2008: A Year in Shoes

As we bid a final adieu to 2008, it’s appropriate to summarize the most notable shoes for this year.  In no particular order,

• All Hail the Heel: Decorated heels proved to be a huge shoe trend in 2008 with heels that mesmerized our eyes and some that raised our eyebrows in sheer incredulity.  And judging by the Spring 2009 runway, we’ll continue to have interesting heels to look at in 2009.

• Shoe of the Year: YSL’s successor to the Tribute, the Tribute Two,  was THE shoe to be seen in on the runway. Need further proof?  Red Carpet Fashion Awards shows you all the stars in the shoes, who were the early adopters of the shoes, and the late bloomers too.

• A Year for Political Shoes: From French First Lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy’s chic flats, Obama’s worn out soles, Palin’s Naughty Monkey pumps, and finally the angry shoe directed at Bush, no other accessory topped the political headlines more than shoes.

• Hello [Shoe] Lover: The long awaited release of the Sex and the City movie sparkled a quick shortage of the Dior Extreme Pumps and girls everywhere sighed a big “awwwh” at Carrie’s ‘Something Blue’ shoes from Manolo Blahnik.

• Shoe Designer of the Year: Christian Louboutin’s red soles continued to dominate the red carpet and empty out women’s wallets everywhere with shoe prices that skyrocketed as tall as the heels themselves. Wisely, the signature red soles have now been copyrighted.

Christian Louboutin 5″ MultiBuckle Sandal; $1495 at Saks

• High Heel Celebrity of the Year:  Although Victoria Beckham knows how to rock in heels better than anyone, the celebrity high heel wearer of the year goes out to the Gwyneth Paltrow instead.  Gwyneth was credited for further sparking the skycraper heels in her stunningly tall stilletos during Iron Man promos.  From cute, sweet, and demure (remember her in the angelic pink Oscar dress?) to sexy vixen in short skirts, she surprised us all.

Reminder: Last chance to win amazing shoe boxes, etc.

To close out 2008 and herald the new year, I would like to give one final reminder to enter the ShoeBlog holiday giveaway, which ends TODAY.  To enter, simply submit a comment and leave your email address over on the original shoe post here.

Although I know you’ll find great uses with the $100 Gift Certificate we are giving away, one of the items I’m most excited about in the holiday giveaway are these sturdy and easy to organize shoeboxes. We’re giving you a whole set of boxes for you to start the New Year right and proudly display your favorite shoes.

To show you how functional I found these shoeboxes, I used the shoeboxes on  part of my shoe collection.  These are some of my nicer (i.e. more expensive so that I don’t wear them often) shoes and/or the party/evening shoes.

Here’s the before picture.  It was incredibly difficult for me to figure out what was in many of the shoe boxes. I would usually have to open them all, which I have to admit wasn’t always a bad thing because it was nice to find a pair of shoes I totally forgot about.  Of course, when time is an issue, not having a complete shoe inventory was a problem.   To further make my life more complicated, whenever I needed my Stuart Weitzmans nude pumps (bottom right corner, purple box)  I felt that I had to do a mini excavation in order to reach the shoes since they were piled under a bunch of other shoes and boxes.

Now here’s the after picture.   There were a ton of ways to go about organizing this part of the shoe wardrobe using the clear shoeboxes however this is the one I liked the best.   For shoes that I really wanted to see displayed, I used the larger men’s clear shoeboxes (lower left corner) .  Aren’t the Dries Van Notens and lace Stuart Weitzman’s lovely?  I also found the side door openings quite handy for easy access to the shoes (even shoes on the bottom of the pile!).  As an added bonus, the shoe boxes were easily closed so I could protect the shoes from getting dusty but they are also well ventilated too.  Now, while I preferred to use the larger men’s shoe boxes, space is an issue for me.  That’s where the smaller women’s clear shoeboxes came in.  Like the men’s shoe boxes, these were sturdy (meaning you can stack lots of things on top of them), had the easy to access side opening, and transparent for me to see what shoes were in the box.

In the end, I still kept a few old shoe boxes lying around.  But you’ll find that I kept those boxes on the topof my pile since they lacked the side opening for easy access.

A few of our readers asked where they could purchase the clear shoeboxes just in case they didn’t win the contest.  The shoeboxes I used and the ones in our giveaway are from Diva’s Emporium.   Depending on the quantity and type of boxes you order plus the strength of the US dollar, the price for each box runs between $3-$5. For me, it’s a price worth paying to protect and display my shoes.  Plus, the time I saved from having to rummage through a shoe pile was priceless for me.

