Winning Platforms : Some Fashionable Women Are Snapping Up New Versions of a Style Last Seen in the ‘70s

This is one platform no one seems to agree on, and it has nothing to do with politics. The return of the platform shoe seems innocuous enough, but it has provoked strong reactions--both pro and con.

Forget it, says tastemeister George Malkemus, president of Manolo Blahnik shoes. His refined, high-price shoe line doesn’t have a platform in the batch. And he says his company has no interest in a look associated with Rosie the Riveter or hippie hoopla days of the ‘70s.

“We would prefer to look forward than backward,” he says.

On the other hand, Karl Lagerfeld, who started the craze with his Minnie-Mouse-like black satin platform pumps for Chanel last fall, seems to believe women will indulge for the fun of it. Lagerfeld’s fall S&M; versions are the stuff of a Helmut Newton fantasy.

Their novelty, and the fact that they go well with current fashion, has set off a buying spurt. “Women don’t have them in their closets,” says Michael Stachowski, shoe buyer/manager at Fred Hayman Beverly Hills.

Short shorts, minis and ankle-length skirts--all leading looks this summer--balance nicely above the towering shoe silhouettes. And, as Stachowski points out, “If you’re going to wear long skirts and you’re not 8 feet tall, platforms help a lot.”

One of the best-selling styles is Lagerfeld’s moderate-platform pump, with a 3/4-inch lift in front and a thick, sculpted 4-inch heel. Singer Gloria Estefan, actress Jennifer Tilly, author Danielle Steele and lots of older, style-conscious socialites have snapped them up. Hayman has reordered the $245 shoe three times.

Older women prefer modified versions of the look, while younger customers like platforms in towering heights. Think of the “Andrews Sisters” or the ‘70s disco scene.

“About 95% are first-time platform buyers,” says Sacha of London’s Bob Fatzinger.

“They’re buying for fashion, primarily, but they’re also finding that the shoes are more comfortable because of the cushioning effect of the platform.” Sacha London versions are priced from $49 to $99.

At American Rag Cie. Shoes on La Brea, the most popular shoes are ‘40s-inspired chunky high-heel suede sandals by Oxmox; several styles by French maker Robert Clergerie, and Free Lance’s Minnie Mouse-inspired pumps. Prices range from $50 to $300.

Else Anita makes a shoe that looks like something Barbie might wear: the $89 patent leather mule has a towering spike heel and a 2-inch platform under the ball of the foot. “Funny thing is,” muses American Rag salesperson Adena Halpern. “Women don’t come in asking to try on that shoe. Drag queens do.”