Marc by Marc Jacobs has me rethinking the question of plastics.

If you glance through our forums, it doesn’t take long to find opinion threads that are violently anti’ both vinyl and plastics. (Vinyl no-no!)

More complimentary comments tend toward statements of ‘cute but cheap’ to the less complimentary ‘cheap and trashy’. Quite a range of reactions, actually. Especially when I am reminded that the original high-heeled dream shoe for most little girls is a version of Cinderella’s glass slipper. Glass being totally impractical and possibly dangerous, synthetics are the closest we are likely to get to this any time soon. Anyone else notice that the slipper that Giselle wears in Disney’s movie ‘Enchanted’ was a clear vinyl pump? (Similar to this shoe at Endless.com or this shoe at Zappos.com)

(Photos are a bit fuzzy since the only shot I could find of this was with my copy of the movie freeze-framed to get a close-up of Giselle removing her shoe before her character goes running off barefoot to save her true love.)

Visions of sparkly shoes and bouffant dresses stay with many of us even into adulthood. The wedding industry makes its money by fulfilling a wedding fantasy that most of us, consciously or not, have begun planning long before there was a Prince Charming in our lives. Most grooms I have known would describe their wedding shoe as ‘black’ - But, ask a woman about her wedding shoe and you run the very real risk of having her launch into a glorious soliloquy on her perfect shoe, how and where she found it, how it fit, and how it made her feel.

So, I’ve never owned any jelly shoes or been attracted to shoes with vinyl uppers or Lucite heels. Until now.

Look at this sparkly little-girl-all-grown-up fantasy of a shoe.

In Pink (above) or Smoke (Below)

Available at Saks.com and Shoes.com for $415, but currently discounted at Zappos.com for $310.06.

For ladies who prefer a lower heel, there is also a flat version that is easier on the pocketbook as well:

Available for $269 at Shoes.com, with some limited quantities available at the lower prices of $94.45 at Saks.com, $195.00 at eluxury.com, and $201 at Zappos.com.

OK, I’m still a little leery about the possibility of perspiring tootsies. In spite of that (maybe it’s that little girl in me), I like them the way I like ribbons on a pretty Christmas package.

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Now that summer is officially upon us, I’ve noticed lots and lots of women wearing variations of essentially one model, which looks more or less like this:

For easy mental reference, I call this “the bib sandal,” a thong sans décolletage, if you will, all naked at the toes and all business up at the ankle. The one pictured above is the Kenneth Cole New York “Hampton Beach,” $129 at Zappos; there are plenty more, of course. They create the illusion of pointedness without the aggravation of pointy shoes: a win-win situation, if you ask me. The women I’ve seen in this type of gladiator-light sandal looked spiffy and put together (not to mention comfortable) in their breezy linen capris or summer-weight jeans, or gauzy flowing skirts. Here are a few more for your browsing pleasure:

A classic look that will go well with just about anything, but especially with flowers in your hair and a big smile, the K. Jacques “Cyrus” sandal is $178 at Shopbop.

The Frye “Mary” beaded edge thong comes in four colors (black, white, gray, and wine) and is $158 at Shopbop. A truly classy look with lots of fun details (buckle, beads, heel cutout) which makes this sandal a winner in my book.

If you want more of an evening look, there’s this Pelle Moda “Arion” model with loads of rhinestones and pearlized leather, coming in four color combos (black, silver, bronze, and platinum gold); it’s $116.10 at Zappos, or if you’re just looking for the gold version, $62.48 at Endless. (And for those of you who live and sleep in high heels, they also have a high-heeled version of this sandal for $133 at Zappos). Oh, while you’re at it: check out this identical twin (IDENTICAL IN EVERY WAY, people!): the RSVP Adrianne sandal (available for $70). My mind is officially boggled!

For the Marc Jacobs fans, here’s a simple and sleek version in a low wedge, in green or tan, on sale for $206.50 (down from $$295) at Shopbop.

This Unisa “Camera” sandal offers a cute embellished variation, plus a thicker molded footbed (mmm, my favorite!) for $79 at Piperlime.

The Kate Spade “Kip” sandals, in red, green, or black, are positively dreamy–though, at $264, they’re kind of pricy. Still, I love the print, the skinny-bib effect, and the strategically placed studs. (Very similar concept but different execution here, in this Lauren by Ralph Lauren “Edie” sandal in Kelly-green patent, $89 at Endless:

.) I’m sure you can find your own favorite versions with a little bit of prodding–Happy Sandal Shopping, shoe lovers!

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Sure, it seems rather narcissistic for Marc Jacobs to create a shoe with “love marc” prints but this low heel is quite cute and sure to be a hit with MJ fans everywhere.

Marc by Marc Jacobs “Love Marc” Low Heel available at Eluxury for $275.

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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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…are now available for pre-order at Saks. Remember those, right?

They were the talk of last fall’s fashion week. Try not to get confused on how to wear these–though, admittedly, it’s not easy:

You’ve got the height (4″), you’ve got the heel (somewhere, exact location is not important), you’ve got your trendy patent and peep-toe, you’re good to go. Or not–I cannot vouch for your balance in these, and come to think of it, I am really not sure of the occasion where these shoes would fit. Any suggestions?

In case you can’t live without them, pre-order them at Saks for $545.

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