Are You Ready To Give These Chunky, Ugly-Cute Shoes A Go?

Fashion people love a good ugly shoe. Check out any street style slideshow, and you're sure to have a thought or two about some of the footwear choices. Of course, we don't exactly mean flip-flops or Crocs (actually, they love those, too...). Rather, we're talking about designer shoes that are just quirky and chunky enough to make a notable statement — think: Marni, Prada, and most recently, Sies Marjan. And, leave it to a former Opening Ceremony designer (whose platform sneakers and funky boots we've come to love over the years) to create a more contemporary-priced line that we've already fallen in love with.

Nicole Saldaña, who worked with OC as a design director for eight years, joined forces with Carol Lim and Humberto Leon on the relaunch of Kenzo in 2011, and developed Tory Burch's Tory Sport line, launched her namesake shoe collection this week. The ugly-cute styles — which include ankle boots, clogs, loafers, and even (fuzzy!) pumps — are oozing with '90s inspiration (just check out the designer's Instagram page) that remind us oh so fondly of Delia*s and Sketchers, only all grown up. "Chloe Sevigny, Mariah Carey, and Jennifer Lopez are my forever muses," Saldaña tells Refinery29 of the line. And suddenly, all of their best looks flash through our minds.

But, the collection's story doesn't just end with its perfectly-weird silhouettes. The designer's debut offering for fall/winter 2017 was inspired by her friends and community in New York City, to the point where each shoe is actually named after specific women in her life, and how they would actually wear them.

"The concepts of wearability and transitionally were key factors in the design process," she adds, noting that the shoes are manufactured in Portugal with Italian materials ranging from nylon and velvet, to denim, shearling, suede, and more. "It was important for me that each style pairs back to jeans as easily as it would pair back to a dress."

It's worth noting, though, that shoes of this statement-making caliber and quality don't come dirt cheap — these new fashion-crowd must-haves will set you back anywhere from $310-$650.
Carried at OC in New York and Japan, as well as online at Farfetch and Harvey Nichols, you can expect to see these on many a foot during Fashion Month.

Click through to acquaint yourself with our favorite styles before you start seeing them everywhere.