I was browsing the shoe stores these days and was dazed with the possibilities and styles, and it got me thinking: what if I had to rebuild my shoe wardrobe from scratch? What if I had nothing, absolutely nothing to wear, and I would be forced to order shoes from one place and one place only to save me from this disgrace? (In this fantasy of mine, I don’t have shoes but I have plenty of money left to buy whatever I want. Ahem. Work with me here.). So I decided to create this little mind experiment and rebuild my wardrobe from scratch using one shoe store at a time. I need to cover my bases–I need dress shoes, warm-weather shoes, casual shoes, dog-walking shoes, career shoes, evening shoes, sensible shoes. Right? Right.

The first obvious place is, of course, Zappos. Here’s what I would pick up there, for starters, for the spring-summer season:

1. A. Testoni Giancarla red patent loafers, $376.

2. Michael Kors Palm Springs yellow patent flats, $400.  

3. Sigerson Morrison gold kitten-heeled sandals, $443.

4. Sergio Rossi Origami kitten heel pumps, $500.

5. Helle Comfort Ollie wedge, $160.

6. Ecco Performance Yarrah, $104.

7. Marc Jacobs color-block flat sandals, $353.

8. Delman Crest-V bejeweled velvet flat, $354.

9. Kate Spade Juliette open-toe slingbacks, $274.

10. Cole Haan Air Gabi boat shoe, $158.

11. Taryn Rose Daelyn gunmetal metallic wedges, $495.

 12. Christian Lacroix bejeweled kitten heels, $717.

13. Adidas by Stella McCartney sport flats, $100.

14. Tapeet by Vicini silver and gold flats, $400.

15. Dolce & Gabbana floral canvas flats, $330.

16. Juicy Coutoure Lillian espadrilles, $230.

17. Giuseppe Zanotti Mirror Lilia open-toe flats, $454.

18. Paul Green ‘Soul’ in leopard, $237 (although, shame on you, Zappos: the same shoe is half off at Piperlime! I guess it would be a good time to call them on it and get that 10% off the lowest price you can find on the Internet, right?)

19. Paul Smith Laney floral espadrille, $178.

Mmmmm….I’m drunk with shoes right now… I think I’m going to lie down, or I’ll buy all of them right now! Wait, I won’t: the grand total for this “starter” wardrobe is (drum roll): $6263. Over six thousand dollars. I probably went all crazy in the Couture section of Zappos, but I couldn’t help myself!

Later this week I’ll explore more eye-candy at other stores, and what it would take to get a “starter” spring-summer shoe wardrobe there. Stay tuned!

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It’s Saturday and that usually means the kick-off of some awesome sales around the Internets. I strongly suggest you check out the Bluefly sale, Sat.-Mon., which will give you an extra 15% off merchandise already on sale. I’ve picked just a few examples, but trust me, there is a lot more and I’d do some browsing in the lazy days of the afternoon if I were you.

So, here are some shoes that caught my eye:

Delman silver or gold flats, $76.50 (down from $255–that’s 70% off!)

Delicious Kate Spade purple velour slingbacks, now $81 (down from $295–that’s 73% off!):

Stuart Weitzman work-approved, yet delightfully stylish and cute lime green loafers, now $85 (down from$250–that’s 66% off!)

Slimmifying Delman tall stretch boots, fit for any calves, and now for any budget–$93.50, down from $310, that’s 70% off!

Designers are well-represented, so here’s your chance at owning some labels that might otherwise be out of reach–they’re usually about 50% off, sometimes more. I think these Prada camel leopard print pony hair pumps, $354, down from $695, are simply fab:

And so are these Gucci red sparkle patent buckle flats, $216, down from $425:

The sale lasts till Monday, and alas, sizes are quite limited–so if I were you, I would hurry.

Happy bargain shopping, shoe lovers!

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Shoe lovers, shoe lovers, hear ye, hear ye. Come one, come all and see the Nordstrom’s Fall Fashion Guide, a great friend to shoe fashionistas everywhere. Forecasting the prevailing trends of any given season is always a delightful thing, and when you can go buy those trends with a few extra clicks and all without leaving the comfort of your air conditioned, in-from-the-crazy-humidity-and-heat home or office… well that’s a foolproof formula, if you ask me.

So, what do we have in store for us this fall?

First off, the major trend (and we saw this at the WSA Show last week, too): booties! Think ankle height and you’ll be golden for fall on-trend status.

These booties are also great at bringing different decades of style into your wardrobe. How so?

