'Sexy' designer shoes beloved by the well-heeled

For two decades Jimmy Choos have been red carpet favourites, adorning the feet of major celebrities and royals alike.
Nicole Kidman advertising Jimmy ChooNicole Kidman advertising Jimmy Choo
Nicole Kidman advertising Jimmy Choo

The company was founded in London in 1996 by its namesake designer alongside former Vogue accessories editor Tamara Mellon.

The products boast a "sexy cut, fashionable design, and exceptional Italian craftsmanship", according to the official website, which also proudly pictures famous feet wearing the shoes.

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Bags and accessories feature among the company's offerings, catering for men and women, but it is undoubtedly best known for skyscraper heels.

Diana, Princess of Wales, was seen stepping out in the designer shoes, which have also been spotted on the Duchess of Cambridge.

On screen, the footwear, which sells for an average of around £400 to £500 a pair, has been name-checked in the hit television series Sex And The City and the film The Devil Wears Prada.

The heels were pictured on the feet of then US First Lady Michelle Obama at the historic 2009 presidential inauguration and are favoured to this day by models including Kendall Jenner and Cara Delevingne.

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Malaysian designer Choo left the company in 2001, but his niece, Sandra Choi, who worked alongside him when the firm was starting out, remains its creative director.

While the brand, sold in more than 150 Jimmy Choo shops and many department stores worldwide, will likely always be synonymous with high heels, Ms Choi said flats have their place too and the company wants to reflect that.

She told Vogue in 2014: "Everything needs to function. It's like technology - everyone wants things to be simple, easy and convenient and look great. All that applies in the world of shoes. To be sat here in flats representing Jimmy Choo - that's a new day.

"It used to be all teetering shoes, and there are moments that you want to teeter, but if you do want height, it doesn't have to be with a skinny heel, it can be with volume."

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