Dries Van Noten Wedges
by Nubby, 08.18.08 at 6:33 am :: permalink :: rss

Last week I finally tracked down an incredibly hard to find pair of gray patent wedges from the Dries Van Noten Fall 2007 RTW collection. There’s no denying that they’re strange looking and it took me months of contemplation before I finally decided that they were a go.
Now, I feel silly for waiting so long! Always trust the power of Dries. These shoes are shockingly comfortable because there’s a hidden one inch platform built into the front. Also, Dries has a way of using only the softest leather to line the shoes so you never feel any seams and they wear forever since the seams are triple-stitched.
This is my second pair of shoes from the Fall 2007 collection (a third is on the way!) and one of my favorite details is the sturdy tread that was featured in this line.

As you can guess, these shoes are not for the faint of heart. They will get you stopped in the grocery store by elderly women and talked up at parties. Some reviewers have called these shoes homely and orthopedic, but I have to disagree. They are like sculpture for the feet and I’m all for wearing my art!
Another girl who wears the Dries wedges totally effortlessly is Jane of Sea of Shoes. I never knew that mustard patent could look so cool!

What do you think of the Dries wedges? Edgy and fun or clunky and ugly?





August 18th, 2008 at 6:41 am
I like them. Of course, you have to know how to wear them, but I think they’d look stunning if well matched!
besos from Argentina =) niki
August 18th, 2008 at 7:04 am
I love these, I think they have so much more personality and require more personal creativity than other designer shoes that sometimes hand it all to you. Congrats on getting a pair, I’m trying to find some that might fit in my poor college student budget!
August 18th, 2008 at 7:25 am
*swoon* Those shoes have your name written all over them. They’re gorgeous, congrats on successfully hunting them down.
August 18th, 2008 at 9:32 am
I think……….. they are a little too space-age shiny glamour for me. I don’t think I could pull them off with anything reasonable; those are too… I dunno, vintagey ‘trixilicious glam-Stalinist for (me personally) to wear them with anything short of a long, foofy magenta ballet tutu, green and black striped tights, and a polka dotted bikini top to balance their strict vibe with a little wildness (and enough neon to hurt the eyes, ha).
I may someday buy a pair and do exactly that, however. Much luck to you with ‘em.
August 18th, 2008 at 9:38 am
i love them, they are gorgeous! i would wear them with everything. great acquisition! xo
August 18th, 2008 at 10:04 am
I think they look adorable.
August 18th, 2008 at 10:56 am
I love them! I love the shiny grey patent and the fact that they are so unusual. xx
August 18th, 2008 at 11:19 am
Hi Nubby,
I’ve been reading your blog for almost a year now, and I am always telling my friends about your site and your great designs. I check your blog every day, it is very inspiring!
I think you will wear those shoes well, although I don’t think I could get away with them. Also, I recently saw a picture of Madonna wearing them, which means you are in good company!
August 18th, 2008 at 11:45 am
I like them for the coolness factor, but there is no way that I would be able to wear those and get away with it, my friend Jules however, she would be a natural in them!
August 18th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
these hurt my brain. I really dislike the grey. no offence it just I just have some weird aesthetic problem with grey patent, then I look at the other shoes, especially the predictable black and im like oh! theyre gorgeous! so funky, edgy and wish I was daring enough to wear them.
I would talk to someone wearing those shoes, and love that they’re so comfortable as well.
August 18th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
I love these shoes! But I don’t know if I could pull off the grey ones! I like the black and purple if I were to personally wear them. You do wear yours fabulously though!
elise: Thanks, I think that’s part of their appeal to me. They’re not the same boring designer stilettos!
Kelly: Haha, I love your description! So awesome! They are super space age! You have a way with words.
Elizabeth: Thanks for sticking around, it’s appreciated!
Didn’t Madonna have the white canvas ones? She got majorly panned for those! But it’s so much more fun to take chances than to always play it safe.
cookie: I’m not normally a fan of gray shoes, but I think on these it adds a futuristic nurse vibe which fits into my aesthetic! The black is nice but a bit predictable. Thanks for weighing in!
August 18th, 2008 at 5:30 pm
They are perfect for you! Are you getting the same style in a different color, or a different style altogether? I’d like to see them in a black/white spectator oxford combo….I’d rock those every day. :-D
August 18th, 2008 at 5:34 pm
Nubby - you’ve got awesome personal style and these gray Dries are a knockout. However…..those white stockings make your slender, lovely legs look like telephone poles! Yes, in part that is because the shot taken from above does not help. But I think the product shots showing them with short, slightly rumpled stockings are styled that way for a reason. These shoes look decidedly solid and part of the delight is how they contrast with the feminine side of skirts, bare skin, etc. Please consider wearing them with a shorter stocking, showing more leg.