Well, check out the 70s disco fever stylings of these mirror ball like MICHAEL Michael Kors silver Studio booties ($198).

Or if you’re looking for a little Victorian era Dickens style in your life, try these Jeffrey Campbell Cherry bootie ($110). Say it with me now. ”Please sir. I want some more.”

And if you’re digging the 80s revival, go with these Kenneth Cole Reaction Sexy Mrs booties ($129) and strut around with either leggings and a big belt over a tunic, or swing toward the punk side with some leather cuffs, skinny black jeans, and an old band t-shirt. What can I say, I’m a sucker for the punk look, and I just re-watched Sid and Nancy and got all geeked out on the style.

I’ll cheat for a minute and leave Nordstrom’s in the name of sharing my absolute favorite bootie for fall, the gorgeous Taryn Rose Dillian ($575). Super luxe, very posh, and good for your feet, too! And don’t forget the gray… also a big trendy color this fall… which brings us to…

Our next Fall Trend. That’s right: Gray, Baby! Since this is a color choice, there are lots of ways to work this trend into your shoe collection. Everything from this adorable suede and sequins Kate Spade Oz flat ($285)

to this divine Facade Eva wedge ($99).

Want to kill two trend birds with one stone? Grab this gray Connect bootie by Natural Comfort ($130).

I think the next trend might be my favorite of them all. Menswear Detailing. I always like shoes (and clothes for that matter) that have some androgyny to them. Lots of people are showing high heels with oxford lacing, like this beautiful Vince Camuto Maran peep toe ($130).

But if you’re like me and say an automatic NO WAY to a heel that high (that’s 4.5 inches, folks, and with only a .75 inch platform to help you out), then try something like the Circa Joan and David Dani skimmer ($99), which takes that classic of men’s blazers: tweed, and makes it sweet and feminine.

If you’ve been looking at all the delicious candy-colored patents shining around you and hoping you’ll be able to incorporate something so flash into fall, you’re in luck. Shiny Metallics for daytime wear are the next trend, and Nordstrom has some doozies on offer. Again, since this is a color story, you can find this one on pretty much any kind of shoe. These Via Spiga Vivo slingbacks ($198) could almost serve as a mirror to check your makeup. Just be careful wearing skirts!

And these Nine West Alyn flats (only $79) incorporate the shine of the metallic with the Yves Klein blue that will be making a big splash come next springtime. Snag this little shoe, and you’ll be set for several seasons to come. Seems like a worthwhile investment for that much trendiness.

And last, but certainly not least in our fall trend rundown: T-straps and Mary Janes. These are feminine classics, and it’s hard to go wrong.

Try something rounded like this Corso Como Candy MJ ($160)

or if you’ve got the feet to pull them off without intense pain, something sharper and pointier like this Claudia Ciuti Lilla pump ($295). T-strap: check. Shiny metallic: check. Super trendy: double and triple check.

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It’s as hot and humid as Hell’s Kitchen outside, so what’s a girl to do to satisfy her shoe obsession? Shop online, of course! Here are a few deals, no, make them steals, on the net for you today–last chance to snatch last season’s styles at bargain prices.

If you’re a size 5 or 6, these Jeffrey Campbell ‘Viper’ low pumps are stylish and cute, with a hint of Western flair and golden accents–AND they’re only $22 at Barefoot Tess:

If you’re a size 6, you can’t beat the $45 tag on these chic and comfy Kate Spade ‘Libby’ moccasins, in snakeskin-embossed leather with luggage trim:

If you’re a 6.5, 7, or 8.5, you may want to snatch these beautiful Sigerson Morrison ‘Leann’ low peep-toe wedges, in a beautiful, rich caramel color; they are reduced from $295 to $139:

If you’re an 8, 9, or really, just about any size, may I recommend a contemporary classic: Charles by Charles David ‘Bloom’ flat with flower detail on the vamp, available in numerous color combos (though not all available in all sizes), and reduced from $105 to $46:

If you’re a 9 (10, 11, and even 12), dip your toes in these simple yet fab ankle-strap John Fluevog ‘Labretta’ flats, now $53 down from about $175:

For the size 10: These Lambertson Truex ‘Goldie’ sandals are reduced from $375 to $160–a fabulous deal, but hurry: there’s only a month or so left to enjoy them this season!

Finally, if you’re a size 10 or 11, these very attractive Matt Bernson ‘Samantha’ flats will carry you gracefully into the fall (only $39, down from $153):

Happy bargain shopping, shoe-lovers!

