Heel Thyself

Put on your dancing shoes. It’s a hackneyed phrase that any writer (including yours truly) should know to avoid. And yet, for a saying so overused, so nonsensical — does anyone actually have dancing shoes? Why, claro que si! Just visit Comme il Faut in Buenos Aires.

Hidden away in a tony residential corner of Recoleta, this minuscule shop, which opened in 2003, specializes in one thing: tango shoes. Let me rephrase: the most exquisite, painstakingly and gorgeously handcrafted tango shoes you’ve ever set foot in. Whether vibrantly striped, done up in electric florals, embossed with crimson snakeskin, or made entirely of glittery silver leather, these are Going Out Shoes of the highest order. Speaking of which, each pair comes in a range of heel heights, from a (relatively) modest 3 inches to a truly towering 3.6 inches. That said, these are made for movement, so comfort and stability — in the form of flexible but durable leather soles and perfectly balanced heels — are paramount during the design process, which happens off-site in the company’s separate B.A. workshop. Did we mention the shoes are made entirely by hand?

Once you’ve finally found your way to the shop (keep going: it’s through the courtyard, on the second floor), you’ll be asked for your size, and likely measured as well. Then begins the selection ordeal. It’s not easy. Comme il Faut manages to fill every cubic foot of its tiny space with shoes, shoes, SHOES! — a truly dazzling array of T-straps, peep toes, and slingbacks. Only a handful are made in each style, which adds a limited-edition allure to whichever pairs you end up taking home. With prices hovering around $100, you might want more than a few. And while tango skills are not a prerequisite, you may find it difficult to resist a sassy little giro once you put them on. These are dancing shoes, after all.

Shop these shoes: commeilfaut.com.ar

Jayna Maleri is a Brooklyn-based writer and editor. For six years she oversaw editorial and content at Madewell. Prior to that she was the digital style editor at Condé Nast Traveler and the fashion features editor at Lucky magazine. She’s happy to talk about shoes for five to six hours a day.