Watch Out for a Bare Attack

Israeli shoe designers, like other designers in this country, sometimes have to abandon their vision because of the limited supply of certain imported materials. But Maya Levi, the founder and designer of Olive Thomas shoes, demonstrates in her summer collection that when there's no snakeskin in the supply closet, a dash of creativity can be enough to create a textured look.

Levi took the standard cowhide and rather less standard goatskin, which is known for being particularly soft, and cut out shapes in the leather to create a multilayered look for the 15 designs in the collection.

"I have created new textures from the existing leathers," said Levi.

The designer said she was motivated to wield the leather-cutting knife designed especially for her both because she wants to be immersed in "the smallest details" of the shoes and as a way of dealing with what she calls the larger problem: "the limited supply of leathers coming into Israel."

The result is different from Levi's usual line. In a pair of open oxfords in mint green, for example, Levi has superimposed two layers of leather and perforated both layers with small circles that allow a glimpse of the foot and look as though they have been cut by a laser.

The play of transparencies can be seen in other designs as well. Levi's pointy-toed black and red flats, for example, are more delicately perforated, with one layer of leather peeping out from under another layer of a different color and texture.

Another feature of this collection, and a piece of good news for those who like their shoes to have a classically feminine touch, is the return of the heel.

Though some of Levi's shoes can look rather masculine, her current line has several designs with six-centimeter to eight-centimeter heels. A pair of high-heeled sandals in powder pink leather with vertical slits looks quite feminine, without forcing the wearer to totter around on narrow stilettos. The heels are stable and well-built on a slant, allowing for easy and pleasant walking.

That element of comfort is also evident in the soft leather linings that help prevent blisters and discomfort, making a closed-toe shoe feel like a glove for the foot even though it looks narrow.

The collection as a whole is characterized by attention to detail. But this time you won't need to choose between comfortable shoes and beautiful, colorful and innovative heels. In her latest collection, Maya Levi gives us both.