Piperlime is having a 1-day ‘Secret Sale’ that gives an extra 20% off select sale items.

Among the eligible styles are:

Moschino Cheap and Chic ‘Basket’ $500 $269.99

Chie Mihara ‘Jean’ $375 $219.99

Biviel “BV1606″ bootie $180 $89.99

Belle by Sigerson Morrison fringed ‘5823′ thong sandal $225 $109.99

Giuseppi Zanotti color-blocked, snake-embossed “E90027″  D’orsay sandal $650 $319.99

Giuseppi Zanotti “E96194″ tribal-woven raffia platform pump $750 $519.99

(Boy, does this one make me regret …just a twinge… living within my budget.)

And finally, a shoe that I loved enough that it got it’s own blog entry:

Pour La Victoire ‘Eden’ $280 $159.99

…..gasp, it’s even in the electric blue…..must log off computer and lock up all credit cards immediately!

Oh, and lest I forget the most important detail: How to get the extra 20% discount?  Use code “Just4U” at checkout.

Fine print: Offer valid online on Piperlime sale merchandise only, now through 11:59pm PT July 23, 2009 in the US only. Online code limited to one-time use. Offer not valid on final sale or the following select brands: designer brands, apparel brands, Frye, Brooks and Patagonia. Discount applies to merchandise only, not to Giftcard, packaging, applicable taxes, or shipping and handling charges. Not valid for cash or cash equivalent. No adjustments on previous purchases. Cannot be combined with other offers or discounts including employee discount.

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Okay, I’m tired of being sick, exhausted, or just too busy to write this month. Between mothering various ill children, dealing with a plugged water/sewage line for 4 days, surviving the onset of soccer season, and - of course - fighting not one but 2 rounds of the flu myself, I am longing to simply feel healthy and rested. Oh, and find some time and energy to write about shoes.

At least Jitterbugbaby & Twinkletoes have kept me from feeling too guilty about my absence with their enthusiastic coverage of fashion week(s) around the globe.

But, I’m currently conscious, relatively rested and miss chatting to our readers.

So, here’s a quick question for you folks: What do you think of these ‘Boots’? Because, honestly, I’m not feeling them…at all. Really, really, not feeling any love for these. 

Chie Mihare Platform Boots $435 @ Saks.com

Aside from my previously noted (but not uncontested) opinion on the basic impracticality of boot-sandal hybrids - This particular pair is, to my eye, simply unattractive.  I’m getting a confused 1970’s meets Japanese ‘Geta‘ meets dominatrix-in-comfortable shoes vibe.  It also seems kind of pricey for a super-trendy limited-occasion shoe. While I don’t mind the idea of a platform with a gentle and walkable slope for comfort reasons, I find this pair to be unbalanced and visually jarring; they just don’t quite ‘work’.

Feel free to disagree. For, if there’s one thing I’ve learned here at Shoeblog it’s this:

For every shoe that I either love or loathe, there is someone out there who will hold a view completely at odds with my own.  And wouldn’t it be boring if we all had the same taste & personal style?

So, I just want to know: Do you love these and find yourself jumping at the opportunity to rock these as an eclectic wardrobe statement? Or do you instead find yourself wondering if these somehow ‘looked better on paper’?

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I have two obsessions I have to tell you about. One is old, namely the sleek, elegant beauty of Arturo Chiang’s shoes. Check out these stunners for sale at Lavande in Russian Hill!

I also have a fantastic pair of red patent wedge sandals from Gabay’s in New York. In case you didn’t know, Gabay’s doesn’t look like much, but it can be the holy grail of discount shoes on certain days!

You can find more of Arturo’s shoes here.

The other obsession is new, and I’ve been seeing her work pop up in magazines. Her name is Francesca Giobbi, and her quirky yet sexy Brazilian (what is it with the Brazilian shoe designers?) exotics are just what the shoe doctor ordered for spring. Below are some screenshots from this YouTube video that takes you inside Giobbi’s store.

The problem is, barring a trip to Brazil, which I’ve been seriously contemplating, I haven’t been able to get my hands on these babies. If anyone sees her shoes on sale online or in an American store, do let a girl know! I remember the days when her fellow Brazilian Chie Mihara was hard to get ahold of, and now Chie is everywhere. Let’s hope for the same from Francesca Giobbi!

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Ok, so my title is a bit over the top, but I’d rather perish than live an existence without shoe shopping. I may have cut down on my clothes shopping, but shoe shopping is a bare essential! I’ll be wearing a potato sack in Great Depression 2.0, but my shoes will gleam like a brand new shiny silver nickel, even if I have to cover Keds with aluminum foil or spray paint them silver!

