Betsey Johnson for the Gloomy Wednesday
By Manolo the Shoeblogger
Manolo says, the Manolo has been feeling especially gloomy these past few days, and so naturally he does what he always does in such situations, look at the shoes.
These crazy, rainbow colored shoes from the Betsey Johnson have made the Manolo smile.
They are fun, and the simple line and lack of other ornamentations makes them wearable. Although, the Manolo suspects that the girl who would successfully wear such shoes would have to be charmingly wacky, the bit of the character, but also careful of avoiding seeming cartoonish or overly eccentric. It is the fine line that must be walked with these shoes.
How to wear such unusual shoes; such are the pleasant puzzles that can occupy the Manolo and take him away, however briefly, from the gloominess that has beset him.
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January 16th, 2008 at 4:07 pm
“charmingly wacky, the bit of the character”
So…someone a bit like Betsey Johnson herself.
January 16th, 2008 at 4:33 pm
i would guess these would be the perfect shoes for the bride who could not wear sneakers.
January 16th, 2008 at 4:45 pm
How fun! They look like the wrapper of Fruit Stripe gum.
January 16th, 2008 at 5:21 pm
Oh, I do like those. I think I would wear them under jeans or dark trousers, so that one would only see a flash of the colorful shoe but it would enliven the whole outfit.
January 16th, 2008 at 6:50 pm
Colorful, very Betsey. for color, i just prefer the simple red sole.
January 16th, 2008 at 6:58 pm
Oh Manolo…I don’t know how I feel about these shoes. Personally, I don’t care much for them, but I do know a young lady who would. I believe she is sufficiently wacky.
And I agree with daisyj: jeans or dark trousers would probably work very well with the Rainbow Shoes.
Manolo, I love your blog. My mom is the Knitstory lady :)
January 16th, 2008 at 7:29 pm
I’m gonna put on
my my my my boogie shoes.
January 16th, 2008 at 8:13 pm
I love those!
January 16th, 2008 at 9:13 pm
Aiyee! The eighties, they sneak up once again.
January 16th, 2008 at 9:14 pm
Wheee!! I see wearing them with an otherwise severe black suit.
January 16th, 2008 at 9:14 pm
A rainbow has a way of cheering one up. Maybe these shoes will take the wearer to the pot of gold at the end. Chin up Manolo, we love you.
January 16th, 2008 at 9:21 pm
I can see them with either a black pencil skirt, or black trousers, with a blouse of one of the colours- like the turquoise.
January 16th, 2008 at 11:31 pm
Dark jeans and a solid colored shirt, either black or one of the jewel tones in the shoe.
I would totally rock that.
January 16th, 2008 at 11:48 pm
I am a flats person who cannot walk in heels but I will risk a sprained ankle for these beautiful shoes. Thanks, Manolo for brightening my day. You sure know how to do it with shoes. :o)
January 17th, 2008 at 12:51 am
With the colored tights craze that is going on now, I can see a few possibilities for these shoes…
January 17th, 2008 at 1:00 am
Oh I love them. Love them love them.
I hope the Manolo feels better soon.
January 17th, 2008 at 10:12 am
Exceptional shoes for the gloomy fall and winter…
January 17th, 2008 at 3:01 pm
Yesterday, on Tickle.com, I took the “Who’s Your Sex and the City Match?” quiz. These exact shoes where one of the choices for the question “Which Shoe is Most You?” I’m assuming these are Carrie shoes :)
January 17th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
I had a fashion book by Marisa Berenson from the early 90s, I swear she wore shoes like this WITH a matching dress.
I myself wore black in the 80s, so i can’t be blamed for such excesses.
January 17th, 2008 at 7:36 pm
I would love to see these with a rather conservative black silk crepe dress. The POW of the shoes would make you think “hmm, she’s not so stuffy; I bet there’s a story there” which is the kind of parenthetical hmmm that I like to leave people with at a party.
But you could wear them at a party with a toning dress of any colour, or even, if the colour match were perfect, with a pastel multicolour chiffon dress, the kind of thing Ossie Clark would design, if he weren’t dead.
January 18th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
It is good that the Manolo is cheered by these shoes as I am cheered from the lowlys by reading his blog. Thanks, my shoe hero!
January 18th, 2008 at 5:39 pm
Smokin.’
Imagine: navy sheath, emerald raw silk jacket, azure clutch, Betsey shoes.
Although I so fervently with the Betsey would check in with those of us who must run the Manhattan streets and not get chauffered everywhere, like she does. The heel ruination is excruciating.
January 18th, 2008 at 6:01 pm
I bought this shoes from Zappos.com. I would wear it with my classic black skirt suit.
January 24th, 2008 at 2:29 pm
I am a shoe lover all the way from Louboutins to Manolos….I would definately wear these. I think you can look absolutely fierce pairing them with skinny jeans, a funky t-shirt, chunky jewerly and an oversized bag- perfect for shopping on Melrose!
March 14th, 2008 at 12:22 pm
Where can I buy these shoes? What website are they on- they’re not on the Betsey Johnson website?
I MUST HAVE THESE SHOES;-)
July 23rd, 2008 at 5:41 pm
Betsey Johnson is amazing! Her use of color is ridiculous. I actually bought a pair of jeans the other day that reminded me of her- they are from the free your ass line of House de Lux, I wish Betsey Johnson and House de Lux could collaborate on a line- it would be gorgeous!!!