A Snow Day Means Online Shopping: Shoe Spats at Etsy

A good portion of my day has already been spent browsing jewelry and shoes on Etsy.com. Ah, snow days!

I found these adorable ruffled herringbone spats, $160 on Etsy.

What are spats? They’re covers for your shoes that go over the instep and ankle, and people have been wearing them since the 19th century.

Spats are helpful against cold and an easy, cheap way to look like you’re wearing a brand new pair of shoes … when in reality, you’re wearing the same old black pumps underneath.

 I just wish I could afford these particular ones right now, but alas, payday is a few days away.

 There are tons of adorable and sexy spats at Etsy.com, so go check em out and support artists at home making pretty things!

Tod’s to Help Finance Roman Colosseum Restoration

On the stranger side of shoe news, Tod’s is helping finance the restoration of the Colosseum in Rome, which has been tarnished by pollution and rocked by the Metro shaking it.

 I mean, we can understand how both fashion and the Colosseum are beautiful and important, but this was unexpected. Diego Della Valle, CEO of Tod’s (pictured left), had grandiloquent things to say in the recent press conference.

“A monument that represents Italy in the world must be restored, and a company that represents Made in Italy stepped forward to say, ‘If you need us, we are here’.”

Perez is skeptical that the motives here are pure. And especially in a recession, I have to say I agree with him that this is not cultural selflessness, but an invention of a PR genius. This is a lot of money ($35 mil, reportedly) that obviously Tod’s won’t necessarily make back in sales due to good PR. But of course, when people hear about Tod’s through this story, it will drive traffic to their website. There’s even a link at the bottom of The Telegraph story to shop at Tod’s!

And more importantly, it will permanently entwine Tod’s with Italian and Roman culture, network them with a lot of important people in Rome, and let other fashion companies know that there’s a new PR tactic in town (Leaning Tower of Pisa, anyone?). Della Valle has already encouraged other companies to get involved with the financing.

Della Valle’s tactic has already resulted in tons of articles and reposts online. Do you think they get to open a shop inside the Colosseum?? Do they get to call it Tod’s Colosseum on all the tourist literature?

Tod’s is classic, and so is the Colosseum, so in a way, it’s a good match for their image (though they’re not exactly synonymous with gladiator sandals, they may have to do a line now!). I admire the Italian king of shoes, as they call Della Valle, but I have to wonder what kind of tax breaks and other favors the Roman and Italian governments will be doing for Tod’s now! Was the government so broke it couldn’t afford to do this itself?

What do you think, folks? How would you feel if Ralph Lauren payed to restore the Liberty Bell or the Lincoln Memorial, only it cost 35 mil? Would that make you proud, or would you be immediately suspicious of a grand gesture like that?

Armani Prive: Haute Couture Spring2011

I love the Couture season.  There aren’t that many fashion houses who are making Couture Collections anymore, but the collections presented are beautiful.  My favorite is the Armani Prive collection.  In a word,  the collection can best be describe as color.  The shoes are saturated with color, the clothes look like liquid color.  Let’s look at the shoes featured in the Armani Prive collection this season.
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Sartore’s Lovely Leatherwork: Tassels, Weaving and Stitching

Sartore. The name may not yet carry with it the pedigree it deserves, but you’ll be able to tell with one glance at the shoes below that Sartore translates into quality. I love Italian leather shoes, and these take the cake. The tassels, the weaving, the suede, the colors, the neat, fine stitching, the chunky heel. This is masterful work, craft of a kind that I mostly only see in Italy.

You’ll still be wearing these shoes in 30 years, or your granddaughter will be pairing them up with her short school skirt and long slouchy crest-emblazoned blazer. The rest of Sartore’s (limited) online availables are equally classically enticing. Find Sartore leather lovelies at Barneys and YOOX.

Cougar: A Sleek Rainboot by the Name of Regal

Wait, are those Frye Harness Ring boots?

No, those are Cougar boots!

A sleek new entry into the world of rainboots, the Cougar Regal is getting a lot of attention for its motorcycle-meets-Western style.

We’ve been getting a lot of sleety between-rain-and-snow lately.  So the gals in New York have been wearing their rainboots instead of their snowboots. Makes sense, since all the snow is turning into rain puddles.

Shoes like these will be great for your spring. Instead of feeling like you can’t go out to a trendy dive bar after work on a rainy day because you’re wearing your preppy, brightly colored Wellies or some childish-looking Strawberry rainboots with rubber duckies or umbrellas on them, you’ll fit right in with a cool crowd without sacrificing rain protection.

More photos of my new Cougar boots after the jump!

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