This pair is for mountain climbing!


Shoes first, then press release, then our opinion (which is the most important part).























"The Christian Siriano Spring '11 collection is inspired by African, Indian and Chinese influences mixed with measures of elegant opulence. The ready-to-wear apparel includes a breadth of silhouettes ranging from wide-legged trousers, safari shorts and jackets to structured cocktail dresses and light, flowing evening gowns. Siriano's line includes a signature Asian fabric print based on digital photographs showing different vantage points of Chinese and Buddhist temples combined with varying perspectives of Indian beading. The shoes utilize the fabric too and uniquely meld the cultural combination into four key styles hitting the runway today, each with style names inspired by international cities in each region: Shanghi with its heavy Chinese influence; Mumbai inspired by Buddhist temple architecture; Nairobi heavily influenced by the neckpieces worn by the women of the Padaung tribe of Southeast Asia; and Zanzi, a bootie that features strong African influences."

We think it's a pretty sharp collection. It'll be interesting to see what kind of changes get made for production. Some of those heels look a little too complicated for a mass-produced shoe line at a Payless price point. We especially like the more overtly eastern- and African-inspired shoes. Some of those beartrap shoes seem a little off-trend, but then again, it's for Payless, so it doesn't really need to be all about the latest trends. We were a little down on his fashion collection, but we think Christian really shines when he's designing shoes.

[Photo Credit: getty]