The Budget Babe | Affordable Fashion & Style Blog

Fugly Shoes for Fall 2007: Lace-Up Flats

Don't let Anna Sui fool you into wearing these jazz-inspired shoes just because they have cute cherries on top.
Be afraid, be very afraid. There's a disturbing trend this fall to bring jazz shoes and other lace-up flats back from whatever dark, fashion hole they were banished to the first time around.

Designers say it's because people like comfort and ballet flats have enjoyed growing popularity in recent months, so hey, why not an 80s Jazzercise revival, right?

Wrong. We love comfort but you gotta draw the line somewhere.

Everyone from Marc Jacobs, Anna Sui, Jill Sander and ::gasp:: even Christian Loboutin are rolling out these monstrosities. Luckily, we haven't seen the style trickle down to the masses—yet.

From left: Christian Louboutin's silver metallic lace-up flats; Jill Sander's lace-up flats.

Word to the wise: when these shoes become available in your price range (and it's only a matter of time before they do), drop everything and run, don't walk (or tap), in the opposite direction.