Originality Is Always Timeless
As designer of choice for the creative individual, Tracey Neuls is a shoe designer known for her innovative and artistic approach.
Toe Shape:
Questioning design is important, accepting what we know to be true is not how Tracey Neuls designs. For some reason, the foot shape is never mirrored in the same way that a garment accentuates the body shape underneath. Our toe shape was part of our first collection back when we designed our first year 2000 collection back in 1999. Magritte was a notable inspiration.
The TN Circle:
The sight of a red dot placed next to a 'sold' art piece is simple, beautiful and holds a lot of power. The circle has been integrated into Neuls's work from the upper to the heel.
Looking at the space above the arch, the circle seemed the perfect embellishment to complete the shape graphically. This filled void has been seen in heels like our Big Top, mid-heel LowTop, sandal Bijou and our latest incarnation DOT trainer.
When we happened upon a pair of vintage football cleats with round stacked leather studs, this inspired our round heel, first featured in our 2002 collection. The pleasing round shape was modern yet vintage, ultimately timeless. For SS25 we plan to bring back a version of this round stacked heel.
The Geek:
Proportions are always considered. By pulling back the heel, you get a sense of hovering over the pavement. In our early Geek, the front sole was also pulled back and then later, looked at pulling it forever, even up and over the toe itself. Today's rubber sole is incredibly durable and the timeless design is still one of our best sellers - even after, over 20 years in production.
Draped Shoes:
Tracey's background was in clothing design. Bringing this training into footwear design meant that she looked at the shoe as though it was a garment. Her footwear ateliers would say "She clothes a foot". She was the first designer to pull the leather from the upper down over the heel using only one pattern piece, a nod to her training in Fashion Design.
