In Alexander McQueen (aff), the book that accompanied the London version of the Savage Beauty exhibition held at the V&A Museum in 2015, Helen Persson notes of the armadillo shoe:
“McQueen’s most celebrated footwear creation, the 30 cm high ‘Armadillo’ boot from Plato’s Atlantis (Spring/Summer 2010), combined a claw-like menace with the beauty of a ballerina’s en point … Performance pieces on the world’s catwalk, in keeping with McQueen’s love of theatricality, the boots appeared utterly futuristic. However, the exaggerated silhouette of the ‘Armadillo’ does have a historical precedent in the extraordinary form of sixteenth-century Persian riding books which, with their rounded vamp (ending in a slight upturned toe), and inward curved heel were designed to facilitate a secure fit in the stirrup. (pgs 111-112).
An example of 17th Century Persian riding boots, can be found here. Visually you can see the parallel that is being drawn, although, as noted by Persson, their shape is designed as a matter of function (to allow a rider to stand in stirrups without their foot slipping through the stirrup. McQueen’s shoes are of course, purely a matter of aesthetics.
On the design, Sarah Burton said in an interview with Tim Blanks for the book Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty by Andrew Bolton that
“The “Armadillo” shoe from Plato’s Atlantis [spring/summer 2010] was based on a ballet point (sic) shoe designed by Allen Jones.”
Presumably the reference to an Allen Jones ballet shoe is to this artwork.
The construction of the armadillo shoes
Renowned shoe designer, Georgina Goodman was brought in by McQueen to collaborate on the footwear for the Spring/Summer 2010 collection, ‘Plato’s Atlantis’. Goodman’s expertise in shoe construction was essential in bringing McQueen’s avant-garde vision to life.
The illustration below shows what the inside of the armadillo shoes looks like.
The armadillo shoes presented a significant technical challenge due to their extreme shape and height. Goodman worked closely with McQueen to develop the unique form, which featured an exaggerated arch and an elongated, almost alien-like silhouette.
The collaboration between McQueen and Goodman resulted in a shoe that was both a work of art and a feat of engineering. Goodman’s technical knowledge ensured that the shoes, despite their dramatic appearance, could actually be worn on the runway. She helped to create a design that balanced the theatrical elements McQueen desired with the practical considerations of wearability and stability.
“Each pair of ‘Armadillos’ was individually made. The wooden base was first carved and then attached to the heel and the insole board construction. The lining and the upper had to be lasted individually and therefore required four zips (two for the lining and two for the upper) to allow access for the foot. The exaggerated platform is not lightweight and could have been challenging to walk in. However a ‘build out’, or bulge, above the toes enabled the model to lift the boot more easily when walking, as clearly annotated on McQueen’s design sketch’ (pgs 111-112), Alexander McQueen (aff), Helen Persson
According to the Daily Beast “Each pair of armadillos was hand-made in Italy, in an elaborate process that spanned five days and involved 30 people, using material from three suppliers and passing through three factories”.
Walking in the armadillo shoes
In 2009, Frockwriter wrote that in a conversation with model Abbey Lee Kershaw “we touched on the so-called ‘armadillo’ shoes from Alexander McQueen’s S/S 2010 show … Wonder why we didn’t see Kershaw, Sasha Pivovarova or Natasha Poly in the show? According to Kershaw, that’s because after taking one look at the shoes, the supermod trio convened for a powow and decided to nix it”.
The Guardian in 2015 stated that the night before the show “Sam Gainsbury, McQueen’s show producer, tried on the reptile-scaled lobster-claw shaped boots that became known as armadillo shoes. The heels were 10 inches high. “I couldn’t walk,” she said. “So I went and found Lee [Alexander McQueen’s given name] and I said, ‘I can’t walk in these, and I can walk in any heel. This could be a disaster. What if the girls fall?’ And he said, ‘If they fall, they fall'”.
In contrast, Sarah Burton said in interview with Tim Blanks for the book Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty by Andrew Bolton that “They were actually quite comfortable to walk in, but if a girl couldn’t walk in them, she wasn’t in the show”.
In 2010 The Daily Beast reported of Daphne Guiness, who wore a tan pair to a party “They were four sizes too big, she says, but surprisingly comfortable. “I know it sounds bizarre. They look difficult but they aren’t. They’re not heavy. They’re very, very deceptive and very clever.”
The editors of British Vogue disagreed, blogging about their efforts to take a stroll in the boots, which ended when they “miserably failed to make it further than the Vogue fashion cupboard.” That Vogue blog can be found here.
Views seem to vary, but notably, not one girl fell on the runway.