Wardrobe Troubleshooting. 5 Shoe Problems Solved.

We get it. 

A new season comes in and with it a myriad of purchasing decisions to potentially make. Your favourite stores are full of beautiful new collections and in our hyper fragmented, multi-brand world, the choice becomes nothing short of overwhelming on which direction to head for the new season. Couple that with questions of sustainability and being sure to purchase only what you know you need and will wear, and the complication of dressing becomes ever more heightened.

To help with the head spin, below we offer some suggestions on directions for your best shoe picks for winter, no matter what your wardrobe objectives might be.

“I need a good flat shoe for work”

The beauty of a lace up is the distinct feeling you are ready to get things done. It’s a kind of ‘Tie-the-lace, check-off-the-to-do list’ intention setting mood we love.

For me personally this translates perfectly in our new ‘Plenty’ Jazz Lace Up silhouette. Complete with a sophisticated black grosgrain ribbon lace, our pick for work days is the Midnight Patent option. With a slightly square set toe and the naturally high shine upper, the blue tones of this patent look perfect when intentionally clashed with Black. We will be wearing these in the studio this winter with jersey grey turtlenecks and structured long line manstyle pants that gently fold over the topline of this shoe to reveal just the right amount of lace and toe.

And the best bit is with the hidden athletic innersole and hardwearing patent leather upper, you can walk straight to the tram stop in these – regardless of the weather.

“I need shoes that match dresses and pants.”

It was this exact sentiment that lead us to create our new day heel. With a gentle rise of only 2.5cm, this heel gives the right amount of leg lengthening proportions whilst still being 100% wearable, making it the perfect dual-dressing shoe.

Our pick for the most beautiful and useful in this collection is our new Little & Often Day Heel in Black Embossed Croc. Made from one of our thicker handle leathers, the upper has been embossed with a highly textural crocodile pattern that gives the shoe more structure and a definite boss attitude. This is exactly why we love it with soft dresses, especially in contrast super feminine materials like satin and chiffon. Add an oversized blazer for week day busy, or put your jeans under the dress and clash it up for movies on the weekend. The proportions of this silhouette loves denim in every execution, but our pick is a cropped flair with a trench for any day of the week polish.

“I need a statement shoe that’s comfortable”

As a brand that built an Instagram following out of our printed shoes, you could say statement shoes come pretty naturally to us. The fact that we make them comfortable is what gives them the radical twist.

This season our statement making explorations began with high-quality, thick handle embroidered satins that behave almost like nylon on the foot. As seen on our ‘True Self’ Black Floral boots, we love the theatre of the broadly set lace detail for the ultimate in vintage-corsetry appeal. The best bit about the wider set eyelet detail is that it fits every variation of foot width really comfortably. Finished with a leather toe cap for both durability and to accentuate the sharp square toe detail, these shoes say statement in a really enduring way. Accent them out with an equally high shine Nylon Bomber jacket for winter evenings out, or pair them with a satin slip, winter knits and black tights for polished 90s moments.

If the boot feels like too much shoe, we love the marigold tones of our new Dharma Vegan Sunflower toe tappers, complete with our now signature nylon Pom Pom. We left the Pom Pom’s intentionally long to create drape and movement over the vamp so they kind of sashay with you as you move through your day. As if the Pom Pom isn’t statement enough, the execution of this rich satin palette will drop jaws and eyes downwards.

We couldn’t resist the moments of lilac, burnt orange and cornflower blue flecked through the pattern on the upper and we will be using these highlights as guidance for the best palettes to mix back with these beauties. We’re seeing solid Lilac everything on top (best executed in suit with blazer) to be the punch that frames this statement shoe in a truly luxe way.

“I need a casual trainer I can wear with a Polished Twist.”

Maybe you’ve seen people wearing trainers with suits and wondered how to make it work. Maybe you’re still feeling confused about the contrast of a casual lace up with more structured outfits on top but really want to give the cool-comfort look a spin. Our pick for those keen for adventure and radical twists has to be our now classic ‘Boundless’ Low Cut Lace Up.

Finished with our limited-edition half-moon resin ‘lace candy’ detail, the play of materials and moments of colour these motifs provide makes them sharp enough to pull off in more formal settings and with more structured outfits on top. Pair the resin detail with oversized accessories in similar textures – we love a statement bangle, our favourite white tee shirt and tuxedo trousers for polished radical casual. Check out our story here for more ideas on making trainers work with suits.

“I don’t know what I want!”

So welcome to the human race right!

We agree - too much choice can lead to nothing more than decision paralysis! If you are feeling too spoilt for choice let us draw the boundary for you in the shoes we think you will enjoy wearing long after all the AW18 moons have set.

Our top pick for eternally classic with a twist is our new Moon Dance 70s floral print toe tappers. At once both smart and casual, the navy based print on these excellent shoes makes them super wearable. Match them with any shade of denim and a long lined knit cardigan for relaxed weekend brilliance, or play the dance element up with voluminous ankle grazing skirts and a button down white shirt for weekday meetings.

If a full print shoe is just not your thing, we love the enduring proportions of our Plenty- Jazz Flat in Juniper Green. We’ve used the same 70s velvet print for the lining on these beautiful toe tappers, making them not only delightful to gaze at, but more importantly slipper level warm! As easy at the weekend as they are for work – we guarantee with the appropriate amount of love and care you will be wearing these toe tappers for years to come.

So there you have it. A bunch of ways to feel new and address outfit concerns all at the same time. And don’t forget we believe in circular fashion! Recycle your pre-loved Radical Yes! shoes in-store at The Fitting Salon and we’ll pass them on to women in need of fresh attire and a confidence boost via our not-for-profit partner Wear For Success. We also reward these radical donations with a Gift Voucher of $25 towards your new pair. Radical, Yes!

See our whole new collection here.