With Kate Moss and Rachel Bilson wearing DKNY, we could be next - as Donna Karen launches new affordable footwear range!

Twenty years old in 2009, US designer range DKNY is ready to follow in Shudoo’s footsteps and put a rocket behind their footwear line.

While 2008 saw Donna Karan’s diffusion line push bridge and active lines as well as launching the DKNYc range, the new year heralds a new dawn for DK’s shoes.

‘There’s no bigger opportunity than footwear for the company,’ says chairman and CEO Mark Weber who has recently employed Sal Agati as AVP of footwear.

Although women’s and men’s footwear lines were launched in 1992 and 1993 respectively, DKNY have so far marketed shoes as accessories to their brands - and as we all know, shoes are far from just accessories!

With DKNYc shoes retailing at at least half the price of those of DKNY’s bridge line the designer brand is clearly planning to tempt in those high end high-street tootsies.

With Kate Moss featuring in their adverts, and Rachel Bilson launching her Edie Rose Collection for DKNY, we don’t need any more persuading that the new footwear range will be a huge hit in celebville. Even better, we can have a slice of the action without re-mortgaging.

With Weber announcing that he expects to add $1billion to footwear revenue in the coming year it looks like shoes are the new black for New York’s most sophisticated designer line.

Our only question is, what’s taken them so long to realise what we’ve known all along…everyone loves shoes?