The view out my front door is a veritable Winter Wonderland:

 

So, rather than wish for a White Christmas, which would be nothing shy of redundant, I’ll share my wish for Something Blue. 

Just Cavalli Blue Satin Peep Toe Heel $163 $545 at DJPremium.com; All for one lucky size 7/37 out there in shoe-land. Looking at these, I am somewhat reminded of Carrie’s SATC $945 blue satin Manolo wedding shoes; maybe it’s the color & elegant lines.

Crisp and Ice Blue - What a perfect Winter Treat!

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I have Christmas on the brain. Most holidays affect me this way. Of course, it doesn’t help that everywhere  that I go (except for my car where there is the ‘All Nickelback All the Time’ local rock station) I am surrounded by Christmas music, Christmas decorations, and Christmas advertisements. 

Just this weekend, we put  up our Christmas tree and wrapped the kid’s presents - so that they have time to really get excited about the upcoming holiday. (Did I say excited? They’ve been sleeping by the tree!)

Anyway, all ham dinner and pumpkin cheesecake plans aside, my attention has also turned to shoes that are so dolled-up that you will feel like they are gift-wrapping for your feet. 

Well, here ya go. Ribbons & Bows galore:

 

Type Z Noel $74.56 - $77 at Zappos in Bronze, Red, or Gold

(Appropriately named, don’t you think?)

 

 

Marciano Alida $204 @ Zappos

(What to say? These are simply stunning.)

 

 

Stuart Weitzman Romance $199.12 at Zappos 

(Romantic? And how!)

 

Stuart Weitzman Solitaire $234 - $273.60 @ Zappos in Fuchsia, White or Black

(A pink Marilyn dream.)

 

 

Betseyville Genna  $71.90 at Endless, $75.20 Zappos/$89.99 Heels.com

(Unwrap your inner Barbie Girl)

 

 

Betsey Johnson Rally $150 @ Zappos.com/$104.97 @ Endless

(Also available in pink with black ribbon. No secrets here; I love these.)

 

 

Coloriffics Sierra $66.50 @ Zappos (Several colors)

(Conservative with a touch of Glam, not an easy achievement.)

 

 

 

Martinez Valero Coca $106.16 - $117.97 @ Zappos on Red or Black, you can get the Coca in limited sizes of Black or Tan at Endless for $76.42.

(The perfect dare to the love of your life: ’Unwrap this.’)

 

 

Paris Hilton Destiny $89.95 @ Endless / $93 @ Zappos ; many color options.

(With that wrap-around bow this doesn’t even need a box; just pop it under the tree.)

 

 

Vaneli Puppy  $88.90 @ Zappos

(I’m seeing more of these structured loop-bows lately; honestly, they’re growing on me.)

 

 

 

 

RSVP Rhea $58.50 in Navy @ Zappos, other colors are $69-$74

(Simple, Sexy, and Day-um do I love the Sapphire color on these.)

 

 

!

Kate Spade Gali $247.24 for the Forest Green, other colors are $347.95.

(Sweet, classic and Christmas-tree green.)

 

 

RSVP Afton $58.40 - 68 in four colors at Zappos.

(A sweet and slightly glitzy half-bow in Holiday Red)

 

 

RSVP Judith in red for $60.80 at Zappos; bone and black are $58.40

(Another Pretty as a Package ribbon-wrapped style)

 

 

Gabriella Rocha Heaven in red for $50 at Zappos, other colors $39-$50.

(The polka dots are super cute. I love the wrap-around effect over the top of the hidden platform -

plus it also comes in a silver version that is quite adorable)

 

 

Type Z Kat  $89 at Zappos; in three colors.

(What can I say, it’s 12 degrees outside, boots were going to wind up in here somehow.

 Plus how cute are those little bows?)

 

And, now that I mention ‘Little Bows’ I can’t forget this style by Moschino:

Moschino CA16108C1P  RS0 $624 at Zappos.

(Come on, don’t they make you smile just a little with that itty bitty gift box on the vamp?)

 

 And finally, not a bow, but So Perfect:

Beverly Feldman Fireball $92 @ 6pm.com.

