Roger Vivier

Marlene Dietrich won’t mind if you wear her shoes. Not now that designer Roger Vivier is introducing his “Dietrich exclusive” designs to his fall ready-to-wear shoe collection.

The French couture of footwear, now in his mid-80s, has produced custom-made shoes for everyone from Dietrich (her black satin pumps with the rhinestone balls on the heels are the style he includes in his latest ready-to-wear line) to Queen Elizabeth of England. The queen ordered gold pumps with rubies on the heels, he says.

Vivier’s prices average $250 a pair, but custom-ordered shoes cost at least $400. However, he says, “If shoes are cheap but nice looking and they fit, why not buy them? Unless they’re plastic. Plastic is not very elegant.”

What is elegant by Vivier standards are silver or gold sandals for evening, because either color goes with every imaginable evening outfit.

For day, the only shoes a woman really needs are a pair in black and a pair in taupe or beige. With long skirts Vivier recommends lower heels. With short skirts, higher heels.

“It’s more glamorous,” he says.

He does not design shoes for men. But he suggests that they wear moccasins in a shade of brown, gray or black for day. And black patent pumps with a bow on the toe--”but not too feminine”--for night.

He has a lot of interest in the heel of a shoe. “It gives a shoe character,” he says.

And Vivier likes humor. One pair of black patent leather pumps in his fall collection has a playing card in white and black inserted in each instep. He calls that design “the card shark.”

Vivier’s shoes are available at Joseph’s in Beverly Hills.