And They Called Her … Leader of the Pack

Biker chic has rocked the streets for ages, on kids from punk to prom queen flirting with the wrong side of the tracks. A few seasons ago, grommets, studs, zippers and buckles started making major comebacks. Last season, leather jackets were huge, coinciding with a revival of industrial culture and rise of steampunk couture. Now, you need the shoes to match not jackets, but tiered lace and ruffle dresses, those sexy/scary bondage tape-dresses, and zipper dresses for spring. Good news is, leather biker shoes are available in spades. They’re especially cute, of course, in boots and booties, but make a hot transition into sandals for spring as well.

One warning though, is to be careful with just how much industriality and bikerism you blend into one outfit. You don’t want to look like you’ve been dressed from head to toe by Project Runway’s Stella… or maybe you do. But a little goes a long way, and shoes are the perfect place to concentrate this trend.

Here are my biker faves, starting with Steve Madden’s Ginn, on sale for $169.95:

Gucci’s Babouska shoe comes in variations of boot, sandal and flat. You can purchase the boot here for $448.

Louboutin’s Ariella has been making a humongous splash, and for good reason. Chanel Iman and Rihanna have been seen sporting the higher over-the-knee version, which seems to be difficult to procure for mere mortals.

And for not just looking tough but also being tough, who can forget the original Harleys and Fryes?

Harley’s Simone is $124 on Zappos.

Frye’s Harness Two Rings, meanwhile, is $235.80 on Zappos.

Saks Sales Highlights

Saks 5th Avenue continues to put new items on sale over at their website.

Among the items available today are:

Yves St. Laurent Y-strap Patent sandal $311.90 $780.

Certainly, this style is not as universal at the Tribute and Tribute Two, but for those of you that like this funkier interpretation of their platform style, the price really is fantastic.

Gucci Newton High Heel Sandal $295.90 $740.

This two-tone is a lovely, classic style that will be wearable for years.

Dior Whisper T-Strap Sandals $267.90 $670. 

Imagine this with your perfect little black dress… wonderful.

So many sales these days, sigh.

Gucci Studded Babouska Shoes on Sale

One of my favorite shoe trends for fall was the studded shoe.  More specifically, I coveted Gucci’s Babouska shoe line.  And now,  Gucci, bless their hearts, is in the spirit of giving us their first markdown of the fall 2008 collection.  The Babouska is now 40% off, which is still rather pricey but perhaps there will be further reductions by Christmas if I focus on being nice and not naughty.

• Babouska Sandals was $1195; now $719
• Babouska Bootie was $995; now $599
• Babouska Flat Boot was $1390; now $829
• Babouska Pump was $695; now $419

Early Thanksgiving Shoe Sales – Nordies Salon Shoes at 40% Off

It seems like each department store is trying to one up each other – first Saks went on sale early and to be able to compete, others followed suit. The result is that we can now participate in Black Friday sales on Black Tuesday.  And now that we have the internet for reference, we can enjoy shopping without the hassles of standing in line at the stores.

Today, I was able to get my hands on the salon shoes lookbook from Nordstroms.   The shoes on sale will have their sale prices listed next to them and are officially on sale starting today (11/25).  Here’s a sampling of what is currently available.  And for the complete list, I will direct you to the shoe forums.  The designers on sale include: Chanel, Louboutin, Jimmy Choo, Manolo Blahnik, Dior, Gucci, YSL,  Valentino, Stella McCartney, and Lanvin.  Let me know if this is useful to you – it took a while to format the pictures but if it is a good reference for at least one person, than my work has been justified.

For those interested in making a purchase, please call Henry at the Salon Shoes in Nordstroms Houston Galleria and tell him ShoeBlog sent you.  His number is (832)201-2700 ext 1600 and he will ship the shoes to you for free. 

Gucci Cruise 2009

Jumping off from Shomore’s earlier Ed Hardy/Tattoo trends article, I wanted to share some of the Gucci 2009 Cruise collection styles with all of our readers.

As a brief peek at some of my previous postsmight indicate, I love graphics trends on shoes whether they are subtle or over the top. A recent encounter at another website where a poster stated ‘Ed Hardy is So Last Year’ (and by extension, tattoo flash and graphic adornment) had me wondering whether such a declaration was perhaps premature. Of course, it twas not that long ago that fashion forecasters were also gloomily predicting the yet-to-materialise decline of the wedge heel. 

Both of the above positions are firmly contradicted by Gucci’s current offerings.

There is actually a lovely relaxed quality to many of the shoes in this collection; a certain femininity noticeable in a  variety of styles and silhouettes that are likely to please a diverse set of tastes.  Given my love of graphics, it is no surprise that my current favorite is the tattoo-inspired ‘Heart Slingbacks’ and ‘Heart Wedges’; I am a sucker for such playful styles.

I find these tan shoes to be stylish, feminine and just a touch edgy without bowing completely to the trend. No small feat, and the resulting shoe is one that will remain wearable when the tattoo-flash fashion heyday has played itself out.

This style also comes in a signature print for those who love the logo look. I’m not sure that these are quite as sexy as the tan simply due to the busier background, but the grey contrast is actually a very nice contrast against the rose artwork.

And, if you happen to be one of those shoe-lovers who is also more than a bit fond of handbags, the rose-detailed purses Gucci is offering will certainly round out your  accessories options for indulging in this trend.

Definitely on the funkier side, the Heart wedges don’t give me the same timeless feel as the slingback stilettos; yet they nevertheless have an undeniable sense of quirky fun that will be just the thing for the gal who isn’t shy about showing her personality.

For the more conservatively minded, Gucci’s tortoise-detailed stilettos, platforms and wedges are still plenty tempting, and, let’s face it, divine.

I absolutely love the tortoise stiletto. Simply sexy and sophisticated.  While Gucci is certainly not the first to add the tortoise detail at the heel, they have definitely done it right with these Sophia High Heel pumps. These are definitely a great excuse not to wear white after labor day (though if that bothers you, it also comes in black).

For a bit of a younger look, any one of the more casual tortoise styles will do the trick. The warm brown tones paired with black are certainly timely with the black and brown combinations that we have been seeing in recent handbag fashion.

And yes, for those of you who actually don’t mind the occasional matchy shoe-handbag indulgence, the Gucci Hysteria Clutch and Hysteria Medium Hobo also come in a matching tortoise finish.

These are certainly some of my favorite styles from this collection. Of course, this is by no means is the a comprehensive list of the 2009 Gucci Cruise shoe and handbag styles currently available, but a girl’s got to start somewhere.

Styles shown on this page:

Gucci Tattoo Heart Slingbacks (Tan) $695 
Gucci Tattoo Heart Slingbacks (Grey) $595
Gucci Joy Medium Boston Bag $695
Gucci Tribeca Medium Shoulder Bag $1395
Gucci Babouska Large Tote $1250
Gucci Tattoo Heart Wedges $780
Gucci Sophia High Heel Pumps $645
Gucci Grease Platform Sandals $775
Gucci Kotao Wedges $1125
Gucci Swing Vitello Vernice Wedges $575
Gucci Sunset Thongs $475
Gucci Hysteria Clutch $1250
Gucci Hysteria Medium Hobo $1360