Jim Barnier Tall Granny Boot

It’s funny how things work out. I had been set to meet two people from my office on Robertson for shopping and dinner, but traffic – as in most cases here in Los Angeles – prevented them from arriving on time, which meant I had an extra hour and a half to kill walking around stores. I had been in nearly every store on the street and hadn’t been very inspired. That is, until I hit Curve. I’ve never been a huge fan of the store, though I’ve visited (my Exhibitionist silver skull ring was purchased here), it’s always been a bit hit an miss for pieces. This time around, I had time to kill and left in love.

Enter Jim Barnier. Sitting on the top shelf on the far wall of the store, just to the right of the door, were three pair of the most gorgeous, unique and inspiring boots I had seen in a long time. They were lace up granny style, but completely updated – rounded toe, the most delicious leather, fantastic, original colors – a soft metallic gold, a pearlized metallic pink (or your standard tan, which was equally as gorgeous). The sales associate said they were handmade and every bit of the look and feel showed it. These boots weren’t cranked out on a factory floor or by a machine – they were handcrafted with attention and love. I was ecstatic, but with a steep $465 price (think Manolos!), I needed to be sensible. I left the store empty handed, but without hesitation launched a two day campaign to track them down at the best possible price, including a call to the designer himself for a list of additional stores. In the end, they landed in my lap for $398 minus $15 since I was a new customer, on FreePeople.com – at a savings of about $100 including sales tax.

This is not your average boot. The leather is so incredibly soft it reminds me of the handmade shoes from Poland and Russia that my mother had in her closet during my childhood. It has a cute, round toe and ballerina style, with a slight heel and smooth, flat sole. I went with the pearlized metallic pink color (Freepeople.com also had a variation in tan, with a slightly heavier sole), which is soft and subtle but makes a statement – this is the type of boot that absolutely gets noticed. The fit is true and comfortable – they’re as flat as a ballet slipper, so those in need of arch support may need to add an insole, but have plenty of room in the toe area due to the rounded toe. The laces are suede and feel durable. When laced the boot is comfortable, not too tight or awkward. They’re gorgeous – I like them best half laced with the top open, but I believe they’d be as cute fully laced or even folded down. They are a cute variation for Spring – I’ll be wearing mine a ton.

Even with the discount, the price can be staggering – but good footwear, regardless of style, is timeless and I say these are absolutely worth the buy.

The Specifics
Material: Genuine leather, handmade
Sizing: Whole sizes 6 and up
Care: Should be professionally treated with leather protector – I took mine to a cobbler for how-to and did them myself.
Price: $398 – $465