Shoes that speak for you. 

They say shoes can perfectly describe the character of its owner without words. If we think about it, the statement sounds pretty much like truth. But I wouldn't take it that serious. Look at your collection of shoes. Most probably you have a pair of black and nude court shoes that paint up practical and classic-much side of you, while red pumps say you can be daring and don't mind to stand out. And then come those favorite white sneakers you usually pick up for either a laid back day or running errands around the city. What does those three (or four?) say about your character? Practical yet daring? Maybe.


I would put it a bit differently though. Most of us, both ladies and gents, do have quite varied collections of footwear for day to day usage and special occasions. Fashion helps us expressing ourselves. It helps us sending the right, in our own way, message to the world. And just like clothes, shoes are a part of the fashion game. Therefore, footwear plays quite an important role in our self-expression strategy. Being a female you are pretty much prone to be different. A charming angel, seductive devil, urban fashionista, country girl with a twist, inspiring boss and so on. And the thing is, we want shoes to speak for us.


"Speaking shoes" - that's how I would describe a newborn footwear label SAZ that is purely made in Latvia. Still I would add two more words to make a description complete - fashion and art - and if we apply these nouns to SAZ, it can't be separated from one another at any case. Fashion and art is what the two beautiful founders, Sanita Avotiņa and Inga Šabovica, have in their minds when designing a new pair. Should it be a wooden heel in interesting form or a simple court shoe in eye-catchy combination of prints or a heeled sandal upgraded with interesting heel form, eye-catchy print and... wait for it... fringe. SAZ is where fashion meets art (and functionality), and we know that art doesn't have a limitation period.


Having discovered SAZ I fell in love immediately. Who could keep one's balance when you see such a beauty? Am not even yet talking about the walk experience. Comfort is the third noun that can and should be applied to SAZ shoes. Functionality is another side of footwear design process that Sanita and Inga pay attention to. In other words, it's about understanding how to achieve fashion and art aspects without loosing walk-ability of this or that pair of shoes. The tag #madeinLatvia is yet one more point to SAZ's overall score, which makes the brand stand out in a local market by taking a specific niche and to showcase the craftsmanship of local market on an international scene.


Adding a twist to my inner French girl is what had been achieved by simply putting the Bigwig loafers on. Although heeled loafers are from Spring/Summer collection, I believe it's perfect for a transition period we're currently experiencing. Being quite a classic piece in terms of material, color and overall appearance, Bigwig's heel s what makes the most casual outfit combination pop. Pair it up with an interesting hat, like my Breton cap and.. voila!


Look:
Lindex breton cap 
Wollsiegel jacket 
H&M top 
Triangle skirt 
Sinsay bag 
SAZ Bigwig loafers


Photo: T. Egorova