Celebrity shoe king Manolo Blahnik has decided to scrap one pair of sharp heeled shoes from his latest collection – not because they are suddenly out of fashion, but because the stilettos are too dangerous.
The $500 shoes, produced for his 2002 spring/summer collection, have an ultra-thin titanium heel. And although a Blahnik rep says the “perfectly balanced” hand-stitched shoe is “easy to walk on”, its 3 1/2in heel is capable of puncturing floor coverings and could turn an ordinary outing into a medical emergency. “If the wearer stood on someone’s foot, it would go straight through,” says Blahnik spokesperson Leslie Whittaker.
“It’s a heel he created out of curiosity. But as soon as he saw it he realised he couldn’t produce it for general sale because it would destroy floors and carpets,” she added.
And the 59-year-old designer isn’t just thinking about his celebrity clients’ rugs and parquet. Blahnik, who has been creating his glamorous footwear for more than 20 years, was concerned that the spikes could be mistaken for – or even considered to be – weapons by airport luggage x-ray machines, causing security scares. Insiders also say Manolo was worried he could be sued if his steel-heeled stilettos caused serious damage.
Though the super spikes will not make it onto the market, Blahnik fans – who include 100-pair owner Sarah Jessica Parker and actress Nicole Kidman, who wore Manolos especially made for her in Moulin Rouge – needn’t fret. The same design will be recreated with a less dangerous heel.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
