40th Birthday Shoes: Midnight 00

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You may remember my post last year regarding my birthday shoe buying tradition and how because it was my 40th, I upped my usual treat to 4 pairs. I tried to buy one each quarter, not only to spread the cost, but it was exciting to have something to look forward to each season. The Dolce & Gabbana mules I showed you last time were my replacement second pair, after my initial choice (Kat Maconie 'Aya') had to be returned because I couldn't get my foot into them. Today I finally have the first pair to show you. I didn't actually take 'proper' pics at the time (i.e. intended for blogging), so I've just scrambled together some photos I have. They're not great and a bit jumbled (taken on two different days) but I just wanted to get them up rather than continuing not in the order I bought them.  I'll get round to doing a proper fit review on The Shoe Girl Diaries at some point with better photos (I've been blogging there every week lately, so there's lots of new reviews up there just now), I just quickly snapped these on my feet with whatever I was wearing that day, so apologies for that.

I bought these in the January sales last year and went for a brand I've been interested in, but haven't owned before. Midnight00 launched in 2018, after originally being created by Milan born, New York based fashionista Ada Kokosar, as a collaboration with Italian shoe label Paciotti. Now as a stand-alone brand, they are designed and produced in Italy with this 'after dark', clock strikes 12, Cinderella glass slipper inspired vibe, with some Marie Antoinette frou-frou thrown in. The style that really launched the brand on social media was this rather strange looking polka dot, PVC covered court shoe with exaggerated frilled detail. The idea is to use beautiful, fine fabrics such as tulle and silk for the ruched uppers, but cover that in this stiffer, clear PVC. It shouldn't work, but it does!

I love the contrast and uniqueness of the two materials together and in practical terms, it makes the shoes waterproof and easy to wipe clean if they get dirty! I've personally long been a fan of PVC, dating back to my teenage years when I bought clear PVC by the metre to make handbags filled with my favourite things (encased in these transparent 'windows'). I remember making a layered bag with rows of seeds and moss, conkers and flowers all contained in little flap like pockets, that just came into my head one day. I owned a lot of PVC clothes too, my teenage wardrobe was pretty much animal print, fluffy and PVC!

The style I've gone for here is that iconic 'Shell' design in black tulle with metallic gold spots and a glossy covering. The frill detail is based on a shell (hence their name) and both the tulle and PVC are almost pleated up and around the ankle region. I bought a half size up because the recommendation was to buy one size bigger because they were small, but I'm glad I didn't, as they are quite roomy (so I definitely could've stuck with my regular size). It feels a bit odd at first with the PVC around the ankle, you keep wondering what is brushing your leg and the tulle tickles, but you'll get used to it.  You do have to kind of move the frills out of the way to get the foot in, as you can see from the photos below.  

What do you think?  The PVC reminds me a bit of packaging, like cellophane on a bunch of flowers or when I used to work on the beauty counter and we'd make up big skincare hampers at Christmas time wrapped in cellophane with a big bow.  Those were the days!  

My third pair, I've ended up changing my mind over, though I still have them, so might show you them anyway. I ended up changing my 4th pair into my 3rd and then got lucky with finding my final pair. They're not as varied as they were originally (I've doubled up on a brand too), but I'll get them up soon for you to see what you think.  I can't believe in a few months I'll be 41, in some ways the year has flown by.  Doing absolutely nothing, but then, what do I usually do?  I'm still a bit iffy about getting back on social media, it's weird, I'm just not missing it, but I am enjoying blogging at my own pace.  I think just do what makes you happy and right now (jumbled/bad photos aside) it's doing this.  Hope you're all well.