It’s hard to miss Louboutin’s Bridget and Bridget Strass lace mesh booties – several celebs have been spotted wearing them.  I suppose it was inevitable that this stunning style would show up in a legal copy somewhere.

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So, I’m sitting here,  sipping a home-brewed mocha with a sprained ankle. It seemed a perfect opportunity to do a quick shoe-showdown. What else would I expect do with sudden, unexpected, bed rest?

These Givenchy wedges were seen last fall on the SS2010 runway and were available for purchase as of late March of this year. Jeffrey Campbell’s ‘Tick’ wedges beat Givenchy’s runway wedges to the retail scene by almost six months. So, are they a crazy, rushed, runway-inspired copy? Or did several designers get mad deals on similar, psychedelic, tribal fabric?

Yes, these are the things I wonder about at 10pm when most people are either tucked into bed or out on the town.  I’m not sure what, if anything, that says about me…hmm..Anyway, I’d love to know which style is your favorite and why.

Givenchy Jersey print wedges $1550.70 at Luisaviaroma.

Jeffrey Campbell ‘Tick’ wedges $150 at Karmaloop.

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Sometimes you encounter a style and just know you’ve seen it before.

Compare this:

Vince Camuto ‘Wendy’ Sandal $118.95 at Endless.com & $120 at Zappos.com

To this:

Giuseppe Zanotti I90265 $750 $357 at Zappos.com & $412.50 at Endless.com

The differences between these are minor, but noticeable when comparing them side by side.  Which ones do you prefer: the originals from Zanotti, or the near-copies from Camuto?

Also, how do you feel about designer inspired styles that are near-knockoffs of higher-end designers?  Such styles are legal at this time as long as no trademarks from the original design are copied onto the lower-end style – but should we demand more creativity from mid-end brands who can probably afford to invest in more original design talent rather than resorting to being runway copyists?

*I should note that a lot of Camuto designs are not so imitative. I love the brand, in fact, because they have been some of the best-fitting heels I have found for my arch height and shape.

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Some of you may recall that I liked the Gucci Cruise ‘09 Heart Slingbacks quite a bit when they were available for sale last fall.

These displayed more than a little echo of Christian Audigier / Ed Hardy styling without being terribly over the top. Plus, I’m a sucker for slingbacks that make my feet look all pretty and disguise flaws while still having a bit of sassy peek-a-boo appeal, so I was double tempted than had these merely been pumps.

Alas, I passed on purchasing them since they were not in my cash-flow plan at that time.

…As a side note, I have actually managed to stick to my attempts at a budget  – for the most part.  I’m only human and things do come up – but, over the last year I have declined to make any shoe purchases over $200, and at that,  rarely.  In fact, my last shoe purchase was back at the end of February, so self control for me has been generally successful, even if it is all about staying on the cold-turkey wagon and keeping my mindset on the task of  new shoe-finds for our readers here on Shoeblog to vicariously fill my shoe needs.

Anyway, I keep reminding myself that  paying down my debt is one of my most important goals for 2010.   The road to financial stability is worth it, but temptation arises in unexpected ways.

This Martinez Valero Gucci-twin is one of those temptations.  These are copies, not counterfeits, and therefore legal; they make no claims to being an actual Gucci product. But, comparing these two products, the source shoe  is unmistakable:

Martinez Valero ‘Onaway’ $159, on sale for $55.98 at Smartbargains & $96.22 at Endless.com

I had written the Gucci’s off as an ebay aftermarket hunt for sometime in 2011, after my bills are paid off, if at all. Now temptation rears its ugly head.

Should I feel bad that I am tempted by these Valero’s? I am still undecided on the whole legal copies issue, which is much more complicated than initial observations might suggest.

Maybe my weird mental guilt issues would be calmed if I mini-splurged on the black rather than the tan since I don’t recall that color being offered by Gucci?

Or, am I over-thinking this?

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Last year, visions of Jeffrey Campbell’s ‘Michelle’ shoe sent shoe-loving bloggers into a  veritable swoon. Something about the frilly ruffles and that twisted unicorn heel effortlessly recalls fairy-tale dreams of girlhood; a time where you could be a tomboy one moment and an all-powerful queen the next.

Jeffrey Campbell’s ‘Michelle’ is $109-135 in various colors at Nordstrom, Solestruck, LuLu’s, Bianca Rose & Whatapair.

So, who has copied this design?

First,  Jeffrey Campbell has lifted his own unicorn-heel design and added a solid punk vibe:

Jeffrey Campbell ‘Inches’ ankle bootie $129.95 at Solestruck.com & $119 at LuLus.com

Then, for the buyer on a budget, Wild Rose is offering the inevitable low-priced knockoff – in both a pastel inspired version as well as more literal JC copies.

Wild Rose Lucy 02 $22.99 & Wild Rose Lucy 04 $21.99 at Cutesyshoes.com

(Also available at GoJane.com)

Wild Rose Lucy 01 $21.20 at GoJane.com & UrbanOriginal.com

At this under $30 price-point, don’t expect longevity; these are for those people who only wear unusual shoe styles for a season or two.

If you, however, know that you will love these for years instead of a single season, I recommend that you find a way to budget yourself into a pair of the Jeffrey Campbell originals.

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