Balenciaga Boots at 80% off

Okay, I know it’s springtime and we have record warm days, but this sale on winter (and even spring) merchandise just can’t be beat. Right now Yoox is having their famous sale for savings up to 90% off retail.

Not convinced yet? What about these Missoni boots for $95? I was kicking myself since I wasn’t quick enough to shop the Missoni for Target collaboration online, but happier now knowing that I can get the real Missoni for just a tad bit more. And these Balenciaga boots, which were $590 and just $115 now. I mean, you can’t even get Hunter boots for those prices and these are Missoni and Balenciaga we are talking about.
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SS12 Fashion Week Footwear: Vive la France!

I always love that Paris Fashion Week comes last, because its style is my overall favorite.  I’m always likely to covet more shoes from the Paris runways than New York, London, or Milan.  This year is no exception.  I’m loving what we’ve seen from Gay Paree.

Balmain showed us glamorously embellished boots with heels and patent leathers and filigree swirls that make me swoon.

Viktor & Rolf gave us typically playful and over-the-top mules and sandals that made good use of the SS12 transparency trend.

Sonia Rykiel offered up charmingly wearable simple silhouettes with fun lacing details (and by the way, I’m proud of how closely those last flat ones match the “Pocahontas” Louboutins I scored some years back).

On that note, Jean-Paul Gaultier showed a similar silhouette with this sporty white number.

I give that one a big and central visual shout-out, because much as I like to ogle the awesome heels shown on the runways, I do so love seeing shoes that actually look like I could wear them in style and comfort on a daily basis.

However, I refuse to ignore the gorgeousness (and simultaneous unwearable-unless-one-is-Lady-Gaga-or-Victoria-Beckham-ness) of the rest of the JPG footwear.  Behold the pretty!

But wait! Despite the indisputable beauty (go on, I dare you to dispute the beauty of those JPG booties!) seen above, I have saved my favorite Parisian shoes for last.  And that collection comes from Balenciaga.

Would that I were in a cleverer frame of mind,  I would write odes to these shoes and their squared off toes and their little heel nubbins and their simple primary color palette and their architectural style.  If you love these shoes like I do and are feeling more eloquent than me, please oh please OH PLEASE, feel free to share your own odes in the comments to this post.  I’m so tempted to promise away my first born for those red ones on the left.

Balenciaga Button Ballet Flats

Balenciaga Button Ballet Flats

I am a sucker for Balenciaga shoes. I am, in fact, a sucker for pretty much any of the label’s shoes – including ballet flats! What do you know? It’s my second pair in as many days, but I can’t help it. Balenciaga’s Button Ballet Flats ($545 at Barneys) are so adorable, I can’t help yearning for a pair. Part of the fact is that they are available in the lavender color you see here, and I love lavender – along with just about any other shade of purple you can possibly imagine.  Of course, it’s available in black and a lovely dark green as well, but for now, let’s stick to purple! (more…)

Balenciaga Spring 2011 Shoes

Believe it or not, the title of this post is correct. You are looking at Balenciaga’s spring 2011 runway shoes.   After seasons of towering stilettos (who could forget the colorful Lego shoes) and futuristic shoe styles,   Nicolas Ghesquière manages to surprise us yet again.   For spring 2011, we can look forward to flat, thick sole men’s footwear.  While the spring footwear collection did feature a fringe, yeti looking heel (bottom center), the vast majority of the masculine spring collection was distinctly punk rock or street biker.  Seriously, Balenciaga’s spring footwear line makes me want to raid my hubby’s shoe collection, except that he wears a men’s size 11 and I’m a size 7 in women.

Balenciaga Fall 2010

Paris Fashion Week is in full swing.  Balenciaga presented a computer age line of clothing on Thursday.  After looking at the runway shoes, the only thing I can say is, “Not for me.”  

Let’s have a look at what Nicholas Ghesquiere presented.

I don’t mind this first outfit, but the shoes are ….. unattractive.

Here are the detail photos of each shoe.   A peeptoe something or another. 

Front view

Another version on the same theme.

Heeled loafer

In all fairness, there are some Balenciaga shoes that are not completely heinous, but there is nothing in this runway presentation that I found interesting.