A penchant for the shape of the human foot and a passion for sculpting led designer Cheyenne Morris down a well-trodden path of women's shoe design. Taking cues from soleful sculptors like Roger Vivier (creator of the much-loved but equally feared stiletto), Morris has carved a niche with her label, Tashkent, whose spring/summer collection accompanied the spring 3.1 Phillip Lim collection on the runway. With a smattering of flats, sandals, and well-balanced wedges, the collection covers some impressive ground—and comfortably, too, evidenced most notably in our pick, a lace-up canvas wedge known as the Wise.
Tan with brown piping, stacked with a 3.5-inch heel, and laced tight with a tennis-shoe inspired top, the Wise hearkens back to the 1920s when women wore similarly constructed, sporty-chic shoes during all their tennis matches. Thankfully, traditions have changed on the court, and we're no longer sacrificing our ankles when we sprint for an overhead lob. But off the court, anything's fair game. And instead of torturing your feet with pencil-thin spikes, serve yourself a pair of shoes that can still look just as pretty while pounding the pavement.
The Wise, $360. For availability, go to www.tashkentnyc.com.
Tashkent connects past with present in a modern wedge.