4th & Reckless: Perspex Boots
I don't know when I fell in love with Perspex heels but when I fell, I fell hard. They were so wrong yet so right and contrary to what many thought, yes perspex might be the marmite of the 'shoe world' but weirdly enough I liked that they attracted controversy. They were no dull ballet slipper nor were they a timid pointed flat; perspex boots had personality and they had flair. But how on earth did it get brought to a self-loving/chelsea boota-holic's attention? They were still a boot but they had sheen and came in all shapes and sizes, it was a love match made in heaven. That being said it might come as a surprise that it was Kim K who made me lust after perspex boots. It was strange considering I had never touted Kimmy K as a style icon and quite frankly my personal style is very much a stark contrast to Kim's nude bodysuits and form fitting dresses. Still I gazed at these shoes with wonder ; Kim's were clear and reminded me a little of cellophane but I was intrigued to say the least. After scrolling through my go to Bible of Fashion ( hello Instagram anyone?) I saw boots after boots twinkling like the stars that they thought they were. They were unbashfully pretentious and I kind of liked that. After ordering my first pair in a delicious shade of sorbet pink I have been hooked ever since. A cross between 'cowboy boots' and 80's block platforms could this be the boot of the century? Possibly and the sassy 4th & Reckless seemed to think so; with their babealicious selection of perspex boots it was time to up the ante and add another delicious boot to my collection: the black one. I had an outfit in mind that screamed 80's 'working realness' ( Look up Mama Ru aka drag queen glamazon. She is full of catchy sayings!) and these perspex booties would elevate it to the next level.
As they lay nestled in their temporary tissue home, I lovingly lifted them out of their box and cradled them in my arms; my babies had arrived. In short they were spectacular works of shoemanship and made me look like I was crazy tall. Because I have naturally long legs but a short torso most people assume that I am tall but in reality I am only 5ft 4 1/2, so perspex boots help elevate the length of my body and balance out the proportions so I don't look like a mini giraffe. In a sleek shade of panther black the patent finish juxtaposed the translucent perspex heel, while the back zip detail helped sexify the 'cowboy boot' lookalike, making it less 'Western fail' and more boot of the moment sexiness. They were a dream come true and as I paraded my new beauties at countless events, everyone wanted to know where my boots were from. Its my little secret I would say and they would lust in private, hankering for a chance to own a pair of beautiful mid-calf perspex heel boots, aptly named 'Kristin'. Which of course made me think of the glorious Kristen Stewart , whose own edgy Chanel-esque style was no stranger to controversy. Not quite masculine nor feminine the more I thought about it the more 'Kristen-like' the perspex boots were and while it might have been Kimmy K who introduced the beauties to me it was Kristen who made her namesake that more covetable. Now Kristen Stewart, that is the definition of a true style icon.
Unlike the renaissance of the thigh high/ knee high boots, perspex booties are far more modern than you may think. Although perspex as a material was used in the 60's the perspex boot as we know it today was believed to have been curated exactly 2-3 years ago, making it a modern trend that is divisive as it is modern. When trying to get a bit of background info on perspex boots, nothing but Kimmy K came up and when I changed the question not even Wiki had the answer to all my questions. They say that Wiki knows everything but not even wiki had a clue about these elusive beauties. So I took matters into my own hands and began scouring virtual and paper archives hoping that one would give me the key to discovering the mystery. It was beginning to become clear that the rise of perspex boots was a relatively new phenomenon and despite my love of 60's and 70's fashion adding a touch of modernity to my retro, era inspired looks made for a killer combination. In short I might be a mod loving, boho diva at heart but adopting new found booties into my fashion repertoire is not such a bad thing after all...
Are You A Fan Of Perspex Boots?