Spring Is Coming: My Favorite Sandals

The weather has turned warm in Northern California (never mind the occasional rainy interruption). Everywhere I turn during these suddenly sunny days I see sandals I want! I find myself particularly drawn to sandals that are a little dressier with a heel and a buckle (or button). The following beauties are currently on my shortlist.

These are the shoes that started my current infatuation.

The Miz Mooz Full House sandal for $94.95 at Nordstrom (also in blue and green patent).

I’m really loving Clarks Artisan Collection! These sandals are just what I’m looking for (love the big button) and because they’re Clarks I can actually walk all day in heels!

The Clarks Artisan Collection Diamond Heart sandal for $90 at Zappos (also in black and gray).

Before I reveal the higher heels I’m loving, here is a practical lower heel by Corso Como.

The Corso Como Pez sandal for $116.12 (regularly $154.95) at Endless (also in dark brown and red).

I cannot stop thinking about these sandals by Sofft. I love the gray suede!

The Sofft Palermo sandal for $109.95 at Zappos (also in black).

And finally, the highest heel! At 4.5 inches, these shoes are what I dream of wearing instead of being married to my flats.

The Coach Tamara sandal for $198 at Nordstrom (also in black).

Sis’s Spring Sandal Pick Is Pikolinos

I recently found out that one of my sisters is reading our blog when she recently asked me via e-mail  “How are those fuzzy boots working out?“.  Now that she is following our site, she has also started campaigning to convert me over to Clarks, which is her absolute favorite shoe brand.  Apparently, it took me moving to a different state to find out that she loves looking at and trying on cute, sexy, or funky shoes almost as much as I do.

In this recent message, subject line: ‘My New Shoes’, she shares with me her brief summer sandal search. The siren-call that she was hoping to answer was for one of these two pairs of Frye sandals.

Frye ‘Dara’ T-strap $192 at Zappos

Frye ‘Grace’ Sandal $227.95 at Nordstrom

Unfortunately, she laments that “she couldn’t walk in them”.  And, since the primary purpose of shoes is to protect our feet in the everyday action of walking, this was an obvious deal-breaker.

So, where did she turn instead? Surprisingly, not to her fave brand Clarks, but to this shoe by Pikolinos:

Pikolinos ‘Romana’ mule $144.95 at Nordstrom

This is a unique little slip-on shoe that manages to be comfy and funky while still retaining a solid feminine flare. I love the attention to detail on these; they are also a wonderful way to get a boho-styled shoe that won’t be on the feet of everybody else around.

Now, the ‘Romana’ is definitely more Sis’s style than mine. But, it is refreshingly different and eclectic. So, after receiving her e-mail, I just had to go peeking around online to see what other styles Pikolinos might offer.

Here are a few that caught my eye:

This one is a wonderfully quirky interpretation of the still-dominant gladiator sandal style.

Pikolinos ‘Formentera gladiator sandal’ $174.95 at Nordstrom

And, if gladiators are not your thing, the Formentera is available in a simple slide variation as well:

Pikolinos ‘Formentera’ sandal $149.95 at Nordstrom

Another  Pikolinos shoe that I love is this charming Maryjane.

Pikolinos ‘Genebra’ Maryjane pump $81.90 $164.95 at Nordstrom

Now, I am undeniably a fan of Maryjane styles, so I was somewhat biased at the outset. But the leather on this is so yummy and I love the overall quilted effect of the stitching as well. This is one fantastic shoe with wonderfully whimsical artistic appeal.

On an unrelated note, I challenge you to say the title of this article three times fast.

Modista: A Shoe Shopper’s Dream

We get a lot of email here at Shoeblog.  It’s almost all interesting, but not all totally relevant or postable.

However, the email that showed up in my inbox today was absolutely the former and oh-so-much the latter, too.

May I present, oh fellow lovers of shoes, Modista.

I know I’m not the only one who shoe-shops by feel (as I call it).  I think of a shoe I want that has a certain “feel” to it, and then I go poking around shoe sites trying to re-create that feel by ticking boxes for certain heel heights and colors and assorted other criteria that may or may not return a list of hits that have that feel at all.

Modista puts it all right at your fingertips.

It was started by an enterprising and helpful significant other trying to assist a cash-strapped student girlfriend in finding nice-looking shoes that would look designer, but be a whole lot friendlier on the wallet.

What came of this project is a brilliant site that uses visual searching to let you pick a shoe with the right “feel” and then see a grid of others that approximate it in terms of color, style, etc.

Let’s take an example.

I am currently looking for a good pair of walkable, flat-soled boots.  The feel I’m after is feminine, simple, with a little bit of an edge.

I start with the Diba 2002 Dakota ($179 at Endless).

What comes up is this:

Nifty!

Let’s see… I like the fifth one in from the left on the top row.

I mouse over it and see that, oh, that’s the Gentle Souls Silver boot ($354 at Zappos).

Nice looking, but a little plainer than the feel I’m going for.

I click.

Up comes:

Ooooo!

I like third from the left, top row.

It’s the Mia West by Clarks ($225 at Zappos).

Nice, but a little clunkier than I’m after.

So, I click onwards and get:

Oo!  Who’s that second from the left on the bottom row?

Why, it’s the D Kink 11 by Geox ($234 at Zappos).

A bit more edge than I’m after, but we’re on the right track here.  Especially because the screen that comes up when the Geox gets a click is this:

Top row, fourth from the left: you call to me.

You are the Michelle K Enrapture ($86 at 6pm.com),

and while you are too sporty for what I’m after, you lead me to this screen:

and thence to the Miz Mooz Blitz Lace boot (third from the right, top row, $180 at Endless).

Look at the shiny leather!  Look at the comfy, walkable sole!  Look at the asymmetrical lace-up front.  Ladies and gents, I think I have found my winner.

Thank you, thank you, Modista.  You have not only made shoe-shopping so much more effective for those (like me) who shop “by feel,” but you’ve also turned it into a fun fun game.  Or, at least, more of one that it already was.

Colorblock T-straps…

…are all the rage now. Check it:

Chinese Laundry Sinead, $54 at Zappos:

Paul Smith colorful sandal, $319 at Zappos:

Unusual LD Tuttle flat sandals, $395 at Satine Boutique:

Tod’s très chic Matisse sandals, $425 at eLuxury:

MiuMiu jeweled flat sandals, $670 at Netaporter:

Clarks Maplewood (also in multiple color combos), $74 at Zappos:

I really need to get me one of these–summer’s just around the corner!