Disco Shoes for New Year’s Eve

With New Year’s parties and celebrations right around the corner, our dear friend Annie wrote to us for help finding fun disco ball shoes:

Hi:

This shoe is the most beautiful and amazing shoe I’ve ever seen:

Luciano Padovan 490.  I can’t seem to find it in my size anywhere (8). There’s also a slingback version that I also couldn’t find it my size.  I would love to see a roundup of something similar or a style recomendation for New Years (or if you know somewhere that has my size, that would be great too).  I want disco balls on my feet!

I would say I’m not willing to pay more than $250, but only if the price is right.

I seem to stumble upon mostly sequin covered round toed pumps that look a little cheap.  What I’m really looking for is that mirrored disco look and hopefully a peep toe.  Tall order, it seems, but I will still be looking.  I might end up going for a glamorous red satin or suede platform peep toe for new years (I want something flamboyant to go with my LBD)?  So any roundup of festive shoes would very much interest me.

Thanks for your help and I really enjoy your blog!

Cheers and Happy Holidays!

-Annie

Dear Annie:

First, I must congratulate you on your good eye.  These shoes would truly be a great way to kick off the New Year.     I’m also fond of the fact that Luciano Padovani’s disco ball shoe balance the classic shape with the fun fun mirrored finished pattern.  The platforms should also help offset the high heel so you aren’t on your tippy toes for the entire night.

Given that I approved of your choice so much, my first instinct is to visit the Luciano Padovani website to see if there is a retailer nearby who carries the shoe.  That way, you’ll be able to try on the shoes and get instant gratification at the same time.

Since the retailers are limited, I tried to look for the exact shoe in your size first.  Like you, I struck out there.   I did find these Luciano Padovani styles from the same family and I’ll include the prices and sizes available.

Luciano Padovani Style 432 is on sale at FootCandyShoes for $247.  Sadly, it only comes in a 6.5, 7.5, and 9.5.  Now, since these are the perfect fit, I would encourage you to try calling FooCandyShoes at 877-517-4606.  Who knows?  Maybe they have a return in a size 8 or they can comment on how the shoe fits.  As shoes notoriously vary in sizes since each model’s foot is different, perhaps this one runs a bit small and you’ll be able to fit in a 7.5

Now, Luciano Padovani Style 2524 is available in your size (8) at FootCandyShoes for $247.  Now, just imagine, if you are open the wearing flats on New Year’s, you’ll be able to party WAAAY into the night with these puppies.

Over at Yoox, there were two styles from Padovan.   Luciano Padovan Buckle Pump comes in your size and a bunch of others too, including 36,37,38,39,40.  At $279, they are a tad over your budget though.

Luciano Padovan Gold Mirrored Slingbacks ($279 at Yoox) are also lustworthy, but only available in 36 and 39.5

Now as far as copy cats go, surprisingly, I could not find any that were remotely similar and lustworthy to me. Therefore, I’ve compiled my list of second tier fun party shoes that will add a little glimmer to your outfit without bankrupting you.

JLo Darcey at Heels.com for $119 (also available in black and gold). Use code HEELQ4AFF for $15 off a $125 purchase.  The code expires on 12/31/08.

The ever fun Betsey Johnson has the Florina for $115 at 6pm.com.  At first glance, I thought this was a snake print, but did you notice the heart shaped patterns.   You can also match some dance floors with the racing  striped heel and sole.    The shoe is in your size right now, but since 6pm stock is sometimes limited, you can always purchase it for $189 at Heels.

LAMB has the Georgina, or what I like to call the shoe with gills for $349.  It is pricey but definitely unique enough to justify the higher price tag.

BCBG Girls’ Constance is $112 at Heels.com.  Remember to use code HEELQ4AFF for $15 off a $125 purchase.  The code expires on 12/31/08.

I can’t believe I’m mentioning this, but Jessica Simpson actually has a decent lineup of shoes.  I can’t speak for the quality since I don’t own a pair, but the styles aren’t too bad.  This Simpson Delsi is $75 at Endless (with free overnight shipping and returns) and I do like the contrast striping along the vamp and ankle.

And this Jessica Simpson Pearla shoe ($49 at Endless with free overnight shipping and returns) is worth mentioning for its crackled metallic mirror texture and the sexy cutout.

Guiseppe Zanotti Patent Pumps is half off at Zappos or $249 at Zappos (they are still full price at Endless).

Good luck, Annie!   And if all else fail, red satin is certainly a great way to make that LBD pop so hopefully you’ll be ready to party until it’s 2-0-0-9 (somehow humming Prince’s “1999″ song doesn’t work here).