In San Francisco, Gimme Shoes is one of my new favorite stores. They just have fantastic taste, rejecting vulgarity in favor of classic, classy styles. The lovely designer Louisa Parris told me she got some of her runway shoes for the Gen Art Fresh Faces in Fashion event from Gimme, and after several visits, I can see why. I stopped by the Gimme in Hayes Valley and saw this irresistible Belle by Sigerson Morrison origami flat and Repetto boot.

They are having a winter sale online where you can find the delicious likes of Loeffler Randall, Dries Van Noten, Chie Mihara, 3.1 Philip Lim and Yohji Yamamoto. Check it out here.

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Have you ever found yourself enamoured of a particular style or trend while simultaneously finding yourself at a loss as to how to make it work within your own wardrobe and personal style?

Alas, that is my predicament with so-called ‘Spats’-styled boots; those boots with an add-on ankle cuff, or more commonly, an extremely extended cuff that falls all the way to the instep to ‘break’ at the top of the instep.  The cuffs on this second style of boot are rather distinct and work just a touch of trompe l’oeil trickery that suggests either an actual removable spatted cuff or an illusory pant-leg that appears to be floating over the boot itself. I am definitely put in mind of the Givenchy ‘Gaiter’ boots from Jitterbugbaby’s (Fall 2008) Paris Runway Roundup post from earlier this year. And, since I have yet to encounter any naming consensus among shoe sites and fashion blog as to a definitive title for this type of boot, I have decided to stick with ‘Spats’ - it has a certain evocative appeal and works for me.

In my case, the first real example of this style that I encountered (outside of old black and white movies) was the now sold-out LAMB ‘Crowther’ which was available last fall.  This was in fact a classic pump with a separate spat attachment. And, while I loved the look and convertibility of the shoe, I could not justify the purchase of this altogether adorable shoe. A year later I am still trying to find reasons that I could wear this and have almost come to turns with the fact that this shoe simply does not work within my personal wardrobe and everyday style. More’s the pity.

If you fancy this particular detachable ‘gaiter’ style, you can also purchase individual ‘Gaiterettes’ from LesFrivolities at Etsy.com. These are spats/gaiters that can easily be added to shoes or ankle boots that you already own. Prices range from $55.00 to $155.00 per handmade pair.

Next is a more casual offering, the LAMB ‘Zeyn Tex’ ($179.95 at Shoebuy.com). While I am not really a fan of this particular boot, it clearly illustrates the idea of the boot incorporating the actual  trouser cuff or pants-leg as an integral part of the boot shaft itself.

What I now present to you is the result of several months of squirreling away these styles one-by-one into their own special favorites folder as I periodically encountered them online.  For your inspection and in no particular order: Spats, spats, and more spats.

Zucca Black Buckle Tall Boots $1422 at Creatures of Comfort

Delman Suede Knee High Boots $595 at Saks.com

Marc Jacobs Nappa Leather Boots in Grey or Black $640$578 at Yoox.com

Botkier ‘Xenia’ $715-$725 at Endless.com and Piperlime.com

Chie Mihara ‘Saigon’ $695$409.99 at Piperlime.com (Size 9/39 only).

Tahskent by Cheyenne ‘Osgood’ $760 at Shopbop.com, on sale for $439.99 at Piperlime.com

Materia Prima by Goffredo Fantini  Style # ‘4M4753′ $484 $228.85 in size 8/38 only.
(This is my size and is right up near the top of my list of most drool-worthy uber-spats.)

Jessica Simpson ‘Mazzey’ Boot $138.00-$140 at Zappos.com, Endless.com, Piperlime.com and Shoemall.com.

London Underground ‘Bit of Romance’ $164.99 at Shoes.com.
Confession time: Whatever the reason, I love this boot truly, madly, deeply.

T.U.K ‘Cara’ $85 $70 at Zappos.com (size 7 only).

Naughty Monkey ‘Belly Up’ $119.95 at Endless.com and $131 at Zappos.com.

These last two ankle boots are also really turning on my positive, feel-good vibes.  I think it has something to do with the split, buttoned cut of the cuff that also conjures to my mind the Alfred Noyes poem ‘The Highwayman’; Such a romantic and dashing image that these boots conjure up in the imagination.

I’m thinking that with the right pair of brown Spats, and a warm wool Kinsale cloak, I might just have the perfect thing to wear during a long, cold winter.  Maybe the key to Spats (at least in my case) is to embrace my anachronistic fashion tendencies and mix some period styles in with my modern wardrobe.

Of course, I still need someone else to guide me on what to wear with the LAMB Zeyn boots. That challenge continues to elude me.

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