Flick Flack in Black by Irregular Choice

Now for Something Completely Different: Irregular Choice's Flick Flack is a happy mash of styles.

We picked up Irregular Choice for fall and it immediately lifted out spirits. The company philosophy is to create shoes that "supply something fresh and fun that maintains imagination and originality above all else." The Flick Flack's eclectic mix of materials and styles places a premium on imagination and, better yet, makes us walk with a smile on our face.

The black patent upper sits on a 3-1/2 inch heel that rounds forward into a cute mary jane toe. The leather upper is topped with a double-faced fabric cowl – black and white ticking on the outside and white-on-black polka dots on the interior, which flips over for a rakish break of the shoe's silhouette. Three spat-like, cloth-covered buttons keep it secure. The inside? Crushed pink velvet! The heel and footbed are perforated. The sole is a riot of color featuring the Irregular Choice icon.

At first glance the shoe feels like a jumble of parts. As we wore it, we saw how each part related to the others. Perforations worked back to the polka dots. The dots were a riff on the reversed ticking opposite. The ticking played against the smooth, round toe. Cloth and leather did the same dance. The velvet? Pure fun, and why not? (Not everything needs a rationale.)

Irregular Choice lives up to its name: it's not a typical Lori's shoe and we like that. This shoe is young, fresh, fun. In a season of boots, this pump holds up. It has conservative lines topped with bold verve. Forget your jeans, these shoes demand skirts with structure or body to bring out their playfulness. It may be an irregular choice in our catalog, but this season it's a sure look for fall.