The Winged Shoe

We may not be able to fly like Mercury, the messenger of the Gods (or his Greek equivalent, Hermes) but that hasn't stopped designers from taking inspiration from the talaria, or winged sandal, in their quest to take shoes from mere footwear to wearable art. Alexander McQueen's take (pictured below) is the most magnificent we've seen, baroquely ornate with silver or gold wings running the length of the shoes. Marc Jacobs and Beatrix Ong have released understated leather versions for Spring 2010.

For a cute, quirky take, look no further than Vivienne Westwood for melissa's plastic winged sandal that comes in a range of colours.