August 18th, 2008 at 6:21 pm
Those are lovely, Nubby. Lovely!
I heart chunky heels myself - just did a review of a *bright yellow* canvas pair in my own blog, in fact! Let me know what you think.
Keep posting, I enjoy your blog.
amanda lee: That would be a killer color combo! I have the same style on the way in the burgundy.
Esmerelda: Personally, I don’t like the look of bare legs. It just isn’t my style. The point of the photo wasn’t meant to flatter my legs- that would be silly to care about when I’m focusing on the shoes!
Doe Deere: Your Nine West yellow shoes look amazing! I absolutely love them. Great choice!
August 18th, 2008 at 9:35 pm
Nubby,
I love these shoes-have been trying to locate a pair of ages now in a color that fits me. I was wondering if they are true to size? I heard the run on the small size. Any help would be great! :)
August 18th, 2008 at 10:14 pm
I love the style of the shoes, but I don’t think I would get them in gray.
However, you totally pull them off! Futuristic nurse vibe is a genius way to describe it.
The shape of the shoes is really different. The angled edge at the heel makes it look like a joint to another section of the leg; like a horse’s leg or something? Haha, that probably sounds bad, but I like it. A lot.
August 19th, 2008 at 1:20 am
I love them! I especially love Jane’s yellow pair, but I would also choose the orange ones.
August 19th, 2008 at 5:11 am
Ooo…where on Earth did you find them?!? I have been coveting those shoes something awful, and I’ll be damned if I can find a trace of them anywhere!
congrats!!! <3
Kit: They do run about a half size small. I wear a 6.5 in heels and got a 37 (7) in these and they fit perfectly. It’s also a good idea to go up if you plan on wearing them with socks.
Cynthia Silvestri: I got lucky and my size came up on Ebay! But they’re few and far between. There’s also a few pairs on yoox.com.
Annie Spandex: Normally I can’t stand anything in yellow, but there is something very intriguing about those! You’d look amazing in a pair.
August 19th, 2008 at 7:14 am
AHHH I LOVE THEM ALL!!!
August 19th, 2008 at 9:31 am
those are amazing!!!
August 19th, 2008 at 5:58 pm
Ha we are the same shoe size.
I still can’t decide if I love these or don’t…
Usually that’s good thing.
The oxblood ones are lovely.
August 19th, 2008 at 9:33 pm
I love the burgundy pair with the pants, but the other colors rub Me the wrong way. Not sure why, but I think You pull them off, not so daring Myself.
August 21st, 2008 at 6:10 pm
hey! thanks for the comment on my blog! it’s always fun to come across other portlander’s on the web.
as for the dries, they are just gorgeous. i remember seeing a pair of these in black at the downtown nordstroms and falling in love, but i didn’t have the funds. :(
August 21st, 2008 at 8:13 pm
oh LOVE! i really want them. love them in that gray too. so cool.
August 22nd, 2008 at 4:53 am
I love them! I love all the colours and I think ALL shoes should be platform wedges…
The brown ones with tweed slacks look seriously suave.
Camille: Thanks for stopping by- you have such a cute blog! I didn’t realize that Nordstrom had them at one point…dang.
Belle: Luckily, I just bought those ones and they should arrive in a few days!
August 22nd, 2008 at 9:09 am
LOOOOOVe these shoez. and you wear them well.
pray tell: where’s the best place to buy such yumminess (online)?
and how is their sizing?
August 22nd, 2008 at 9:53 am
I absolutely love the style of these shoes, especially in the yellow/mustard. The one thing that makes me twitch a bit is the way it seems that the patent leather is a bit loose along the sides, so that it bunches or folds up. It doesn’t seem quite so noticeable on the darker colors, but on the lighter ones it drives me nuts!
marz: I found the gray pair on Ebay and have a burgandy pair on the way from yoox.com but they’re hard to find because they came out last fall! Sizing is about a half size small. I wear a 6.5 and ordered a 37 (which is a 7 in Dries sizing) and they fit perfectly.
Ashe Mischief: The bunching bothers me slightly also, but I’ve gotten over it because they’re handmade and wrapping an entire platform with the same piece of material is bound to cause a little movement.
August 22nd, 2008 at 11:41 am
Nubby — that’s excellent to know about them being handmade; with that, I agree, it’d be really difficult to create a tight and cohesive line with one piece of fabric (I’ve tried on other projects, and it is SO hard!).
August 24th, 2008 at 3:34 am
Swoon! They are lovely! I love shoe boots, they are on my autumn shopping list.
September 6th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
Where did you find them? I have been looking for a pair for ages and haven’t been able to get a hold of them. I think they are fabulous
ramona: Ebay and yoox.com though they’re from a year ago and extremely hard to locate!
September 30th, 2008 at 9:57 am
I just bought those! I got the maroon ones from Holt Renfrew Last Call after stalking them for 6 months! The store put them up for 30% off and I pounced. I can’t wait to wear them!
Kristen: Yay, good for you! They’re so hard to find now! Enjoy.
April 22nd, 2009 at 1:28 pm
OMG, where did you find these?!?!
See above. :)
October 11th, 2009 at 6:45 pm
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