Remember these Iris van Herpen shoes I posted about in August with the chains all over it? No? Well, if you forgot about those heels then you most definitely will not forget about the shoes that the Dutch designer and United Nude have cooked up for van Herpen’s spring/summer 2012 collection. Let’s just say this shit these shoes are bananas... B-A-N-A-N-A-S!

Ladies and gentlemen I present the Fang shoes; it has 10 sharp teeth attached to each foot and is fashioned into a wedge-like design. The technical description of the Fang shoes go into a little more detail on how they were made; “the shape of the wedge is so complex that each one consists of fibreglass and carbon fibre, made in a slow moulding process.”

When images of the Fang shoes landed in my inbox my eyes bulged in shock and thought these would make the perfect heels for a vampire, think Twilight.

I just can’t image how the models in van Herpen’s spring/summer 2012 show managed to walk, not fall, down the runway while in these extreme heels but hats off to them for mastering it.

There’s been no word if the Fang shoes will be available for purchase as a limited edition United Nude collection, but who knows... someone with a daring sense of fashion is sure to buy and wear them.

Iris van Herpen spring/summer 2012 

At one point I steadily posted a series of blog entries called, Fashion in the News where I would collect articles that caught my attention and what I thought would make for an interesting read. The last Fashion in the News post was back in July 2011 which means I’ve been a bad blogger – oops!

For 2012 I want to switch things up and instead of gathering general fashion articles I want to turn my focus more towards shoes, after all this is mainly a footwear blog. These new entries will be simply titled, Footwear in the News and I aim to publish these posts at least once a month. Read on and enjoy!

How I’m Making It: Rem D Koolhaas, Creative Director of United Nude (Fashionista) – “"In terms of design aesthetic, the brand (United Nude) has become known for producing conceptual, innovative designs that probably wouldn’t be possible without Koolhaas’ architecture background. In a way, he told us, his lack of accessory design training was an advantage.”

Rem D Koolhaus, Founder and Creative Director, United Nude

How Crocs Moved from Fashion Trend to $1 Billion Phenom (Forbes) – “The company whose fugly footwear has been the foundation of its business just announced it expects its full-year revenue to exceed $1 billion for the first time in its 10-year history.”

Little Red (Litigious) Shoes (New York Times) – “Last summer a federal court denied Louboutin’s request that YSL be stopped from selling its red shoes... Now, the shoedown escalates to the appeals court."

20 waiting list worthy shoes for spring 2012 (Telegraph UK) – a listing of 20 must have shoes for spring 2012, break out the bank loan.

Worker stitching L.L. Bean duck boots in factory 

L.L. Bean boot gets a kick from retro trend (USA Today) – “L.L Bean's familiar duck boot with leather uppers and rubber soles — designed for slogging through mud and snow — has become something of a fashion statement owing to its newfound popularity on college campuses, the company says.”

Indonesians Protest With Flip-Flops (Wall Street Journal) – “Indonesians have dropped thousands of old flip-flops and other footwear at police stations and a child protection group to protest the heavy-handed treatment of a 15-year-old boy accused of stealing a policeman’s sandals in the northern state of Central Sulawesi.”

I have two words to describe these heels by United Nude, “absolutely insane!”

Shoe specifications:

• Outer, leather
• Colours - black, tan, off white and black-chain
• Heel height, N/A

Why I chose this shoe: this ankle boot is jammed packed with a wealth of design elements that it’s somewhat difficult to figure out where to focus your attention first, but I find this shoe fascinating and couldn’t resist featuring it today.

This shoe was specially designed to appear in Dutch designer, Iris van Herpen’s spring/summer 2011 collection, and is the second collaboration between van Herpen and United Nude. The overall shape of the ankle boot is a rounded design with leather and chain detailing on the front, sides and back. The use of these materials, woven throughout the outer, creates a three-dimensional effect that seems to derive its source of inspiration from a combination of science-fiction and medieval times.

Images from United Nude

When I posted blog entries on the Eamz and Block Pump Hi shoes from United Nude I knew there would be a few mixed responses (from Twitter and on my blog) about its appearance and design – they are not your traditional shoes and that’s why I chose to feature them. The designs from United Nude pushes the perception of what footwear should look like and shows what happens when imagination and inspiration are applied from an architectural point-of-view.

Recently, I was contacted by United Nude and sent information about the opening of their new flagship store in Amsterdam. Needless to say, I was quite surprised they would pay even a little attention to this newbie fashion blogger from Toronto.

United Nude was founded in 2003 by Rem D Koolhaas and Galahad JD Clark, and has established itself as a brand and company that bridges the gap between design and fashion. Their products are sold in over 30 countries and have stores in cities, such as New York, London and Shanghai.

United Nude’s Amsterdam store opened in October 2009, and has a highly conceptual interior designed by Rem D Koolhaas.

“The store is a ‘dark-shop’ concept which means the store is completely dark in all areas other than those where the products are showcased and literally highlighted. The most important and prominent element of the store design is the Wall of Light™, a computer-controlled LED wall which displays the United Nude products as a work of art encapsulated in geometric frames.”

I’m very intrigued how the Wall of Light™ alters the appearance of the products (which reminds me of a mood ring) and makes you devote 100 per cent of your attention to the footwear. The presentation echoes the approach museums and galleries take when displaying its collections evoking artistic and intellectual thought.

Images and information provided by United Nude.

Once again, I’ve posted another shoe from United Nude. Am I slightly obsessed with the uniqueness and one-of-a-kind designs from this brand? Yes I am... just a little bit.

Shoe specifications:

• Colours: beige, fluo red, purple and cherry
• Patent leather, outer
• Heel height, 8 cm

Why I chose this shoe: the Block Pump Hi from United Nude is a very structural and architectural shoe. When I look at the Block Pump Hi it reminds of me of the Toronto-Dominion Centre, because the heel resembles the black steel framing of the building.

There is a sense of detachment when you look at the shoe yet it relies heavily on the overpowering structure of the block heel for height and support. Out of the five colours beige is my favourite, because it’s a great combination of the soft curved lines of the shoe and the strength of the heel.

Product description: “the United Nude Block concept is applied to a family of products that include a ballet shoe and pump. The Block unites an abstract block-shaped heel and the rest of the shoe so it appears merged and independent at the same time.”

Images and product description from United Nude.

Would you just look at that heel!

Shoe specifications:

• Black leather
• Heel composed of steel
• Heel height, 9 centimetres

Why I chose this shoe: the architectural design of the heel was enough to convince me that I needed to share this shoe from United Nude with you. Don’t judge footwear before you try it on. The United Nude Eamz shoe is very comfortable and sturdy despite initial appearances.

There are only a handful of shoes that have rendered me speechless and the Eamz shoe is one of them. I could barely squeak out a word to the BALISI staff when I tried on this shoe – I fell in love. It is so unique, eye catching and fabulous!

Product description: “the United Nude Eamz is conceptually inspired by a furniture design classic - the Charles and Ray Eames chair. The Eamz shoes are not designed by the Eames duo, but are an ode to them and their vision. The heel lifts the wearer 9 centimetres off the ground and is constructed from very light-weight steel. On the foot the Eamz feels sturdy creating a walk that is comfortable, sexy and eye-catching.”

P.S.: the Eamz also comes in a boot. Good lord help me resist!

Pictures from United Nude and by Kimberly Lyn