Black Lace-Up Boot 1992

Ann Demeulemeester's lace-up boots from the early 1990s are the definitive footwear of the Belgian avant-garde. Her combination of rock'n'roll sensibility, poetic darkness, and artisanal Belgian quality created footwear that was simultaneously ancient and futuristic. Demeulemeester's own description of her work — "I try to find the strength in fragility" — perfectly captures the boots' paradoxical power. Early 1990s examples from the Antwerp period carry the original Ann Demeulemeester Belgium tag. Value: $800–$3,000.