IN REVIEW: POUR LA VICTOIRE’S HADLEY BOOTIES

Confession: until recently, I’ve had a gaping hole in my closet in the shape of a peep toe bootie. I KNOW. Clearly the bootie has moved past the trend phase to the wardrobe staple phase, so this omission for a shoehorse like me was fairly glaring. My only explanation is that like an aging bachelor who has been single too long, I let choosiness delay destiny.

I’ve been a fan of Pour La Victoire’s fashion forward footwear (or as Carine Roitfeld called it, “S&M Rock n’ Roll Chic”) for some time, so naturally I was thrilled when they not only generously offered to give a pair of their Irina Tiles Pumps to one lucky Fashion Orbit reader, but they also offered a pair of my choice to lucky me.

But, decisions! Browsing through Pour La Victoire’s easy to navigate site (thank goodness for non-flash ecommerce sites, if I wanted to see bad animation I would rent a straight-to-DVD Disney sequel), I suddenly had to pick a favorite child. How could I not be tempted by the over-the-top glamor of the ruffled Giada and the pearl-bedecked Isis, or the nouveau preppy appeal of the Larkin heeled loafer? Mostly I was seriously torn between the Hadley bootie and the Alvery pump - I loved the wood stacked between layers of suede in the Alvery, which was especially striking in the burgundy, navy and grey versions.

Ultimately my need for a tall peep toe bootie won out, though, and the Hadley is undeniably perfection in 5.25 inches. Yes, the height is totally death-defying, but the 1.25 inch platform makes it actually comfortable. It’s kind of impossible not to feel instantaneously sexy with that kind of altitude, and it’s a perfect edgy alternative to a standard pair of black heels. I expect to get a ton of wear out of them - they’ll look as fab paired with jeggings and a pointy-shouldered top as they would with a sequined minidress.

P.S. If you’re still dying for the Irina from our Pour La Victoire giveaway, they have the non-tiled version currently on sale in some gorgeous sorbet-like hues.

Full disclosure: A pair of Pour La Victoire shoes were provided to Fashion Orbit free of charge. No other compensation was provided and all opinions expressed are solely mine.