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I was a very casual bride, one indeed not in the least preoccupied by the trifles and accoutrements that form the fodder of so many a young girl with sparkles in her eyes and a dream in her heart, a dream of happily-every-after, rose-strewn paths toward eternal bliss, with only the occasional unicorn or chubby-cheeked Cupid crashing that perfect day which marks the beginning of a perfect life.

I am, or at least was, kinda levelheaded about all that. We had a small ceremony presided over by a judge and two witnesses at the townhall; I wore a simple short white dress from a discount store (possibly TJ Maxx?) (I know) (no, really, trust me, I know) and some very comfy open-toed striped espadrille slides. I had no choice but to wear them because the day before I had stumbled over a perfectly innocent piece of furniture that separated me from my mail and bruised (blackened, rather) my left foot so severely I was certain I broke a toe. As a result,I had to limp for several days, so any other choice of footwear would have been laughable, if by laughable you mean, ‘would have made me double over in pain’.

Later that summer when we decided to have a ceremony back in my home country so that my parents could rest assured we were, indeed, married, I left all the details to my family; after all, I could only spend two weeks there, and I wasn’t going to be driven nuts by the legendary slackitude of my fellow-countrymen while trying to arrange a proper reception from 7000 miles away. I arrived sans a wedding dress, but with a very comfy pair of white-leather woven slides (Sesto Meucci). In just about every respect I was sort of a bridal bonehead. However, the importance of comfortable shoes has not been lost on me ever since: I was able to dance the night away in my shoes, while many of my (female) guests were, well, severely impeded in their mobility and agility by their crippling stilettos.

But enough about me! This post is occasioned by the impending nuptial of a lovely friend and member of this forum, who starts off on the right foot (really!) by wishing for comfortable shoes for her wedding day. Apart from the fact that, duh, it’s a pretty big day and you don’t want to be wincing in pain five minutes into it (hint: there is a lot of standing, walking around, and dancing involved), her sensible resolve is strengthened by their choice of venue–it’s an outdoor wedding, so the bride has to be able to walk comfortably on grass, which rules out any kind of heels, and even kitten heels. To further complicate matters, she got the idea of ’something blue’ stuck into her head, and why not put some blue into those shoes, right?

See, I did not have this all-consuming shoe passion back when I got married (in retrospect, that’s probably a good thing; not sure it would have been a strong selling point with my husband!), but now I kinda wish I did. Because I did not exactly splurge on a wedding dress for my reception, I could have splurged instead on shoes, right? Fabulous, out of these world shoes like these:

The silver and gold lame ‘Belle Vivier’ flats (from Roger Vivier, of course!) with the rhinestone buckle. A thing of wonder! Even at 20% off, they’re $876, a small fortune, of course, but fit for a goddess, no doubt.

I could have also probably settled for the silver croc-embossed version, at ‘only’ about half the price:

Or something equally fabulous from the master of bling, Giuseppe Zanotti?

These flats are covered in Swarovski crystals and cost $600 a pop, but my god. Shiny! Fantastic! And fantastically shiny!

Or perhaps I would have gone with something ruffled, off-the-beaten-path, but equally gorgeous, something like these Pedro Garcia Albany flats in ‘frappe satin’:

Or these Kate Spade bejeweled beauties in hematite metallic nappa:

But–I’m done and spoken for; time for other brides to shine, and not only hypothetically. Going back to my friend, let me say that I share her disgust of the ubiquitous ivory-satin-jeweled shoes with the teensy-weensy heel, a dime a dozen in every bridal shop. Brrr! Why not try to be unique and resplendent rather than trite and blah on your all-important day? Finally, let’s remember that my friend not only wanted something flat, classy, and sophisticated, but something blue, too! That was tough. Try as I might, I could only come up with the likes of these:

- Vera Wang soft blue gathered leather flats ($170, down from $430), which I would have further embellished with a little bit of shoe jewelry (from here or here), or maybe these Delman flats:

–with a caveat, though: get them only if you have relatively narrow feet–otherwise, forget it!. Still, these did not seem bridal enough!

And here is when my friend made the wise and totally appropriate bridal purchase, which I can only heartily condone should you be in need of a footwear idea for your own special day: This half d’Orsay pointy-toe skimmer from Shannon Britt, the ‘Olivia’, with a light blue embroidered satin upper:

Beautiful, no? If there is one message I want you to take is this: Brides to be, do not fear being comfortable. There are super-elegant, super-dressy options out there that will not kill your feet and will compliment any dress. Dare to dream!

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