Snowflakes and Snow Shoes.

The Irregular Choice brand is known for shoes that are eclectic (at best) to outright horrifying (at worst). Certainly ‘Boring’ is a word rarely applied to this brand.  Styles by Irregular Choice are not for the shy at heart. I just feel like many of them would fair better on stage rather than ‘life around town’.

Case in point.

Irregular Choice ‘Satine’ $74.75 $149  at 6pm.com. 

Dramatic?   Yes. 

Wearable by your average gal? …. Probably not. But, they definitely get the imagination going.

So, as winter continues to knock coldly on my door, I bring you a slightly less dramatic alternative from Irregular Choice.

These puffy ankle-boots used to be available in an ice-blue with white snowflakes, but that color combo seems to have sold out. Instead, take a peak at these cozy Red, White and Blue cuties that will make you feel like you are dressed up and ready for the Winter Olympic games.

Irregular Choice ‘Snowbunny’ in Red, White & Blue $51.75 $100  at 6pm.com

If you like the knit-snowflake detail of this boot, but are lucky enough to live in an area that is not currently dusted with snow, there is also a patterned pump available in RW&B, green or yellow:

Irregular Choice ‘Apres Ski’ $51.75 $100 at 6pm.com

They are definitely not subtle footwear choices. And, folks I’ve met who own some Irregular Choice shoes have told me that they are also pretty darned comfortable. So, if unique shoes are your thing, then grab a pair of these for stepping out during the cooler months. It’s one way to show Old Man Winter how much you love the season.

So, How was your Holiday?

Here’s hoping that Christmas was wonderful for all of our readers. Did you get the shoe of your dreams? Or, maybe you just had some great time off with your family over the holiday.

As a grown-up who generally budgets & makes her own purchases, Christmas is definitely more about family togetherness & keeping up the Santa mystique for our kids.  Sure, I wouldn’t say ‘No’ if Santa put a pair of double-platform Louboutin’s under the tree, but I’m not disappointed when reality steps in.

So, what did I get for Christmas?

1. A very generous gift certificate to Amazon.com (Which my hubby is trying to convince me to use on actual books rather than shoes, Go Figure. I’ve gotten some of my best shoe deals at Amazon. Really.)

2. A box of Frahlinger & James salt water taffy from back East. Childhood memories in a box. Yum.

And

3. The Harajuku Lovers 5-scent gift-pack with a freebie promotional charm bracelet featuring each of the Harajuku girls (Love, Angel, Music, Baby, & G).

Yes, I am a shoe-obsessed gal who happens to be a HL fan-girl.  Sure, I loved No Doubt. Then I loved seeing Gwen using the Madonna handbook to pop-stardom. But, of her fashion lines, I seriously love those cute little Harajuku Girls & the HG branded perfumes, watches, handbags, and shoes.

Of course, I was going to get around to shoes.  Harajuku Lovers is the casual alternative to the Lux L.A.M.B. line. Given my on-going attraction to graphic-styled shoes, an interest in this brand shouldn’t really be too much of a surprise.

So, what styles are have drawn my attention? 

There’s always the Gwen-favored Rasta colors, but they really don’t match anything else I own. So, not these:

Harajuku Lovers ‘Dub’ Kogal Low-Tex $64.99

Well, this one has ‘my girls’ on it, but it’s just so …. PINK. Still not quite me.

Harajuku Lovers ‘Be Mine’ High Tex $75.00

Ok, subtle it ain’t, but I don’t own any Rainbow-colored shoes. These definitely shout out ‘Fun’.

Harajuku Lovers ‘Rainbow’ Kogal Low Tex $65.00

These little high-tops have the Varsity Juku girls and would match a snap-front sweatshirt hanging in my closet. Definitely tempting.

Harajuku ‘Harajuku High’ Kogal Hi Tex $75.00

But, I am also really liking the Harlequin diamond-patterned low-top with just ‘G’wen. A little throwback to Vans patterning from – well, let’s just say it’s been awhile.

Harajuku ‘Harlequin’ Kogal Low Tex $65.00

So tough deciding . . . I also really like the signature black and white stripes on this final pair. A common touch to the interior of L.A.M.B. shoes and handbags, it’s nice to see the stripes on the outside, for a change.

Harajuku ‘Train Stripe’ Low Tex $51.99 $64.99

I am most tempted by the final two pairs. Of course, the last one is also on sale … and that is almost like Christmas for a  bargain-lover like me.

So, how about you, was your Christmas shoe-filled and joyous?