(This one is not ribbons and bows, but how incredibly ‘Holly and the Ivy’ can you get?

 These babies just scream ‘It’s Christmas! Where’s the eggnog?’)

 

Gosh, now I’m wishing it was time to open up some presents!

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December. Christmas in 11 days. We have all heard this time of year referred to as the Season of Giving.  So, what to do if you have a shoe-lover on your gift list?

Rather than suggest taking her on a designer shoe-shopping spree (and isn’t that a holiday fantasy to make any shoe-obsessive individual smile?), you might want to look at a custom charm bracelet or necklace from Juicy Couture that lets her proclaim her shoe obsession in a cute and attractive way.

It works just like any classic charm bracelet.

Decide on a bracelet or necklace style:

Starter Charm Bracelet $42.00 at Saks & Nordstrom.

Starter Charm Necklace $58 at Saks.

Charm Catcher Pendant 28″ Necklace $68 at Saks & Nordstrom.

 

Next, choose from various shoe-shaped charms to match many personalities:

 

High Top Sneaker Charm $48 at Saks.

Sneak Attack Charm $48 at Saks.

 

 

 

Edith Heel Charm $48$36 at Bloomingdales.

 

Ballet Slippers Charm $50 at Nordstrom.

Melissa Loafer $52 at Bloomingdales.

High Heel Shoe Charm in silver or gold $48 at Nordstrom.

Flippers Charm $48 at Bloomingdales.

High Heel Charm $48 at Juicy Couture.

 

Add gift-wrap, and Voila! It’s couture bling that proclaims her love of footwear whether she is dressing up or down.

Oh, and just in case your particular shoe-lover is a full-on fashionista and SATC fan, the following charms make a bracelet that pays homage to Carrie Bradshaw and all of her NYC friends.

Bloomies Gift Bag Charm $58.00 exclusive to Bloomingdales.

 

High Heel Slipper $30 at Nordstrom.

Engagement Ring Charm $52 at Nordstrom and Saks.

Champagne Flute Charm $48 at Bloomingdales.

Perfume Atomizer Charm $48 at Nordstrom & Saks.

 

Eiffel Tower Charm $52 at Nordstrom.

The wonderful thing about this a la carte system is that you can decide to purchase as many or few charms as you like, depending on your budget.

Just be warned - especially if you are like me; if you decide to start collecting these charms for yourself, this has the potential to be nearly as dangerous an addiction as shoe shopping.

7 Comments »

Hi!
I need help! Every year I see tons of awesome calf- and knee-high boots. It seems like each Fall and Winter they come out with new styles…and colors! BUT I have to admire them from afar. I was born a beautiful full-figured woman :)….unfortunately, with BIG calfs! I can’t fit ANY of the boots I find! And the ones I do find are that suede material.

Do you know where I can find some MODERATELY-priced  leather calf- and knee-length boots? HELP!!

Crystal

Apologies to Crystal if it seems like we took awhile to respond on this plea; this is a tough and ongoing challenge for many women and keeping this article informative without going off on tangents has proven to be trickier than expected.

The complaint that boots are not made for gals with sturdy calves is, unfortunately, not news to anyone who has ever been in that same (and very unenviable) shopping position. So, of course, I find Crystal’s frustration to be completely understandable. And, there are many ladies out there who adore taller boots, but have less-than-dainty calves. At 14 inches around, my calves ride the fashion tightrope on whether a given boot will fit and zip.  If you are ambitious, there are even many products for you to attempt to self-stretch your own shoes, should the urge strike you.

Of course, the first requirement for successful stretching is that the boot upper be made of leather.  This is doubly important; Leather is very durable making it easier to get good wear and your money’s worth from your purchase and,  real leather is stretchable when given to a competent cobbler/boot repair shop. When all else fails, purchase and all-leather boot & have your boots stretched. The process will only lighten your pocketbook by $20-$30 and the result is often a perfectly fitted boot.

