Nude, or flesh coloured leather sandals and shoes are still all the rage because they visually extend the length of the leg right down to the foot without a break. They extend the leg line because there is low contrast between the colour of the shoe and the skin on the leg. You effectively gain an extra foot of height just by wearing a certain colour shoe.
Well, if this is the reasoning then any shoe or sandal that creates a low contrast against your skin tone will perform a similar trick. For some skin tones this means that cork shoes can be nude shoes. There is undeniably more texture to cork when compared to matte leather, but the overall effect is similar.
Although I do appreciate the concept of nude shoes (I even own a pair), I personally prefer metallic shades of silver and pewter against my skin tone. They seem to operate better as “my nude shoes” because they look dressier and less flat. Cork is certainly not dressy — they won’t work in professional and dressy settings — but their texture does make them less flat.
What do you think of cork shoes as an alternative to nude shoes for casual outfits?
