Extreme Footwear: 11 Pairs That Push The Limit

When you want to find a really, really special pair of shoes, the mall is probably not the first place that comes to mind. But, with department stores and mass retailers joining independent boutiques in championing once-minor brands like Charlotte Olympia and Nicholas Kirkwood to Louboutin-level heights, all that is changing.

These days, it seems like the taller, wackier, and more out there a pair is, the more likely it's going to fly off the shelves. While "extreme footwear" can sometimes ring in at extreme prices, even affordable brands are buying into the eclectic ethos, churning out wedge after heel after platform that only the bravehearted among us would love. Ahead, the pairs that have our hearts racing.