Like the Fug Girls, I wasn’t particularly enamored with what Charlize wore to the MTV Movie Awards:  It made her legs look spidery rather than supple and her midsection heavy rather than slim–overall, not a very flattering outfit. Except for…you guessed it: The Shoes. This shoe, to be precise:   These Roger Vivier dainty gladiators, buckled with rhinestones and sporting a black satin spine down the middle will run you £1,750, or $3,500. (Aaaannd I believe my blood just curdled.) They are gorgeous, though, despite their complete and utter impracticality, which makes them suitable for, oh, I don’t know, walking a maximum 300 feet from the limo to the theater to the stage (ditch them after you present the award and they’re done taking pics, that’s my advice). The shoes are a suitable match for Charlize’s glamorous face; the rest, not so much.  (Photo courtesy of Go Fug Yourself.) 

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One of my favorite shoes from the V&A Golden Age of Couture show that Jitterbugbaby posted about were these gilded Roger Vivier for Christian Dior pumps, Paris 1952-4.

They certainly don’t make shoes like these anymore.

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After last week’s Friday Shoe History Corner trip to the Louvre, I thought we’d take a gander at London’s V&A this week.  Their Golden Age of Couture show (focused on Paris and London between 1947 and 1957) is now closed, but the website is still up, so in case you didn’t get to see it in person, here are a few of the Roger Vivier footwear highlights.  Being a French designer, of course, these all fall into the “Paris” half of the show, and some of them have a suitably couture over-the-top decadence about them, while others rely on the simplicity of the shape to make a woman’s foot look divine.

Coral and diamante embroidered satin, late 1950s, for Christian Dior

Pink satin embroidered with metallic thread and sequins, ca. 1958, for Christian Dior

Coral and diamante embroidered satin, ca. 1958, for Christian Dior

Remind you of the iconic pilgrim shoes that Shoesense adores?  Indeed.  This version is satin with a diamante buckle, from the late 1950s, for Christian Dior.

Tulle over satin, 1954, for Christian Dior

Any of these would still make a strong statement at a party, and when the no-doubt uber fashionable ladies of the 1950s wore them out, I’ll bet they did the same thing.

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Faithful Shoeblog readers may remember back in May when Shoesense posted about the new shoes-only zip code at Saks Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.

Well, what’s the good of living near such a shoe lover’s Mecca if I don’t go check the place out now that it’s been open for a few weeks.  So that’s what I did for a part of Saturday afternoon.  And for all you shoe lovers out there who want to live vicariously through my trip, I come bearing pictures.  Come walk with me in Shoeland.

More below the jump.

Read the rest of this entry »

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Now that the Harry Potter mania is about to reach the same levels as the iPhone one, with certain people queuing at Barnes and Noble early in the morning to read its thrilling conclusion (and you know who you are), perhaps it’s time to think of ways to greet the wizardry fest shod in some proper witch shoes.

If you’re on a budget, of course, you can go with these:

…cheap witch shoes which you can get for $30 here and there on the internets.

But if you can conjure some riches with the tip of your magic wand, here’s a much more fabulous option:

Casadei 4768 Red Velvet Boots, $451 on Zappos (and that’s almost half off). Now, that’s kicking it in style!

Or if the knee-high length is sort of overkill for ya, there are these (by comparison) understated booties:

Etro 6028 purple sueded booties with croc trim, $335 at Zappos (over 40% off). Wouldn’t Hermione be proud of wearing these?

Of course, you can always sex it up French style:

Roger Vivier deep purple patent buckle pumps, $315 at Bluefly (40% off). Definitely something Fleur Delacour would don to seduce Harry!

Finally, if you can’t decide you want to be a witch or a wizard, here’s something appealing to your androgynous side:

Bottega Veneta wingtip oxfords in brown, purple and green leather, $464 at Bluefly (20% off).

See you all at Hogwarts, my friends!

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