Tammy by Cordani

Put Some Cork in It: The Tammy by Cordani buoys spring's neutral tendencies.

Spring 2009 is fast approaching and the fashion world is decidedly ... neutral about it. Natural palettes -- desaturated hues like beiges, linens and off-whites -- are dominating the racks. (Of course there's a healthy obsession with brilliant orange, but, hey, one thing at a time.) Italian shoemaker Cordani's cork wedge, the Tammy, bridges these trends with a shoe that is current yet wearable beyond a seasonal fad.

What we love about this shoe is how its neutral palette uses texture, color and polish to add sophistication to a hue that is all too easily turned from boffo to blah. A 4-1/2" cork wedge with 3/4" platform is finished with a rubber sole. It looks substantial but wears incredibly light. A sloped cutout hints at a mod faux-heel and breaks up the vertical, variegated grain of the cork.

A brace of straps crossing the foot wends back to an adjustable buckle at the heel. The toffee-colored leather is slightly pebbled, lending weight and creating contrast between it and the airy cork.

Bridging the two is a metallic gold leather sole and trim on the straps, creating subtle, tone-on-tone richness that activates the neutrals and acts as an buffer between sole and upper -- an flashing and fleeting gleam like a light under the door.

A strappy platform like this is just begging for clean, skinny jeans and a strappy top or halter in a monotone, bold color. Continue the subtle chemistry of the Tammy with big, chunky accessories, bronze and gold tones and another seasonal obsession: the natural textures and colors of tribal beading.

The Tammy is a masterpiece of subtle texture and color combinations that give the shoe great range under a number of outfits, skin tones and with numerous accessories. Pick it up and get into this season's trend of natural colors and textures; we think you'll find there's nothing neutral about it.