I have always liked a brand that begins with a detour, and Schutz did. At 19, Alexandre Birman visited an Italian shoe fair and came home with ideas about materials and technology that did not fit the direction of his family's shoe company, Arezzo. So on July 9, 1995, he started his own. The name means protection in German, which I find a funny choice for shoes this bold.

The first big moment was the lug-soled combat boot, which made its mark in Brazilian fashion in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Birman's idea was a woman who wants everyday accessories and also a louder, trend-led shoe, sometimes on the same morning.

I like that the story sounds like the shoes: start with something familiar, then change its pace.

With Schutz I start with the shape, not the occasion. The Mikki Cloak Boot and Mikki Up Cloak Boot wrap the leg in a more enveloping line, and the Keira Up Boot and Beatrix Boot are the other long, serious options. For open shoes, the Elodie Sandal leaves room for a light outfit, while the Liora Slingback Pump and Scarlett Mid Slingback Sandal bring a strap-back look. The Siena Mid Mule is the one you slip on when you do not want to decide between a tall boot and a closed pump.

Picture her in the Maryana Sculpt Boot with a straight skirt and a sharp jacket, the sculpted shape doing all the talking. My test for any statement shoe is to choose the walking day first and the heel second. What I would skip: the highest boot for a full day on hard pavement. Save it for a short route and keep a mule or sandal in rotation. If you want to keep reading, Atlein Dresses: The Best Pieces Right Now is a good next stop.

Schutz did not start by trying to make the most familiar shoe. Alexandre Birman took ideas home from Italy and gave them a label of their own, and that independent streak still makes the collection feel like a choice rather than a uniform. In my fashion dreams, the Maryana Sculpt Boot meets a pared-back skirt, while the Elodie Sandal works with a simple dress on a warm evening. I would build around the shoe that feels like you, not the height you think you should wear. The best pair adds a little attitude to a day that was otherwise going to look ordinary. If you want to keep reading, AREA Tops & Dresses: The Best Pieces Right Now is a good next stop.