Neous shoes were made for walking, but they’d be equally at home under the lights at MoMA. Inspired by the Bauhaus movement, the new collection features the minimalist lines and bold geometries of contemporary design with a dash of artful detail: a translucent yellow disc elevates the heel of a black mule, a black boot toe is dipped in silver. “It’s about fluidity, about haphazard things that become beautiful,” says designer Vanissa Antonious, cofounder of the one-year-old women’s footwear label.
Antonios and her partner, Alan Buanne, draw ideas for their sculptural shoes from varied sources, from classic artists like Barbara Hepworth and Jean Arp to major moments in art history. The aesthetic is evident on the brand’s Instagram feed, where the shoes transform their environments—a white-walled room, a sun-bleached beach—into futuristic scenes worthy of a museum. Still, the designers claim they create “architecturally sound” footwear for the “woman who doesn’t need to put on a show.” Well, maybe just a little.
