It’s October, there’s a chill in the air, and best of all, our On the Avenue collection pre-order is off with a bang! We have been working on these beautiful new vintage reproduction styles for awhile, and we’re so pleased to be releasing them to the world. Madison and Melrose are the perfect shoes to kick off the fall season. So, we thought we would tell you a bit more about the design process!
Madison started with a vintage shoe from our collection.
We loved the decorative stitching motif and perforations on the original shoe, the suede and smooth leather combination, and the side-lacing closure. We set to work on carefully reproducing these details, and after a few rounds off testing, we got them just right!
In examining this picture of our lovely light sage and olive Madisons, you may also notice a new heel! We decided to develop a brand-new Spanish heel for this shoe. For those who are familiar with our classic, 2.5″/6.35 cm Spanish heel (the heel used on Melrose), here are the differences: our new Spanish heel is wider, and has a different shaped swoop under the sole (the breast of the heel). Our new Spanish heel is also 2.5″/6.35 cm tall, and she walks like a dream. These two Spanish heels are going to live together in harmony in our collection; one is not replacing the other!
And, of course, we had to select colors. We wanted to channel a really versatile, rich color palette for Madison. We looked at lots of different combinations of suede and smooth leather, and in the end we decided on plum/aubergine, chocolate/cordovan, and light olive/sage- in addition to the classic mainstay black/black, of course!
On to Melrose! We wanted a 1930s-style shoe with strappy details, a buckle closure, and open sides. This shoe was to be sensible enough for daywear, but glamorous enough for evening. Closed toes, smooth leather uppers (rather than satin or a similar textile), and our trusty Spanish heel would make Melrose versatile for daytime, sure enough. We also incorporated a few special details inspired by extant originals.
Check out this yellow satin pair- the inner strap fastens to the heel cup in a most interesting way. From this pair, we were inspired to add a hidden elastic insert into the inner strap of Melrose, which works wonderfully for ease in wear and for putting the shoes on/taking them off.
A darling half-oval buckle is fastened to the outermost strap, and that’s closures sorted!
Another 1930s detail we added to Melrose is the keyhole on the vamp. It fits in so gracefully below the crossed straps, and suits the lines of the leather piecework on the toe so well.
We’ve made Melrose in three shades of smooth leather; walnut, evergreen, and black. We’ve also made Melrose in a gorgeous rich shade of brick red suede.
The On the Avenue collection is 15% off per pair from October 11-20 in our US and UK/EU stores! There’s also no cap on sizes or colors during pre-orders, so not only can you get Madison and Melrose on sale for a screamin’ deal, but you also guarantee you get the color and size you desire most!
Pre-Order is Open
October 11-20, 2024
15% Discount Per Pair
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