World's first back-to-front shoe

The world's first back-to-front shoe, courtesy of designer Marc Jacobs. Whether you think it is a gimmick too far or a piece of fashion genius depends how far up the fashionista ladder you are - on a scale of one to crazy.

The Marc Jacobs shoe twist turns conventional fashion wisdom on its head and places the heel at the front.

A chunky, four-inch heel nestles horizontally just under the ball of the foot. Where you'd expect a heel, there is nothing but fresh air. The centre of gravity therefore is somewhere under the arch of the foot, forcing the whole body to tilt forward. The effort of staying upright in them will be the equivalent of an advanced level Pilates class.

To buy into the trend will cost you �270 for a plain pair and �330 for a more elaborate design decorated with metal swirls and Swarovski crystals.

They are part of the American designer's 2008 collection, which attracted mixed reviews at New York fashion week. Jacobs himself described his new collection as "the emperor's new clothes" and said it aimed to overturn conventional fashion.