About Prada Shoes

Prada has made luxury bags and shoes for almost a century. Through the 1980s to 2000s, the label became an icon in consumer culture, a household name and a favorite word of authors Candace Bushnell and Lauren Weisberger in their novels about fashonistas.

History

Mario Prada established Prada in 1913 as a leather goods store in Milan, Italy. The boutique sold handbags, shoes, trunks and suitcases. After the store struggled financially for several years, the owner's granddaughter, Miuccia Prada, took over the store in 1978. Within a short time, she transformed the store into a luxury goods and fashion house holding the Prada name. In 1984, the company relaunched the shoe accessories line, and Prada's simple black bag made a successful appearance in 1985.

Features

Prada is known for using simple colors, clean lines, and luxurious materials like soft leathers and python in the construction of their shoes. They emphasize elegance and delicacy in the designs. Prada shoes typically have minimal ornamentation.

Considerations

This luxury line is a prominent symbol for social status and the wish for finer living. The well-crafted shoes also hold their own throughout changing fads and have proved to be an investment for many women (and men) who enjoy luxury but are not able to afford changing their shoes every year.

Trends

Prada shoes, while classic over the years, still develop their own identity for every season. In the 2001 spring ready to wear line, Prada matched their accessories with '50s and '80s inspiration by selling brightly colored cone pumps, some accented by fluorescent fuchsias and greens. In Prada's fall 2009 collection, they followed suit of the sleek, black thigh-high Chanel boots (mentioned in the film "The Devil Wears Prada") to create their own version of a loose, rural-like, soft leather thigh-high. They also have a black leather boot similar to Chanel's.

Locations

Most high-end department stores, such as Neiman Marcus, Saks and Nordstrom, sell shoes by Prada. Multiple Prada boutiques exist throughout the world, like the New York flagship designed by architect Rem Koolhaas, and they display the shoes in artful ways. You can also find Prada shoes on the Internet.

References

• Life in Italy
• Fashion Review

Resources

• Style.com
• Prada