It’s only been about two years since the last platform moment, but they are back, taller and more demanding than ever. The reason is that they’re fun and glamorous and comfortable (for heels). And they make you stand out in a crowd. In the middle of a Seventies-saturated season (as we are), platform sandals are a no-brainer. The chances are you will be flashing them under your new wide-legged trousers, so they’re never going to be too much, yet the difference between these sandals and your pointy, single-sole heels is all the difference in the world. Bang – you are right up to the minute, channelling the mood of Hedi Slimane at Saint Laurent. Here’s all you need to know.
Pick a heel, not a wedge. Put away the rope and cork wedges for the time being. This is a high-heeled sandal moment – possibly with an ankle strap. The platforms against which all others should be measured are Saint Laurent’s disco ones, which are fiendishly high and exotic, mixing studs with snakeskin, or gold and leopard print. Otherwise, Prada’s look more like high-heeled clogs, or there are Victoria Beckham’s serious daywear sandals.
Or a clog. You will be wearing these under jeans (maybe) or perhaps a denim midiskirt. This season, loaferish details make clogs less Woodstock hippy and more girl about town.
Wear with… Platform sandals are the best accompaniment to flared or wide-legged trousers (spindly heels look wrong) and narrow-fit longer-line skirts. Kate Moss was wearing hers on her 41st birthday in January with cropped leather jeans, sheer tights and a big furry coat – which is OK for Kate but risky for Us. Stockings and platforms in the day is a bit Spearmint Rhino.
Avoid at all costs… Boho, floaty clothes and all the Seventies clichés. What’s cool about these platforms is that girls can wear them like Blondie, and we experienced women can play them down with black trousers and a polo-neck (now), or a silky below-the-knee skirt and knee-length coat (as seen at Victoria Beckham). Yes, indeed. On the spring 2015 catwalk, she showed minimal neutral separates with strappy black platforms with a green velvet heel and pink trim. This meant platforms were officially a fashion for grown-ups, not just nostalgia junkies. With their sturdy heel and straps, these were some of the most wearable shoes of the season. That’s the thing about platforms you can easily forget in all the Seventies stardust.