Most of the shops were beyond my budget, but while attending the World Show Association (WSA) Convention last month I felt it was my solemn shoeblog duty to at least window shop at the the Shoppes at Palazzo Las Vegas.

First up, the 85,000 square feet of retail space at Barneys New York. I loved the wire framed high heel which greeted me at the main shoe window display.

The fierce lioness growling at anyone who dares to come near her sumptuous feast of luxury shoes. I found it amusing that she was biting a pair of faux cow-hide pumps. All the fun but none of the blood or gore.

This particular mannequin reminds me a bit of the African tribeswomen who might gracefully balance woven baskets on their heads. Only in this case, instead of baskets she’s balancing metallic handbags.

A Jimmy Choo boutique was also present. This particular shop had similar decor to the boutique in the Forum Shoppes of Caesar’s . Business must be good to be able to open two boutiques so close to each other.

But then again, who wouldn’t want to buy these lovely sandals if they could afford them.

There was also a Tory Burch boutique embossed with her signature logo.

But sadly, Christian Louboutin’s boutique was under construction. I guess the means I need to plan another trip when it opens for business. Just kidding…..

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The time has come, readers, to announce the winners of our Fashionista Diaries ”Designer Shoe Deja Vu” contest.

The grand prize winner is yowza, who not only got all the answers correct, but also identified most of the specific styles. Congrats, yowza!

And since there were 5 runner-up prizes, congrats also to purly, bobby_darling, referencelibrarian, madian, and sbyles.

We’ll be getting in touch with you about where to send prizes.

And for the answers, here they are, with the designer shoe in each pair bolded:

1a. Oh Deer! Chloe $96
1b. Christian Louboutin Yoyo Zeppa $640

2a. Jimmy Choo Nevada $510
2b. Kenneth Cole Reaction O’Look $83

3a. Via Spiga Neda $173
3b. Rupert Sanderson Regal $595

4a. Baci Lucky $99
4b. Lanvin Pinhole Pumps $696

5a. CARLOS by Carlos Santana Pounce $98
5b. Giuseppe Zanotti I70136 $429

6a. Givenchy Patent Trim Oxford $1,000
6b. Diesel Tiieu $120

Congrats again to the winners, and stay tuned for more upcoming Shoeblog contests with great prizes.

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InStyle magazine has published their annual shoe guide for the fall. The magazine tells us what’s shoe styles are hot and shows what clothes to wear with the shoes. For those who subscribe to the magazine, check out pages 207-22 of the August edition for tons of shoe pictures. For the benefit of those that don’t have the magazine (which I highly encourage you to subscribe to) shall we do a brief rundown of the different fall shoe trends? I’ll also do my best to find some visual examples of stars wearing the look too.

Fall Shoe Trend #1: Cap-Toe Heels

This fall we’ll see women’s shoes with cap decorations in patent. They’ll appear on slingbacks, pumps, and mary-janes. InStyle recommends that you use the color of the toe cap to match your clothes.

Examples:

Tory Burch Quilted Pump

Marc Jacobs Mary Jane Platforms

Fall Shoe Trend #2: Ankle Boots HOT!

The ankle booties will go well with the skinny jeans you bought when you saw them on Kate Moss. Be sure to avoid showing flesh when wearing these boots (i.e. no minis) since the high cut of the shoe can make your legs shorter than they really are. Another way to wear the ankle boot is to pair them with tights which are the same color as the boots, as seen on Gwen Stefani.

Picture from MSNBC

Examples:

I really like the four fake buttons on these Franco Sarto Booties, which is currently on sale for $66 during Nordstrom’s Anniversary sale. The buttons give these shoes a victorian vibe.

For a little extra color, why not go for the Steve Madden ankle booties?

These black Christian Louboutin booties are super sexy will go well with many outfits. Good thing too, it’ll help ease the pain of the $750 pricetag.

Fall Shoe Trend #3: Banded Flats

Yup, flats are still in but this time they’re accessoried by a band. The skinnier the pants, the better they will go with the banded flats.

Examples:

I’m currently drolling over these silver Marc Jacob ballerinas. Cute, fun, and ruffly, what’s not to love?

Marc Jacob ballerina

The Palladium Lauren ballet flat is also a cute style and is nicely priced at $37 at Jildor Shoes.

Fall Shoe Trend #4: Tall Cuffed Boots

For me, tall boots are a classic which, with the right material and color, will never go out of style. Wear the boots with skirts but avoid jeans, the cuffs already add extra bulk to the calves.

Example:

This cuffed Just Cavalli zipper boot is easy to slip on and an instant classic for work with the rounded toe.

For a more Bohemian look, consider the Mia Nomad slouchy boot. It has a comfortable 1/2 inch heel, a foldover cuff, and what’s not to like about the stitching and the tassel. It’s available at Amazon for $35 but buy it at Endless for $53 and with their pricematch policy your total price is $33 bucks, plus it ships overnight! While it’s not instant gratification, it sure comes close.

Fall Shoe Trend #5: Oxford Booties HOT!

Shoesense reported on this trend already in a This Week in Shoes update (look for the Wall Street Journal link). The shoes are great for the office since they’re both feminine and masculine and will look nice with skirts.

Example:

Dolce and Gabbana Round Toe Lace Up Bootie at Nordies for $650

Valentino Francesina Bootie at NM for $695

Moschino Bootie at Zappos for $290

Fall Shoe Trend #6: Casual Flat Boot

I’m short (5′3), but if you have long slim legs like Mischa or Sienna, the casual flat boot works well over jeans. Suede and shearling go well for a casual look and metal hardware or chain details on the boot are for dressier styles.

Example:

Gucci Minerva Boot at Saks for $1095.

Frye Slouch at Piperlime for $300.

If you like the Frye Slouch but need something below the $50 price range, try the Naughty Monkey Motor Psyche Boot. It’s $26 at Amazon and shipping is free.

Fall Shoe Trend #8: Black and Gold

Instyle recommends pairing the black and gold evening shoe with a black cocktail dress. They also like the gold trimmed shoes because they enhance the glint on metallic clothes, like this outfit worn by Amanda Bynes.

Example:

Manolo Blahnik Two Tone Patent Pump at NM for $635

Nine West Chardin at their online store for $99

Fall Shoe Trend #8: Satin Evening

According to InStyle magazine, ‘patterned black-tie gowns in a rainbow of colors. Match pinks with browns, plums with blacks, and blues with both’

Example:

For the lady in red, how about these gorgeous Christian Louboutin Satin d-Orsays at NM for $530?

Or take advantage of the platform trend (which oddly isn’t listed in the magazine) with these Marc Jacobs pumps. Do you like the olive-like satin ball?

Fall Shoe Trend #9: Crystal Jewels

Our last Instyle fall shoe trend are the crystal jewelled shoes, which are best worn with the flirty cocktail dress or evening pants.

The Nine West Levant pump ($99) satisfies the satin AND the crystal jewel trend. Gray is usually a boring color, but the jewels give this shoe a little umph.

Or what about these Guiseppe Zanotti silk peep toes($625). Not too shabby right?

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