love with the artisan sandals that were handcrafted at small shops in Spain, or France, and Italy.  I purchased leather artisan sandals while traveling 10 years ago and still have them today.  While coming up with the idea for Pierrette, I wanted to create a bold, cool, fresh, and oversized statement sandal that was chic and sophisticated with an attitude. I had just returned to the Italian factory from a weekend in France and wanted this flat sandal to have some of the French provencal country style I had just relaxed in.  Because the vamp is wide and covers much of the top of your foot, adding the wide ankle strap completely balances out this style and actually creates a sexy elongation of your legs. I love that it allows just enough room to show freshly polished toe tips. It is definitely a myth that ankle strap sandals create the illusion of a shorter leg.  When a shoe is created with the proper balance of design elements, it can exude mesmerizing effects. Each shoe design must have a mixture of logic, and emotion. 

High-Quality Leather Elements 

I used to love shopping at thrift stores with my Mom when I was younger. I’d discover sandals from the 1970’s and the leather would still be thick after all those years but incredibly soft with a vintage, worn-in feel. I wanted to recreate this so that one day when your daughter is going through your closet years from now, she’ll find these treasured sandals in the best condition and be able to appreciate them herself. Leather sandals that only get better with time, that was the mission I was on when creating this sandal. 

I used a full-grain vegetable tanned Italian leather.  Using a full grain leather means that the oil-absorbing properties and original characteristics of the leather will remain intact without damage and processing. The leather will create its’ own patina and endure nicely over time. Generally the price of full-grain leather is much higher and of much better quality. The entire thickness of the leather is used. 

One element of these unique fashion sandals is that the outsole is made of 100% leather which will shape to your foot over time, essentially creating a custom sandal for you. It moulds to the shape of your foot by using the moisture from your foot which then allows the leather to create its’ custom shape for you.

What to Wear, and How to Style Flat Leather Sandals

Impressive and authentic raw, natural leather; an evocative design paired with quality stitching, eye-catching aesthetics, durability, and elegance, our Italian-made sandals for women have proven to be a stunning fashion statement. With the allure of these exceptionally comfortable ankle strap sandals, this open-toe style is durable and made to last, ensuring longevity. The rich and vegetable-tanned colors and natural textures of the leather are a timeless addition to your wardrobe. 

I love pairing these leather sandals with oversized cuffed denim.  The white sandals with white cuffed baggy Levi’s and a tee shirt creates an effortless, clean ensemble that flooded me with compliments at a fashion footwear convention I was attending (I also wore a white t-shirt, and a white blazer) so I had a very fresh white look happening but all of the compliments were on my shoes (I didn’t tell them that I knew the designer). These sandals are also so cute with blue Levis and if you aren’t into the scrubby tomboy looks as I am, pairing them with a long floral skirt, is cute too.  One look I love with these is styling the Pierrette flat ankle strap sandals with short, tailored shorts for summer. Your legs will look stunning!

Subscribe to this blog's RSS feed using: https://www.louearlshoes.com/blogs/shoedesigner/leathersandals.atom