The platform has stomped its way out of style. The pedestal that the trend rightly placed itself on has taken a blow, and the markets are showing the kids just don't think they're cutting it.
Nadia Abu-Zahra, a buyer for Nordstrom, told WWD: "The platform was a novelty, and now the market is switching to single sole. [That style] feels a little bit cleaner and elegant, not as clunky." Gabriel Morales, Seychelles and BC Footwear's design director echoed that statement, saying platforms "are not the rave they once were." Consumers, specifically juniors and young women, are looking for a less clunky, more streamlined silhouette.
The switch, however, isn't night and day. Sam Edelman's national sales manager, Jesse Edelman, cites that the single-sole show is a bit too feminine for the younger crowd, which is why the platform isn't out, but the platform, as we know it, is evolving. "One of the biggest young trends is Woodstock," Mojo's Moxy Owens said, "with wood platforms and a thick heel." These styles offer the height and stability of the platform with the elegance of a heel. Morales explained that the markets are seeing a reinvention of the platform as a "more casual and uncomplicated" lifestyle trend. Platforms aren't going anywhere. They're just singing a different, less lofty tune. Hey, at least there'll be less twisted ankles in our sartorial future. (FN)