LAS VEGAS—The World Shoes + Accessories Association's WSA Show, the twice-a-year footwear and accessories trade show, and The Collections at WSA, its luxury and designer footwear show, brought all manner of Fall 2009 shoes to Las Vegas.
Held Feb. 12-14 at The Venetian, Mandalay Bay Convention Center and Sands Expo, the WSA's shows welcomed buyers with a new layout and an abbreviated three-day schedule for The Collections.
Compass, the fledgling directional footwear show by New York-based producer BPMW, presented its second edition Feb. 12-13 at the Alexis Park Hotel.
Met with chilly weather and the sobering economic climate, buyers pensively shopped for Fall 2009 goods. Designers, too, showed some restraint, offering updated classics sprinkled with a few fanciful flourishes. Boots, always a Fall staple, were plentiful in rich leathers and traditional silhouettes. Suede
in snippets and splashes added texture and a sense of luxury. Lace proved to be popular, popping up on pumps and flats-and even mimicked in leather.
Fashion-forward designers took a chance on shoes that merged two silhouettes in one.
So Much Suede
In ruffles and ridges, in petals and Art Deco-inspired shapes, on toes and heels and everything in between, suede was the accent of choice.
Peep Show
Lace and mesh made classic silhouettes sexy. From tonal versions to high-contrast pairings, lace and mesh added a bit of flash to Fall's traditionally covered-up style.
Two-Fer
Part pump, part boot, part sandal, part gladiator-whatever you want to call it, designers found plenty of inspiration mixing and matching disparate silhouettes for Fall 2009. Buyers liked this dose of newness.
Boots Made For Walking
Perennial staples, boots are enjoying a renaissance for Fall 2009. Tops on the list are motorcycle and cowgirl boots updated with color, texture, embroidery and buckles galore.
