Manolo says, the Manolo’s internet friend Joan has alerted the Manolo to something very amusing.

Dear Manolo,
This evening, while reading James Lileks’ delightful ramblings on The Bleat, I was charmed to see that he had included a photo of the cover of the January 1955 issue of the pulpy magazine Galaxy Science Fiction. At first glance I took it to be nothing more than a typical almost-racy illustration of way-out stylings, but then the shoes caught my eye: Mr. Jacobs’ Backward Heel. Oh, yes, the left shoe looks a little odd, but I believe that’s because it’s being polished by that strange device. The right shoe, firmly planted, most clearly shows a backward heel.

And, if I may say so, in a lovelier line than

Is there ever anything new under the sun? Does it really matter? I don’t think so, but thought you would enjoy this nonetheless –

Best regards,

Joan

The Joan is exactly correct, those shoes on the future Rocket-Age hottie are far more spectacular than the more pedestrian Marc Jacobs backward heel shoes, or even the more fanciful Junko Shimada shoes.

And now the Manolo has begun to look for more examples of retro-future shoes, (shoes of the future as pictured in the past). If you know of any, please tell the Manolo.

Manolo says, apparently the conciet at Monday’s Marc Jacobs show was that everything was cuckoo-nutty bass-ackwards, and thus the show began with the designers bow, and went backwards (and/or downhill) from there.

Naturally, the perfect shoes for such presentation were those with the “backward heel.” The Manolo’s internet friend at the Cuffington blog suggests that there may be the physics lesson here.

Frankly, the Manolo is not feeling these shoes.

As for the clothes, this quote from the NY Sun’s Pia Catton made the Manolo laugh.

The evening dresses had a peculiar “Beetlejuice” quality: one-third Goth, one-third downtown, one-third cat-loving, nutty-artist girl — not exactly man bait.

Finally, you will notice from the short video clip below that the music was not played backward.

And for the very good reason, as everyone knows what happens when you play Ravel’s Bolero backward.

Manolo says, the Manolo’s latest column for the Express of the Washington Post is now available.

Dear Manolo

I handle show dogs and, unfortunately, dog handlers are notorious frumps; think no-wrinkle poly-knits and ugly shoes. I am resolutely unfrumpy, so I need a pair of low-heeled shoes that are sporty, great for both indoors and outdoors, and will work with a suit for a formal occasion. And because my dog is a black and white whippet, the shoes can’t be black or white.

Jennie

Manolo says, it is no secret that the Manolo is the dog person. Indeed, as the tiny impoverished boy he owned the small rat terrier, although, in hindsight, given that “Pepillo” lived in the hole in the baseboard, he may actually have been the largish rat.

This would have accounted for the rude reception the teeny Manolo received when he attempted to register Pepillo as the purebred with the Real Sociedad Canina de España.

Nevertheless, the Manolo and Pepillo were devoted to each other as only the small boy and the small dog and/or rat can be, and many were the times the Manolo was lulled to sleep by the sounds of his gnawing.

Here is the smart, tailored low-heeled shoe from the Marc Jacobs that would make the frumpier dog handlers envious of your style.

Manolo says, yes, it is not quite the robin’s egg blue, but to the Manolo these patent leather peep-toes from the Marc Jacobs nonetheless augur the coming of the spring.

Manolo says, yes, this shoe it is from the Marc Jacobs, and yes, is the logical and ridiculous extension of the Marc Jacobs original’s mouse shoe.

And thus you see how it is possible to cross the line from the witty to the obvious. Yes, the shoe above it is cute, but it is cute in the “Super Kawaii” manner favored by the girls of the Harajuku.

The original mouse shoes of the Marc Jacobs they were clever and intelligent, they made the allusions; these shoes, they giggle at their own joke.