Try these on for size: fairytale industrial footwear by Valentim Quares

When most shoe designers sit down to sketch their newest creation, they're concentrating on balance, texture, heel height and, most importantly, where they're going to stick the tiny little bow that will differentiate their shoes from the millions of others churned out that year. Looking at Portuguese designer Valentim Quares' work, you are left with the impression that he's more concerned about how he's going to stop the wires from snapping when Tim Burton makes his wild-haired heroine run through a forest in them. Quite aside from the fact that his website has an eerily pretty clockwork-toy-covered-in-cobwebs look (which makes it a strong contender for one of the best Portuguese websites seen this year), his creations all demand to be studied as individual pieces. I got sidetracked by the amazing shoes. Have you ever seen anything so unusual? Shoes made from random rejected industrial widgets can be elegant. They shouldn't be sexy, but they are. These aren't shoes, they're foot-shaped weapons and I. Want. Them.