5 Days of Shoes: Karolina Kurkova’s Giuseppe Zanotti Heels Rule

This week, the lovely and leggy Karolina Kurkova stepped out to support her friend, the legendary Giuseppe Zanotti, for his store opening in Ibiza. Donning a black suede four-and-a-half-inch stiletto sandal with crystal and gold filigree details from his fall 2014 collection for the occasion, the guest of honor showcased her gams in the way only a true Giuseppe fan can.

We caught up with Zanotti himself to hear more about his inspiration for this particular shoe and he gushed about his latest creation: “I love the high level of craftsmanship and sophistication in this gold-leafed sandal. The rich details are finely embroidered on a very rock ‘n’ roll black suede upper — and Karolina Kurkova perfectly embodies the modern and elegant features of this stiletto. Rock and elegance are deeply entwined in all my creations, and I wanted to create a design piece more than a pair of shoes. My intention was to show how nature can greatly inspire art and fashion — my approach is to constantly keep my eyes open and absorb everything around me, so in this case, I used my imagination to translate the beauty of nature onto the foot.” Could we say it any better than the master himself? We don’t think so.

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Gisele Bundchen

Gisele Bundchen was assigned the job of transporting the 2014 FIFA World Cup trophy in its Louis Vuitton case, and presenting it to the finalists at the World Cup closing ceremony. Decked out in head-to-toe Louis Vuitton, the brand ambassador and Brazilian sports fan Instagrammed her way to the ceremony wearing a pair of black satin “Heartbeat” pumps. These chunky Edwardian-heeled pointy-toe pumps feature white geometric embellishment on the toe box and the back of the heel, as well as an ankle cuff with a silver Louis Vuitton buckle. We thought she chose the shoes for greater balance on the field than your typical stiletto would provide, but we hear she was simply besotted with the shoes when she chose the entire look herself, straight off the runway.

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Julie Bowen (Photo credit: REX USA/Picture Perfect)

Julie Bowen attended the Planes: Fire and Rescue premiere on Tuesday in a chic cream sheath by Dsquared2 and the “it” shoe of the moment, Stuart Weitzman “Nudist” stiletto sandals in fawn goose-bump napa leather. From Solange‘s elevator showdown to red carpets worldwide, the Nudist has become the must-have shoe for the celeb set, gaining steam exponentially as the summer has gone on. The single-sole single-strap four-and-a-half-inch stiletto conceived by Weitzman in spring 2013 was first embraced by style superstar Diane Kruger (who famously styles herself for all of her red carpet appearances). Weitzman created the style in response to trends he was seeing, especially the return to femininity from the clunky platform that had dominated the runways for years. Weitzman noted, “It felt like the right time for the simple and naked ankle strap, where less shoe is more. Dresses became very feminine, and wearing sexy sandals became a must.” We’d tend to agree.

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Beyonce

Beyonce showed her playful side this week, showcasing her offstage casual looks on Instagram like the true fashionista that she is. More than half a million of her 13 million followers liked her summer-print romper look from indie designer Demestiks; she paired the sweet romper with high-heel “Yuwa” mules in black calfskin featuring a block heel detailed in African print silk from emerging celebrity shoe brand Chelsea Paris. This brand is quickly becoming a go-to for celebs like Cameron Diaz and Selena Gomez, and the modern-meets-art-deco-inspired collections mix unusual materials and silhouettes for a fresh take on red carpet stilettos. Theresa Ebagua, designer and founder of the line, was ecstatic Queen Bey chose to don her creations: “I am so happy Beyonce chose to wear our shoes. She represents what the brand stands for — a free-spirited, independent woman. She is truly a modern-day icon, and we love her at Chelsea Paris.”

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Janina Gavankar (Photo credit: Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

Janina Gavankar made her first splash at the TCA on Sunday in a characteristically fun and sexy minidress. This multitalented up-and-coming actress has legions of fans from her appearances on True Blood as Lena Garza, her music career, and now her new NBC show, The Mysteries of Laura, where she will co-star alongside Josh Lucas and Debra Messing. The press were so taken by her pale kidskin Alejandra G stiletto sandals with gold metallic spike detailing (from L.A.-based designer Alejandra G), they paid her the ultimate compliment — taking close-up detail shots of her shoes on the carpet. Designer and founder Alejandra G, who trained at the prestigious Ars Sutoria in Milan, noted, “I wanted a shoe that was classy, classic — but had a spunk to it, so I added the spikes — and these are perfect for summer because they feature an open-caged construction.” Gavankar herself weighed in as well, telling us, “My legs are my least favorite body part, but a nude heel helps elongate them. And I like edge in my fashion. Spiked stilettos? Yes, please!” Looking forward to seeing more of Gavankar’s spirited choices on the red carpet.