When I went on a trip to Düsseldorf a couple of months ago, I decided anything more than one footwear option would be frivolous, so I opted for my comfy, reliable silver ankle boots. That same pair of comfy, reliable silver ankle boots subsequently ripped my feet to shreds, leaving me with a limp which, I can assure you, was very becoming. Tens of plasters and ointments later, I decided only a new pair of shoes would provide me with respite from this hobbling hell. The resultant pair of emergency shoes from Zara (this was pre fast fashion detox) did their job but weren't particularly exciting: blue lace ups with a white platform sole. Kind of cool, but not cool AF.
So, upon my return, I set about rectifying this with two lengths of gingham ribbon and a couple of moderately frustrating minutes of threading it through the lace holes.
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| LEFT Shirt: Vintage (via depop), Jeans: Monki (customised), Shoes: Zara, Accessories: Vintage | RIGHT Vashka on the stool in between shots, proving once and for all that she should really be the subject of this blog |
The result is somewhere between Prada SS16 and traditional Scottish Ghillie shoes. Who knew that between those seemingly unlinked entities lays the sweet spot for current season footwear?
If you have a pair of decidedly average lace ups and want to give them a similar make-over, I recommend ribbon no more than 1 cm wide, otherwise you may find yourself screaming into your lace holes in frustration when it just.won't.feed.through. Plus, 1 cm is the optimum width for a perfectly neat, flat finish with no overlapping or bunching.
This is probably the easiest DIY project you could imagine and three metres of ribbon should cost no more than £1.50 (unless you've got very expensive taste), which means minimum outlay for maximum cool.
