Slide hitting its big stride

FRANCINE PARNES
The slide, a slip of a shoe that is almost
all sole, is hitting its stride for another
go at glamour.

These backless shoes were in their prime in the
1950s and made a brief reappearance in the 1970s.

They get their name because the feet slide
right into them. They get their reputation as sexy
accessory for a couple of reasons:

* They require smooth bare legs and lacquered toes.

* And, according to Trudy Larson, marketing
manager for Candie's, "When you put on a pair
of slides, it lengthens your legs and tightens
your tush so you look better in your clothes."

Styles range from chunky cork soles to slender
heels and are suitable for occasions ranging from
black-tie to beach dates. Brands include two
notables from the past - Candie's and Dr. Scholl's -
and a host of newcomers.

There's a color for every mood. A bevy of citrus
brights from, say, Candie's, Etienne Aigner and 9
& Co. run about $35 to $56 a pair.

For high-stepping evenings, slip into
Via Spiga's delicate criss-cross slide in
silver leather with Lucite high heel,
$140; for easy living there's a Ralph Lauren
low heel in turquoise or tangerine nylon mesh,
about $148.

More chunky and funky is a chocolate-brown
slide with a three-inch stacked heel and round
faux tortoise buckle, about $76 from Nine West.

"This summer, the most important trends are
colors and fabrics, which include new materials like
holographic images," Larson says. "And, as always,
for summer we love brights. All the citrus
colors really put a smile on your face and on your feet."

Candie's start at about $35, with signature
high hardwood heels and nubuck or leather uppers in
brights or gingham. Then there are the designer
Candie's, from $75 to $125, by Betsey Johnson,
Nicole Miller, Anna Sui and Vivienne Tam.
Look for them with cheetah print, glitter hearts or
holograph uppers and heels of carved wood or
handpainted or clear Lucite.

"Slides are the ultimate in ease -
easy on, easy off," Robin Goldberg says.
She's vice president of women's footwear at
Kenneth Cole in New York.

One popular style from Kenneth Cole is a
criss-cross open-toe slide in textured
silk shantung with a two-inch heel.
In plain colors or Madras plaids, they're $98
a pair. Another is an open-toe wedge in beige
leather on a three-inch cork platform sole, $138.

Cork heels and platform soles are hot at
Anne Klein footwear, too.

"High cork wedges seem to work well with all
those long, diaphanous fashions this season," Isaac
Franco, a footwear and ready-to-wear designer
at Anne Klein, says. "The height of the cork wedge
balances the proportion of long and still brings
the spirit of casual."

An Anne Klein II open-toe slide in lilac, pink,
light blue or white suede on a cork wedge is about
$100. From the higher-priced Anne Klein line is
an open-toe platform with a silk crepe de Chine
upper in red, fuchsia, lime or purple, about $155.

"What has us pretty excited about slides for
this summer is that you can wear them with
slim pants," Franco says. "From the front it
looks polished and office-like, but from the
back you're in sandal city."

At Talbots, styles are more traditional.
A square-toe style in black, white or cognac
woven leather with a one-inch stacked heel and
rubber sole is about $98.

"Summer shoes should not only help you stay cool,
they should always be as versatile as your
clothing," Ditas Mauricio, fashion specialist at
Talbots headquarters in Hingham, Mass., says. "And
one of the most popular styles for the season
is this easy-going silhouette."

High or low, fabric or leather, bright or white,
laid-back or cutting-edge, Goldberg says they all
have this in common:

"You can wear slides with anything as long as you
don't wear them with socks."

This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page