Heel details have definitely been one of the biggest trends of past few years, and I for one I’m glad–just look at this breathtaking pair of Giuseppe Zanotti booties:

Shiny patent uppers rest on 5 inches’ worth of mirror-embellished stiletto heels, tapering into multicolored gems. These beauties cost just about $1000 at Net-a-Porter–and for the chick with a fiery attitude and the generous pocket, they’re worth every penny!

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…and it’s the lucky author of comment #39, Elizabeth!

Elizabeth has won a pair of ASGI Gaia wedges. Thank you all for playing–and remember to make your shoes stylish AND comfy, always!

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Instead of our regular historical shoe, here’s one that belongs to contemporary art galleries, and surely in some shoe museum of the future:

Designed by Julia Eichler, this shoe won the Golden Heel of the Year Award in 2008 and will actually be produced and sold in a limited edition in Sacha stores around The Netherlands, Germany and Belgium. Via Virtual Shoe Museum.

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These are completely impractical and ridiculously high and I imagine I could barely wear them sitting down–but hot dang, aren’t they just SPECTACULAR? Seriously, this is something a futuristic femme fatale would wear–possibly while wielding her laser proton missile on her way to her XC17000 two-seater spaceship ride. If you want to own this particular version of the future, these Versace pumps are $300 at Yoox (not a bad price, but sizes are limited).

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Palladium Key Largo Sandal (buy it at Endless for $80), in “New Pewter”–worn with jeans and a blousy silk gray top. I had blogged about them before (here) and then decided that I MUST have them. From the company’s description, we learn: “Made in a rural city in France since 1947, Palladium shoes are built to last in natural materials that have been put through a serious round of inspections and stress tests to ensure you’ve got a perfect shoe.” What’s there not to love, right? And so, I recommended the Key Largo gladiator for being comfy, affordable, and good-looking–a holy sartorial trio that’s a challenge to find.

The verdict?

That holy trio holds, no doubt about it, BUT (you knew that was coming, right?)…having to buckle on, buckle on, buckle on, buckle on before leaving the house leaves me somehow dispirited. Also? Do NOT, under any circumstances, wear these if you’re going out shopping for shoes. Taking them on and off is a chore of the highest order. The leather of the straps is thick and the buckle tiny, so yeah, it takes some doing. Which, for the person on the go (and who isn’t, these days) can become pretty annoying.

Also: heed the advice of the reviewers, for these babies run LAAAAARGE. Not a TAD large, but a hefty whole size large. I know! I was surprised, too! I wear a 10, so, taking the advice of the reviewers on Shoes.com, I ordered a 9.5. Guess what? They still look/feel about a size too large. I don’t think I’ve been an 8.5 since 7th grade, so something is amiss here, for sure.

On top of everything, this morning, the second stud from the top on the right sandal decided to pop out, never to be seen again. Was it bored out of its mind with a life of militaristic order and conformity, next to its other obedient fellow studs? Did it suddenly have a bright idea and popped out with excitement? Was it frightened out of its mind by the prospect of going out?

I guess I’ll never know.

What I do know is that gladiators, shmadiators. I’ve scratched this trend’s itch, and I won’t go near it again.

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