These ornate boots might well be made for walking, but you’d want to pay careful attention to where you were stepping in this shiny pair.
On sale for US$3.1 million, the world’s most expensive item of footwear may not quite leave you with diamonds on the soles of your shoes – but they’ll be pretty much everywhere else on your feet.
The European size 38 (UK size 5 or US size 7.5) one-off ladies’ calf-length boots are covered with more than 39,083 champagne, grey and pink diamonds, set in paisley patterns and weighing around 1,527 carats.
And, as if that wasn’t enough, the boots are also embellished with 4,783 grams of gold.
The boots have been designed by the Belgian fashion label A F Vandervorst. It will be presented at the Middle East’s largest jewellery event, the Dubai International Jewellery Week 2014, next week by the Antwerp, New York and Dubai-based jeweller Auro Jewels.
“The world’s most expensive boots have been designed with the Middle Eastern woman in mind,” said Ayesha Mehta, the co-founder of Auro Jewels. “The eventual owner will be someone who loves to stand out from a crowd and someone who adores, appreciates and values exclusive, rare and one-of-a-kind pieces.”
Auro Jewels, which is linked to the Belgian diamond specialist Elite Jewels, opened its Dubai outlet last year at a launch party attended by the veteran Indian singer Asha Bhosle, and is currently preparing to open a new outlet in Jeddah’s Ana Ghair Mall in March 2015 as part of ambitious Middle Eastern expansion plans.
“Participating in Dubai International Jewellery Week is the ideal way to launch our regional expansion plans,” Ms Mehta added.
lbarnard@thenational.ae
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