A banana-shaped heel is an unusual place to look for evidence of consumer spending discipline. But in luxury retail, financial restraint can apparently come with very adventurous footwear.

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There’s growing interest in eccentric designer shoes as shoppers seek alternatives to handbags costing more than $5,000, Vogue Business reported Oct. 6. Runway offerings include Prada’s revived banana heels and Tory Burch designs featuring faux shark teeth. Bernstein analyst Luca Solca told the publication that shoes cost roughly a third of handbags, on average.

The arithmetic offers a useful starting point for understanding the smaller luxury splurge. A shopper can lower the total bill while still leaving the store with something distinctive. Whether anyone would describe the resulting purchase as sensible depends partly on their tolerance for fruit-inspired engineering.

There are plenty of options for shoppers whose footwear needs include making an entrance. Versace’s Tina printed pumps have been listed at $950. The silk faille version features brightly colored anonymous faces in a print called “The Party.” That is a substantial purchase, although it does bring several additional guests to dinner.

For another approach, Maison Margiela’s Tabi ballerinas feature a split toe. The company traces the design to traditional Japanese socks and its own debut collection in 1989. Unusual shoes, in other words, can have a long history. A divided toe has had decades to develop a following.

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