Last Monday, after picking me up at the airport, my hubby was kind enough to stop by Nordstrom as a way of killing time before meeting for dinner with the in-laws that evening (Our little town doesn’t get any fancier than Macy’s & TJ Maxx).  So, we did the mall walk-through, ending in the Nordie’s shoe department …. Oh, do they have other departments?

Anyway, they were just enough new boots on display to make me both excited and impatient for fall to be here already.  And, there was one purple ankle bootie that had hubby again acting the enabler to my shoe habit - All purple suede and a funky-tough zipper trim. “Hey Babe, you don’t really have anything in purple, do you?”.   (Really, this is why I can’t take the man shopping with me: I can say no to myself, but he has a bit of a tougher time of it….Of course, I suppose a gal could have worse issues to deal with than a hubby that wants to see her happy.)

And, I have to admit, I don’t have anything in my shoe-closet quite like this:

Steven by Steve Madden ‘Bevan’ $99.90 $168.95

But, I was good and didn’t try them on. After all, we had dinner plans and had the whole next day free before we needed to head back on the 3-hour drive back home.

Um, maybe not so good. Apparently, Nordstrom re-set their entire women’s shoe department overnight and these babies were nowhere to be found in-store come Tuesday.

But, all was not lost.  While no longer available at the local Nordstrom (I have a feeling The Rack could be seeing these shortly), a quick search at the Nordstrom website had these showing on sale for about $70 off. So, I guess, that’s not such bad news after all.

Now, at $100 these are a much better value than when they were at their original $170-ish pricing. Plus, Madden’s are a great fit on my higher arched feet; they are almost always true to size and ready to wear without my needing to run to the store for arch inserts.

And let’s face it. They’re purple! Maybe it’s time to dust of my Nordstrom’s card.

(Oh, and in case you are interested in these, they are also available in several other color and leather choices at Steve Madden, Zappos, and Endless)

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Lately, all over the internet, on sites that strive for a good, honest reputation (Luxist and ShoeBlog included) banner ads for shoe sites such as LouboutinMall, LouboutinBox, and other Louboutin url derivatives have been popping up advertising “genuine Christian Louboutin pumps for only $150″. There has been a fair amount of discussion about these sites, including why the advertisements are showing up (for ShoeBlog, we rely on an advertisement network to serve up ads to pay for our costs and have little control on that gets added. We try to take down spammy ads but sometimes, to our chagrin, they pop up faster than we can remove them). The main question all of us have wondered is, are these sites selling authentic Louboutins?

Christian Louboutin as a company is not a publicly traded. So, Mr. Louboutin has full control over the product, marketing, and quality.He graciously turns down investors on a regular basis instead, focusing on sustainable profit, design, craftsmanship and his customer of which he has many loyal. He does not want to answer to investors; he has the luxury of serving his loyal customers, employees and complete design control.

Now, if he has turned investors down regularly because he wants quality control, WHY in the world would he flood the market, charging wholesalers $75, or even $100 for handcrafted high quality shoes? (Remember, wholesalers typically double their cost). We all know these are fakes. Pure and simple. I am not going to go into the moral aspects of the conditions in which these fakes are manufactured.  My issue is quality of your purchase.

Twenty four years ago my husband purchased a Louis Vuitton handbag after the birth of one of my boys.

It cost about $600. It seemed like a fortune to a young mother.  I have used the hell out of that bag.  It was a diaper bag for 3 children, it was a weekender bag, it is now a carry-on bag when I travel.  It has aged reasonably well.  Why?  It was made with real leather and superior craftmanship and it still looks wonderful.    Ten years ago I bought a Louis Vuitton fake for $40.  It looked good for about 2 weeks.  My granddaughter now plays with it in her dress-up box. When I buy something I always figure, “It takes me X days to pay for this, is it worth it?” So, is it worth 3 or 4 days worth of work to pay for something that will last six months at best? Will you have this fake 20 years later?  You will have the real deal 40 years later

Do you want a platform pump for about $150?

Dolce Vida Madison Steve Madden Slique

A maryjane?

Carlos Infinity Harajuku Lovers Infinity

Triple platform?

Steve Madden Triplet Enzo Angiolini

Are these exactly like Louboutin shoes.  Of course not.  Are they quality shoes?  I think so.  Are they counterfeit?  No.  I think the most touching posts I have read is by Islingback in ShoeBlog’s forums.  After hard financial times, she was able to buy a pair of desinger shoes.  Would she be as thrilled with a fake?  I don’t think so.

We want Louboutins because he has spent time, energy and money to make a shoe and a reputation as the best.  With a fake you will get neither, except pictures which have clearly been stolen from Neiman Marcus, Saks, and Ebay of authentic Louboutins.  As consumers, let’s be responsible with whom and how our money is spent.  I learned my lesson ten years ago.  It cost me $40.

Update:  From NYMag, here’s more confirmation from a Louboutin spokeswoman that the shoes are fake and also responses from the counterfeit sites confirming as well.

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Don’t you love Cannes?  Eleven days of style and red carpet fashion.  Oh Yeah, and films.  Here are just a few of the shoes seen on the red carpet.   

These shoes have been a hit with those who don’t want to be seen as playing it safe. The trouble is that they have been seen everywhere.  Variations of this shoe have been seen on Madonna, Victoria Beckham, Kerry Washington (twice)  and Isabelle Huppert.  

One of the reasons I love Cannes is because it truly has an international attitude.  The women don’t have that odd wax lip thing going on.  The mature women don’t look like they have a Kabuki mask on.  They have allowed themselves to age gracefully. Right now, Isabelle and Robin Wright Penn are my heros.

 I Love, Love, Love the way Isabelle made an odball dress work with these shoes.  Isabelle Huppert in Louis Vuitton Fall Collection 2009.

Kerry Washington at the Amend Charity Luncheon, Cannes 2009.  Kerry wore a gold version of this shoe.

Asia Argento in Armani Prive

Charlotte Gainsbourg wore some amazing Balenciaga Heels.  I have tried to get a large photo, but I am a techno dork, for which I appologize.

Sarah Marshall wore Sergio Rossi’s coil heel.  Do you love these or what??  I didn’t think they were available yet. 

Bae Doo-na from Air Dolls wore Steve Madden Gladiator Flats at a daytime press conference. She wore a gorgeous Doir dress later that night.  (I will include the dress just because she looks so great in it. )  I love a girl who goes from Steve Madden to Dior.

Ya gotta include Phoebe.

Most photos fom Red Carpet Fashion Awards

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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.

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It may be a madhouse, but Shoe Mania in Union Square in New York was a goldmine when I visited it last week. To be found were Via Spiga, Steve Madden, Frye, Michael Kors and others galore. All sales final. 50 percent crazy sale, indeed!

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