Now, if you are new to our site, you may have missed an older shoeblog article that focused on  Duo Boots.  Duo boots come in a number of different calf sizes and can even accommodate ladies with the opposite problem of narrow calves since they are sold by calf-size. Of course, at prices starting at UK 120/US $250 depending on the exchange rate, they may not quite fit into the category of ‘Moderately-priced’ to the average consumer. Lately, with shoe prices on the rise, these are definitely nowhere near as spendy as many current mid-to-high end designers that are now charging upwards of $500-$2500 for current-season leather boots; it may be a worthwhile investment for those harder-to-fit folks to spend the $250+ for a long-lasting, well-fitted boot.

Next, as he is the master of most things shoe-related, it is no surprise that ‘The Manolo’ has also struggled with a solution to the wide-calf dilemma. Among his recommendations of boot brands with roomier calf-allowances are: J. Crew, Ralph Lauren, and Church’s boots. More useful, perhaps are actually the comments responding to his article which recommend both Eddie Bauer as well as the (new to me) website www.widewidths.com (self-proclaimed as ‘Your Site for Fashionable Wide-calf boots’).

Finally, no hunt would be complete without a quick search over at Zappos.com to see what options are available on ‘Wide-calf’ site search. OK, that’s 50+ pages of results in varying styles and prices; Among them, a large selection of RSVP boots priced under $200. Of course, many ‘wide-calf’ boots only fit up to about 15 inches around in calf circumference, so some of these results will only be helpful for borderline ladies like myself;  so it’s always good to check the individual shoe stats (Thank you Zappos for such great descriptions).

Well, when my eyes alight on the phrase ‘Extra Wide Calf’, that sounds pretty promising. Way to go, Type Z.

Type Z Catie Extra Wide Calf $190 at Zappos.com (17″ circumference)

Also promising, selections from Ros Hommerson, a brand known for offering a huge variety of widths from extra-narrow to wide on all of their shoe and boot styles.

Ros Hommerson Chanel Boot (Wide - 16.25″ circumference) or Inlet Boot (Extra Wide - 18″ circumference) $198.

A few other options include widening a boot search to include boot-cut Western Styles as well as Lace-up boots and adjustable Granny styles.

Some options in this category are:

Dan Post Snowflake Ostrich $309.

Frye Veronica Slouch Black Patent $332 (15″ circumference).

Frye Page Buckles $382 (15.5 circumference).

Mark Nason Iris $574.95 $310 (14″ circumference). My own experience with Mark Nason is that the lacing give more width allowance than the base measurement indicates).

Etienne Aigner Kraft $ 148.95 $97 (14″ circumference).

Shoes for Lovely People Anthia $216 (14.5″ circumference plus added stretch gore panels).

This information is merely a starting point for those on the hunt for a more accommodating boot shaft, and some styles will work for some ladies and not others (But I have found that to be true of all shoes). Like any shoe hunt, it takes time and patience to find the right item at the right value. Hopefully I have provided some tools to help you along the way.

6 Comments »

Payless Shoesource is one of those guilty pleasures I occasionally just must indulge. Today I popped in to see what had trickled down into the land of affordable winter fashion and was pleasantly surprised at the number of lined winter boots options that are available. An in-store Buy One Get One 1/2 off is just a nice bonus. While the BOGO is not currently showing online, there are also several styles that are still on sale at the Payless website.

There were also a few styles that I saw in-store that would definitely be appropriate for the bargain shopper looking for cozy winter footwear:

First, the cute and casual Airwalk Tabitha Flat Sweater Boot $39.99. It’s just plush enough inside to make that cold winter wind seem less intimidating.

Next, the Funky bejewelled American Eagle Beaded Wedge Boot $49.99. Definitely a boot for when you want to feel both cozy and still dressed-up.

For those of you who are already into toe-freezing weather and snowy days, a more serious cold-temperature snow boot is the Nora Weather Boot $34.99. Good to -20 Farenheit, it’s also got a nice practical sole meant to provide traction in slippery areas.

Finally, we come to my favorite, a quick side zip pull-on ankle boot with a cozy lined interior, the Marcia Fur Boot $34.99 is a perfect choice for the cold and rainy season when your unlined fall boots are just not up to the job of keeping your toes warm but you do not really need a full snow-boot.

I do find it refreshing when a boot is not automatically $150 and above - yet can still get the job done; Payless has stepped in with some reasonable winter values.

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