Where The Wild Things Are: Kimberlee's Pick of the Week

Fortunate enough to live in a city where extensive walking is done by choice rather than necessity, I have become a real sucker for a stand out pump.  Red patent leather, cobalt blue faux python, and black and white make you dizzy zigzag pattern height enhancing heels have all made their way into my collection.  Lovely little treasures, but certainly not for every day wear as they are practically the polar opposites of neutral.  Or are they?  Recently I read a piece about the latest attention grabbing trend, the wildly ferocious animal print pump.  The piece referred to them as a neutral…a NEUTRAL?  No way (I say to myself, with my head cocked to one side like the RCA dog).  How could a print as wild and adventurous as an animal print ever be classified as neutral?  Neutral by definition means impartial or noncommittal, which doesn’t exactly conjure up mental imagery of a leopard print heel.

Determined to be proved wrong, I immediately went to work to find a pair I felt I could love enough to coordinate with…well…almost anything.  After all, the beautiful thing about a neutral is that it is perfectly capable of looking amazing with 90% of our wardrobe.  Keeping my budget simple, and my checklist of comfort and style requirements in tow, I narrowed my selection down to the Mossimo Leopard Versie Pumps from Target. What I loved about these little gems was the subtle sheen of the patent leather covering the ½” platform, the treaded bottom to the sole, and the almost 4” heel height with a slightly rounded pointy toe.  But what SOLD me on this pair versus its competitors, was the rich tone of the animal print.  The colors are deep, and incorporate hues of honey and chocolate with the sharpness of black.  The $29.99 price only added to the sweetness to my shopping victory. 

Anticipating their arrival like a 5 year old waiting for Santa, I almost tackled my UPS driver when he brought me my package.  SCORE!  They are as rich and striking in person as they first appeared when they emerge from their packing materials, a bit on the narrow side (I have a wide-ish foot, and typically vary between a 6 ½ and a 7, in these I ordered the 7 and have no gapping which for me is an amazing bonus!), but perfectly wearable.  The height is just as noticeable as I hoped they would be, and with a little Dr. Scholl’s gel insert I am ready to hit the cat-walk.  But first…to see about this whole “neutral” thing. 

Red cashmere sweater and dark denim flare leg jeans?  Perfect match.  Kelly Green turtleneck sweater and black trouser pants?  Yep, match.  Orange cable knit sweater and olive green paper bag waist dress pants?  White flag waving…I submit…these actually match almost anything.  Wow.  I am completely impressed and so elated over my amazing find.  Am I going to wear them with my one shoulder floral mini dress?  Probably not, that’s what my cobalt blue faux python’s are for, but these wildly patterned little “noncommittal” foot candies are going to complement everything else.