Spring Fluevogs Arrive

Spring’s a-coming!

It’s certainly not the weather that indicates that things are looking up, season-wise; it snowed today.  Instead, the calendar is marked in more Voggy ways: the arrival of new Fluevogs.

Fluevog.com has a couple of pages of the new stuff, mostly boring men’s stuff, orthopedic sandals and a relatively cute boot that comes in far too many variations upon the theme of ‘brown’.  The motherload is at Zappos.

I’m unconvinced by the candy cane heels on the Blind Faith Nicolette.  The Teapot Yunnan is a tad straight-jackety.  The Ashbury is giving me ‘Nam flashbacks to those dreadful Diors Sarah Jessica Parker is wearing in the Sex and the City movie stills.

At least I adore the blue and brown Mini Pipsqueak (and hope it will come out in even more ice-cream colours).  And the purple Memories Truly is pretty cute, even if a bit too cutely pretty.  And satin.

Spring forecast: Partly sunny.

UPDATE: Ooo! Even more new season styles can be spied in the snapshot of the Fluevog Gastown Opening Party here.

Fluevog Spotlight: Veggie Vogs

Apparently, this ‘environment’ thing is now cool.  We’re supposed to be caring about it.  I think that’s nice.

I don’t eat meat, and am amused by the automatic social conscience credit earned by this choice.  In fact, I think little of the terrible treatment of livestock and care less of the impact on my karma.  The truth is, a steak is an awfully overwhelming commitment, especially when it tastes kind of gross.  But I’m happy to go sorting through my rubbish bin, frown at SUV drivers and lament Big Business.  I’m always willing to embrace a cause at little personal cost.

I applaud the environmentalists who think daily of their footprint.  I think of mine too, and I insist it not be ugly.

Have you seen the Veggie Vogs?

More importantly, have you seen a more horrendous shoe?

The Angel is a great line of shoes – sturdy and dependable and just a little bit interesting.  They got dunked in the ugly vat in being veggiefied.  Is this the fashion version of a cilice?

Verdict: I wouldn’t marry this shoe, and I’d insist it shower before coming within ten metres.

Reason #49 Why We Love Fluevogs: They’re Timeless

Fluevogs are never the highest fashion.  A Fluevog is anyone else’s shoe, rotated a precise 27 degrees to the left.  Fluevogs forge their own fashion.

Because Fluevogs are never of a time, they’re never past their time.  You never spend a couple of hundred dollars on a Fluevog and know you’ll only wear them for a season.  You can always wear your Fluevogs and know that they’ll always be noticed, appreciated or scorned on their own merits, not due to vagaries of opinion.

When I was a child, I imagined all the shoes that I’d buy when my feet stopped growing.  I imagined a pair of bone court shoes that I’d own in three different heights.  I’m happy to report that, fully-grown, I own neither bone shoes nor court shoes nor shoes in multiple heights.  But my Fluevog investments are of the same ilk: shoes I imagine wearing forever.

The Other Half of Fox & Fluevog

We’ve all heard the story of Fluevog: Origins.  John Fluevog and a friend happened upon a container of pristine vintage shoes, and promptly set up Fox & Fluevog through which to flog them off.  At some point, they decided to design and manufacture their own shoes, and somewhere along the line a fissure presented through the ampersand, and they went their separate ways.

We all know the conclusion to the Fluevog part of the story.  I’d presumed that Peter Fox has wandered off somewhere and sunk into obscurity.  My ignorance can be blamed upon my interest in wedding shoes predeceasing even John’s stab at the genre.

Peter Fox has a sprightly little concern, churning out all sorts of throwback designs for women to hide beneath tulle and chiffon.  He does a fair line in movie shoes too, proving that the obvious might not have been the prettiest thing in Legends of the Fall after all.

Fluevog Spotlight: Rococco Desdemona

I have an urge to dry hump just about every member of the Operetta/Soprano families (oh, the teal Inge, the green Hildegard, the red Maria), but Catholic nuns taught me the virtue of denial for denial’s sake, and it’s Lent, so let’s elsewhere.

D’Artagnan and Puss in Boots meet Baroque on your auntie’s sofa with the Rococco Desdemona.

With a heel almost as distinctive as that famous cloven one, the Rococcos have been making striking forays into Grand National territory of darkness and vice.  The Desdemona backs off a little from the depravity and instead goes in a more opulent, lush direction.

If you love these boots but are frightened of the price tag, the Friend Mallory is similar, but built on the more boring but cheaper (and very comfy) Chinese heel and sells for about USD$200 less.  Apparently you can also wear those ones folded up, over the knee.

Verdict: I wouldn’t marry these boots, but I’d definitely be interested in a sword fight.  If you know what I mean.  And I think you do.

Fluevog Returns to Vancouver’s Gastown

If you should go out to Vancouver today, you’re in for a big surprise.  After years of flagshippiness on grubby Granville, Fluevog have set up shop once again in their original stomping-ground in tourist-ridden Gastown.  This is incredibly convenient.  You can now buy your penis shoes and stuffed beavers without venturing more than a few footsteps.

By all evidence, the new store, at 65 Water Street, is spectacular.  Cavernous and sleek and adorned with the overlarge visage of a leathery Stone.

Have you been there?  Do tell.