Click, Clack, Squeak: Shoes Galore With Denver Arts & Venues

On June 14,  the Denver Arts & Venues Cultural Runway Show, an immersive series that ties together fashion and art, returned to the scene with a whole new concept that added a little pep to our step. 

This season’s cultural runway; Click, Clack, Squeak, celebrated shoe culture and showcased footwear from around the world. Local Denver designers were invited to submit their original designs or curated shoe collections to bring this show to life. Hosted at the Buell Theatre, the Denver Arts & Venues team took backstage access to a new level as they had the runway and attendees seated behind the curtains on the main stage.

Kicking off their 7th runway show, fashion producer Shanna Shelby took the stage and gave a warm welcome to the crowd as well as some inside scoop into what will be presented on the runway.

“There are so many amazing designers that have submitted new work, we have some classic collections from our very own local Colorado designers and we are very excited to share this with you all tonight,” said Shelby.

Multi-hyphenate musician and producer, Shane (SF1) returned to the Cultural Runway series once again as the emcee. “Shoes are art,” SF1 exclaimed, “They’re expression, style, taste, personality, and they’re an investment,” he continued. With impeccable storytelling abilities and passion, SF1 got the crowd ready to take in the beauty and art of footwear.

Unlike your typical fashion show, which focuses on the clothes, we had to train our eyes to level downward and take in the unique designs of each shoe that trekked down the runway. This was an easy exercise as models were dressed in understated black, white and beige clothes so that the shoes could truly shine on their own.

This show had a little bit of everything and brought together so much culture on one stage. From heels, cowboy boots, sneakers, loafers and dare we say…Crocs!? These designers and curators brought it all to the stage. In other words, we were entertained!

Up first was The Jessica Hernreich Collection with heels galore. This collection showcased all the allure and beauty of a classic and feminine shoe silhouette. With all the sparkle and height, including pumps, kitten heels, block or stilettos, she had it all. Hernreich’s mother owned a designer shoe and bag store in Vail which transcended her love and affinity for the classics and designer goods. This shoe collection included familiar designers like Chanel, Burberry, Miu Miu, Prada, Ferragamo, Louboutin and more on the runway.

Different iterations of slides, loafers, boots and sneakers appeared as we moved into the men’s shoewear collection curated by multi-faceted artist Doug Kacena. Kacena didn’t shy away from bold colors and attention to detail. This cohesive collection of designer shoes included Louis Vuitton and Gucci – special shout-out to those fur loafers that everyone wanted (and still wants) in the mid-2000s! The star detail of this collection included studs, studs and more studs, they aren’t going anywhere if it’s up to Kacena. Each shoe was incredibly unique and luxurious, specially crafted and made to look like art. This collection was the perfect example of showing men to play with different silhouettes, textures, embellishments and for the love of god, color. Put the plain white sneakers down, fellas.

Now you can’t host a shoe-themed fashion show in Colorado without including cowboy boots. Western classic Americana brand Rockmount Ranch Wear provided boots for every vibe. In the mood for green cowgirl boots? They’ve got you covered. As a brand rooted in history and owning the bragging rights of having the oldest CEO, Jack A. Weil (born 1901), this historic brand is most definitely a trusted source for all things Western wear. Rockmount continues to operate in the same location that has been its headquarters for three generations. Check out their shoes, accessories and clothing line at their flagship store at 1626 Wazee.

Cowboy boots made another appearance on the runway but this time as wearable art. Ramsey Cotter uses her boots as a canvas. With a flow state of mind and passion for the handmade arts, Cotter brought a new life to the most coveted westernwear items turning them into bohemian-chic. Taking the classic structure of a boot and folding the upper calf inside out to lay by the ankle made the perfect canvas to add new embellishments and textures like ribbons, scarves and belts. Cotter thoughtfully paired her boots with multiple different outfits and vibes to showcase how versatile and showstopping these shoes can be.

Nine Two Two’s signature patchwork denim design also made an appearance in the form of stark white distressed boots. The look served as the perfect statement piece for a night out on the town.

Now here’s where we get funky – aka not one, not two, but multiple Croc sightings. Some would say that when dressing in Colorado most locals choose comfort over style. However, this local and curated collection argued that just maybe you can have both! Sneakers with bright designs and laces hit the stage in various sole and heel heights. Crocs also snuck their way on stage decorated in their iconic Jibbitz™ charms accessories and multiple patterns. The MSCHF Big Red Boots (Astro Boy Boots) stunned the crowd and while we thought we’d seen it all, it came out again this time in yellow and in Croc version.

Founded on the sustainable concept that shoes, accessories, and clothes are our friends and we don’t need new ones, No New Friends founder Courtney Bareman-Stevens brought color, detail and all the beauty of vintage design to her curation. Find No New Friends Vintage daily at Garage Sale Vintage on Larimer Square. On theme with bold color and detail, Treena Elizabeth combined her love for wrestling and art. As a professional wrestler, Elizabeth is no stranger to the imaginative costumes and footwear necessary to stand out and make a statement. With this in mind, Elizabeth made sure to bring these two worlds to life as models stomped down the runway in long leather boots decorated in grommets and colorful gradient details.

Leaning into all the obscurities and possibilities that lie within the realm of footwear comes artist Kate Major. Major started her career making circus costumes for the Ringling Brothers, Barnum and Bailey Circus and Cirque Du Soleil. Currently, she is the Meow Wolf costume and creature designer, so it’s no surprise Major but her signature touch on these pieces. Each slipper and shoe certainly took on a life of its own with their fur, toe socks or prickles made out of yarn to replicate leg hair.

Andrea Fischer summoned her mystical and signature neon colors to the stage with her gorgeous and sustainable yarn footwear. Her collection remained cohesive and had us imagining several outfits where we could bust out her thigh-high multi-colored leg warmers or her floral motif knit and yarn-decorated platforms. As the second Cultural Runway Show Fischer participated in, she did not disappoint. Fischer succeeded in bringing something new while still paying homage to her signature clothing designs. When asked what it means to be an artist she shared, “for me, it’s just busy hands. I don’t know what it means to not be an artist…getting dressed in the morning I’m an artist, cooking dinner…basically using my hands to see the world,” said Fischer backstage.

LeeLee James, Mother of the Colorado Chapter of the iconic Royal House of LaBeija brought Ballroom culture to the stage. Ballroom Culture notably makes space for the perfect environment to bring your most elaborate designs and creations to life. With an education in engineering and a love for fashion, James creates her own shoes and designs. One shoe unlike any other we’d seen came in the form of orange heels created to look like bird claws. James herself walked the runway in six-inch blue acrylic heels made to look as if she was walking on water.

The Denver Arts & Venues team captured a show that every shoe enthusiast could enjoy. For someone who’s clothes-obsessed, this show also offered a new lens to the industry that was tasteful and easy to appreciate.

To stay up to date with everything going on at Denver Arts & Venues, follow their page at @denverarts.