A Clunky Shoe Gets A Leg Up

Are creepers creeping up on us again? The pointy-toed, thick-soled shoe was a staple at punk, ska and rockabilly shows in the '70s and '80s. In the '00s the footwear has gone high fashion, making notable appearances at the Luella Bartley fall '03 show and Christian Dior's fall '04 show. Fashionistas aren't the only ones slipping them on; they have also won fans among teens and hipsters in Los Angeles, Atlanta, New York City and Dallas. "You see dozens of pairs of them at rockabilly shows," says Kathy Schriever, owner of Dallas' Planet Sole, one of a handful of stores in the city that carry creepers. The shoes are being snapped up by both men and women. Celebrity stylist Phillip Bloch sees the return of the clunky shoes as "the beginning of a move toward androgyny." Says Bloch: "For the past few seasons fashion has been dainty and elegant," and creepers are the opposite. They may be just the thing to give footwear fashion a little kick.

--I.C.G.