So, when a friend of mine recently asked the history of a mule, I balked. Mule, I thought...offspring of female horse and male donkey........translated to shoes??
I admitted that I had a good clue of animal husbandry and the history of a mule, but no clue how it applied to shoes. Thank god for wikipedia.
"Mule, a French word, is a style of shoe that is backless and often closed-toed. Mules can be any heel height - from flat to high."
What did I do before google?
// Opening Ceremony //
A mule, a backless shoe that happens to be quite popular this season. Upon further review, I found an article in last year's W magazine, writer Caroline Weber described it aptly:
"While the farmyard mule is generally incapable of bearing offspring, however, the footwear has a seemingly endless capacity for self-regeneration—having appeared on the feet of popes and courtiers, concubines and cavaliers, and leading ladies from Hollywood (Marilyn Monroe), history (the Marquise de Pompadour), and art (in Manet’s Olympia) alike. ..."
Mules are probably exiled in the animal world, but embraced in the 2014 fall fashion shows. But I hesitate, because I can't quite seal the deal and buy a pair myself. They are beautiful when done right - but often times, they are done wrong.
When I investigated further, mules had been quite popular in the 18th century. Seen as more functional and indoor shoes, they quickly gained a following for "night" shoes. Easy to slip off, and lovely on the leg.
This season, I made it my mission to find the best mules of 2014. If you decide to hybridize (that's a made up word) your wardrobe, here are my top 20:
Clockwise, Top Right:
Clockwise, from Right
Tibi // Steve Madden //
// Vince // French Connection //
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