Brandon Blackwood decided to pay homage to the 2000s in his Fall/Winter 2024 footwear collection. Over a Zoom call from his Brooklyn apartment, the designer candidly recalls how he didn’t want to release a boring shoe. What he ended up with was an entire collection of interesting designs. Each option is also elevated–not one of these designs is for wallflowers–they’re for those who like to stick out in a room or just in the office, according to Blackwood.
“If you look at our bags and our collections of everything else, our accessories, we like to have fun, lots of pops, things like that. But I like something a little weird and a little different,” the designer shared.
The Paloma silhouette arrives in a sneaker heel, a boot, and a heel priced at $200, $350, and $225 respectively. The designer says this design includes a “ghost phantom” heel that offers respite from walking in heels all day long. Due to this detail, pressure isn’t put on your foot instead a bit of material was created to rest on.
“With these, just because of how the heel shape is, the majority of your foot is actually resting and being supported. So, you’re levitating, but you’re not suffering.” Taking inspiration from the 2000s the athletic-inspired option will be available in both black and white colorways.
Blackwood details that he wanted to create a modern and cool version of heels. “I wanted easy colors so that you could pair [them] with anything. They’re really comfy. If you look at them, they have netting, they have all the qualities of a sneaker,” he added. The Paloma heel is for the corporate girlies who are typically in the office–the succinct black leather it arrives in is perfect for pairing with suits, trousers, and beyond.
The Paloma also gets a hit of fun with shearling in a deep green hue. When tasked with detailing how shearling ended up a part of the collection the designer says it was a detail he pushed for. It’s his way of addressing the cliche “fall forward” or the looming chilly season New York has on the horizon. He describes it as “kooky” too so it falls perfectly in line with some of his past shoe designs, the Taxi heel and the Joint heel.
Brandon says that the material of the boot is the same material he used for the custom design he created for Beyonce’s Renaissance tour. “It feels sleek [and] elevated. It’s not leather, but it’s so juicy to look at. It’s fun to walk in and honestly, when you’re moving with it, how the light hits it, I think it’s just a sexy shoe.” He notes here that they chose to keep the same heel as the Paloma sneaker so that there’s continuity within the collection.
Rounding out the collection is the Lola, a clean-cut heel available in grey denim and blue denim with a pointed-toe design. The peek-a-boo portion at the top of this shoe is cheeky and a bit risque. This design retails for $250.
Wholly the designer is hoping that those born in the ‘90s resonate with this collection. He expresses that Gen Z most likely will like it as well but he’s aiming for millennials. Blackwood also says he’s aware that his demographic is quite robust and that it encompasses multiple age ranges. This is why his pricing is accessible–he wouldn’t have it any other way.
Before we wrap our video call Brandon shares that since his brand is relatively new he believes most of his designs are looked at under a microscope. Hence why he’s typically willing to take risks and experiment with his final designs. “I think everything I do, especially being a Black-owned brand, I feel needs to hit the mark–and I feel like this collection is showing that our footwear is here to stay,” he adds.
Brandon Blackwood’s Fall/Winter 2024 shoe collection is currently available on the brand’s site and their app. Pricing starts at $200. Take a look at exclusive images of the collection below.
