Boat Shoes, Espadrilles, and Wedges Galore — It’s the Milly for Sperry Top-Sider Spring 2013 Collection
Bringing her youthful, coquettish, Upper East Side-inspired aesthetic to the realm of cruise-ready footwear, designer Michelle Smith of New York-based fashion line Milly NY has been reinventing classic and often utilitarian-minded shoes and giving them a preppy posh feel worthy of bustlin’ city streets and lively boardwalks alike. As with her previous collaborations with Sperry Top-Sider, the Spring 2013 collection incorporates classic styles like the Milly for Sperry Top-Sider Original 2-Eye Boat Shoe ($130 at SperryTopSider.com) and the slip-on Milly for Sperry Top-Sider CVO Laceless Sneaker ($100 at SperryTopSider.com), but both are made modern and fanciful thanks to their choice of fabric and prints.
The Milly for Sperry Top-Sider Original 2-Eye Boat Shoe ($130 at SperryTopSider.com), shown fourth and eighth above, feature the typical rawhide laces and whipstitching details, but the uppers are a combination of canvas and leather, making them more laid-back and breathable. This timeless style is available in six color and/or prints: Confetti, which features painterly, carnival-ready specks of color against a white backdrop and boasting neon pink leather accents (pictured second below); Blue Floral, which features indigo and inky blue blossoms against a cream background (as shown fourth above); Bright Pink Salt Washed Canvas, a slightly faded-looking and distressed neon pink (shown fourth below); Neon Orange Salt Washed Canvas, a fluorescent hue that also appears slightly distressed (shown seventh below); Teal Salt Washed Canvas, which has more of a spearmint green quality (pictured eighth above); and Taupe Sparkling Suede, a light cream hue with a hint of golden sheen. Similarly, the collection also includes three new iterations of the Milly for Sperry Top-Sider CVO Laceless Sneaker ($100 at SperryTopSider.com), a slip-on number with a non-slip, vulcanized rubber bottom. These three new colorways are: Silver Glitter,which features an almost python-like texture that’s resplendent and has a disco feel and also includes unexpected neon pink and dark blue stripes along the outsole (as shown second from top); Blue Floral (pictured above, seventh from top); and Confetti (shown fifth below).
When you’re hoping to accessorize your coquettish summer dresses and flared skirts, meanwhile, you’ll want to reach for a pair of summery espadrilles and, this time around, there are plenty of options in this department. If you’re craving a height boost, opt for the Milly for Sperry Top-Sider Palm Beach Wedge ($195 available at SperryTopSider.com), arguably the cutest style in the entire collection, which features canvas uppers, grosgrain laces, and a jute-covered wedge heel measuring 3 1/2″ in height and a 3/4″-tall platform. The espadrilles feature a wide canvas strip abode the toe area with four clustered circles with which to thread the grosgrain ribbon laces , with one lace extending along each side of the foot and then looping through two circle-shaped perforations on the heel counter and tying at the back. Pictured above at top in the exuberant Confetti Print, the Palm Beach Wedge is also available in the blue Floral Print (shown first below) and Gold Glitter/Cognac (shown fifth above), the latter featuring sandy canvas uppers with golden metallic threads and cognac brown piping. Those who prefer flat shoes, meanwhile, can opt for the Milly for Sperry Top-Sider Hadley Espadrille ($100 at SperryTopSider.com), which features a reinforced, rope-covered toe, an open heel, and grosgrain ribbon ties. These espadrilles are available in the Confetti Print (pictured last above) and Gold Sparkle Suede (pictured sixth below).
Other brand new styles include the Milly for Sperry Top-Sider Rowan Heel($195 at SperryTopSider.com), shown third above and third below, a pair of fun-loving shoes with leather uppers boasting contrast stitching details, rawhide laces in a golden tone tied into a bow above the toe, and block-shaped translucent heel measuring 4 1/2″ in height. Available in either cognac or white leather, these heels will dress up slacks, skirts, shorts, and even rompers.
Last but not least, there’s the Milly for Sperry Top-Sider Gemma Sandal ($130 at SperryTopSider.com), pictured sixth above, a Bohemian chic style that features a wide, cognac-trimmed band covered with silver glitter and featuring a decorative rawhide bow, a cognac leather toe loop, and adjustable heel strap with a buckle accent along the back, and bright pink linings for a cheerful dose of summery energy.
