Currently Coveting: Convertible Kicks

As I get ready to head off to the men's fall and winter 2011-2012 European runway shows, I've been on the lookout for versatile pieces that maximize suitcase space and style. And, on a recent trip through the new retail shops at the Cosmopolitan Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, I found a pair of shoes that fits the bill.

At the menswear boutique Stitched, I discovered Creative Recreation's Capri -- a mock boat shoe with a detachable collar and foldable tongue that converts from a high-top to a low-top silhouette with the pull of a zipper.

The Capri colors include (pictured above left to right) chocolate gunmetal bronze, black shearling and (my favorite) rust flannel, with a suggested retail price of $115. (Even though that's hardly a wallet-emptying price tag, if you're waffling, just think of it as buying two pair of shoes for $57.50 each.) 

In addition to Creative's own website, (on which you can search for local brick-and-mortar retailers) the shoes can be bought online at Endless.com, Tobi.com and at Nordstrom's e-commerce site -- where at least one color combination of the Capri is being offered at a deep discount of 50%.

-- Adam Tschorn

Photos: Creative Recreation's Capri men's shoe ($115), is a high-top style that converts into a low-top. Credit: Creative Recreation