Um passado não tão distante assim

Eu nunca deixo de me divertir com esses textos gringos enaltecendo o conforto das Melissas. E acho que finalmente descobri o motivo para a discrepância de opinião entre brasileiras e americanas: as americanas em geral não conhecem por exemplo a Esmeralda, a Severine e a Adanna. Pra elas Melissa é Ultragirl, Corallo e Lady Dragon, aí é covardia, né? Tem gente que me escreve irritada, dizendo que tem mais de 10 Melissas e são todas absurdamente confortáveis. É mesmo, fia? Que bom pra você, né? Mas vem cá, só por curiosidade, quantas Scarfun Summer tem nessa sua coleção mesmo? E quantas Kali? Vai ver isso é sabedoria da Grendene, deixar os modelos destruidores de pés no Brasil e mandar só o filé para o exterior!

Mas deixando esse assunto de lado, o mais legal de todo esse texto aí embaixo é que no final eles citam o link para o News Melissa que fala do meu blog! Orgulho! *-* O texto foi retirado do site da Akira Chicago, uma das famosas lojas que vendem Melissas aqui nos EUA.

I can’t say I have the best childhood memories of jelly shoes. (Remember those blister-inducing beauties? If not - which I’m sure is a minority of you guys - see below.)

They couldn’t have possibly been trendier among middle-schoolers in the ‘90s - but I’m still not sure why I hopped on the bandwagon. They clung mercilessly to my feet on countless hot Chicago summer days, collecting sweat in their cheap innards and rubbing repeatedly against my tender skin. At night, I would peel them off of my tiny toes with a huge sigh of relief, frowning at the imprint they left in their wake and their newly-acquired dingy brown hue.

You could imagine, then, that I wouldn’t be thrilled about the recent resurgence of the jelly. Yet after my recent acquaintance with Melissa - a Brazilian line of plastic shoes that has taken AKIRA (and Hollywood) by storm - I’ve had an unprecedented change of heart. Not only do Melissas look yummy enough to eat, but they feel just as luscious on your feet. When I popped into the Footwear store on North Ave. to take these babies for a spin, I was surprised by their silky-smooth insoles and anything-but-abrasive straps. I just kept thinking, “This can’t be plastic!”

My reaction makes sense in light of Melissa’s unique approach to manufacturing: since 1979, the company has constructed its products out of a patented, extra-flexible sort of PVC called MELFLEX. I know you’re gasping at the mere mention of PVC, but don’t worry your pretty little heads: MELFLEX ain’t your mama’s plastic. It’s super-comfortable and eco-friendly (even ex-President Bill Clinton is commenting on Melissa’s forward-thinking choice of material!). What’s more, MELFLEX is cruelty-free, so you don’t have to compromise your values in order to rock your Melissas.

Oh, and I forgot to mention – you can say goodbye to the clammy smell that lingered in your jellies when you were little. Melissa infuses all of its shoes with a sweet bubblegum scent that “remain[s] for quite a few months” (per the company’s website). I felt like a freak holding all the Melissas up to my nose to check that this special feature actually existed, but my sniff-test was totally worth it – the smell was subtly sweet, not sickening or overpowering. I’m not the only one who thinks so: see strategic planner (and hubby to Marc Jacobs) Lorenzo Martone getting all goofy over the scent in this video from Nylon Magazine!

In said video, Martone mentions the brand’s penchant for collaboration with internationally-renowned artists. Big names like Jean Paul Gaultier and the architect Zaha Hadid have worked with Melissa on shoes in the past (...), and Vivienne Westwood is on a 3-year run with the company. Celebs are eating up her kitschy designs with particular enthusiasm: Katy Perry and Pamela Anderson prefer to don the girly Lady Dragon heels, while Julia Stiles, Isla Fisher, Dita Von Teese and Carey Mulligan go for the sleek Ultragirl Bow flats.

The Hollywood contingent also goes crazy for the team-up between Melissa and the Campana Brothers. The fruits of their Brazilian-based partnership – foremost among them the sparkly gold Corallos – frequently find a home on the feet of celebs like Jessica Biel and Vanessa Minnillo.

Melissa’s wide range of styles proves that it is indeed possible to be innovative with plastic. After all, did you ever see a rat attached to a pair of those infamous jellies? Here I am, of course, referring to the Numa + Love Foxx style (...). Despite – or perhaps because of – the unusual concept, the shoes are must-haves. Pick up a pair (or any other Melissas, really) at AKIRA’s online store; you’ll overcome any deep-seated plastic phobias like that.

P.S.: If you’re itching to know even more about the brand, click through to this segment on “The View”. Fashionistas on blogs all over the Web are also atwitter about Melissa; see this page for details.

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