I loved the Miu Miu “Pop” brogues that came out last fall. With subtle color-block styling, including topstitching and wingtip styling, it was a wonderfully feminine version of a classic menswear shoe. (See Manolo’s take here):

There are a few isolated sizes & styles available at Net-a-porter and Bluefly- but Bluefly is already selling out some styles even as I am writing this, so these will not be around for long, even at discounted prices that are still around $500.

These were apparently too original to stay original.   I am in true awe at the sheer mass of imitations that have spawned from these fun and elegant originals. 

Be warned, some are quite cute, but others border on a level of “What were they thinking?” that leaves me shaking my head in confusion.

So, in no particular order:

Contestant #1 -  Guess by Marciano “Yerex” $125 at Shoes.com & $129 at Zappos.com (Not too extreme, and I kind of like the slender heel):

Contestant #2 -  Two Lips  “Cotton Club” $79 at Shoes.com and Zappos.com (Not sure I’m really ‘feeling’ the antiqued/brushed metal finish.):

Contestant #3 -  Hale Bob “Imagine” $87.47 - $124.95 at Endless.com, Heels.com & Shoes.com. (I’m okay with the metallic color balance, but the red is just too much for me.)

Contestant #4 - Dollhouse with the “Warhole” and “Rembrandt” styles $69.99 at Heels.com for either style. (Honestly, I do like the blue combo as it has enough differences to make it a nice variation on the original idea.)

Contestant #5 - Bamboo ‘Hanete01′ $34.99 at Cutesyshoes  (I can’t ever see myself wearing this cotton-candy color combo.):

And, no,  I have not forgotten Steve Madden, master style imitator; He has an honorable mention for the “Specs” which have apparently sold out at most online retailers.

So, how do we feel about these?

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The Senate is considering a bill that will protect designers from having their creations copied by knockoff companies. Senator Schumer, the driving force behind it, is trying to extend copyright protection to fashion.

‘Designers spend countless hours doing and redoing, testing, creating, thinking, and then some counterfeiter comes along and just takes it away,’ said Mr. Schumer. ‘It’s plain and simple.’–reports The New York Times.

If that happens, I wonder, how would the likes of Steven Madden or Jessica Simpson survive?

Bettye Mueller ‘Pearl’ Pumps, $385 at Nordstrom

What do you think about this? If you are enjoying the benefits of high street creations, which allow you to pay $300 less for a relatively identical style, would you be against this law? Or do you see a problem with what amounts to intellectual theft? Or do you think it would be hard to make the argument that a knockoff is a knockoff if some little detail is changed? It’s a tough one–give us your opinions in the forum!

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I know stores are starting to move into fall merchandise, but it’s hard to think of fall when it’s nearly 90 degrees (as it has been in the Northeast for the past few days), and I’m still mainly wearing my summer shoes.

It was only this weekend, in fact, that I was passing through a DSW and saw this Cassie flats by MIA.

 They’re cute, no?  And I reminded me that it seems like I’ve seen that style EVERYWHERE.

Colin Stuart makes a patent version that I saw in this month’s Lucky magazine (which I now can’t seem to find anywhere online).

And my favorite version is by Steve Madden, a company I’m not much into in general.  But they’ve got a section of their website where you can take a basic shoe design and choose your own color and material options to snaz it up.  And on that DIY section, there’s the Eleve, which, for $100 you can choose to have completely flat, with a tiny slice of heel, or with a little kitten heel.  You can pick all the customization options, and come up with your own version of this popular style.  For example:

A Do It Yourself option is always fun, and a great way to get the perfect shoes to match an outfit without having to move heaven and earth to find them. 

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While perusing a sale at my local DSW this past weekend, I came across the Kizmit jeweled flat by Steve Madden ($56):

Cute, no?

And I kept thinking, ”Where have I seen this shoe before, and for more money?”

Was it the Party jeweled flat by Kate Spade ($259)?

No.

It was the 6108 jeweled flat by Sigerson Morrison ($394)!

Want to snatch up this cute style for cocktail parties? Don’t want to spend nearly $400? Then grab Steve Madden’s version (also available in additional colors at Amazon for $79).

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As any regular Shoeblog reader knows, I’m always looking for the perfect blend of comfort and style when I buy new shoes. And so, apparently are some of the enterprising reporters for the Cleveland Plain Dealer. They rated a bunch of shoes under $155 on a scale of 1 to 5 (5 being best) for comfort and style, as well as reviewing how it felt to wear them and how long they remained comfy.

So, what did these smart ladies find? It’s all here, plus added pictures.

Aerosoles Kin Ship wedge (shown here in all its various color options), $79.

Style: 3

Comfort: 4

Heel height: 3 inches

The dish: These cute espadrilles made it through a full 10 hour day retaining their comfort. You might want to order a half size down, since these apparently run a bit big, but their comfort was undeniable.

Born Monte Carlo wedge sandal, $94 at Zappos.

Style: 3

Comfort: 2

Heel height: 3.5 inches

The dish: These cute summer sandals only lasted a few hours before raising blisters on the reviewer’s feet. She says the footbed was comfy, and the rubber sole was great for anti-slipping power, but the leather was stiff and rubbed her feet raw.

Corso Como No. 4019920, $145 at Citysoles.com

Style: 5

Comfort: 4

Heel height: 4 inches

The dish: These made it through the whole 10 hour day, as well, but the reporter giving them a spin was happy to take them off at the end of the day. The footbed was cushioned nicely, and the platform under the ball of the foot helped alleviate pain in that area, but, as she put it, ”Four-inch heels are still 4-inch heels.”

One of Two Pacific Peep Toes, $148 at Anthropologie (although when I checked them, they were $168).

(You’ll have to forgive the tiny picture… Photobucket is being difficult at the moment).

Style: 4

Comfort: 5

Heel height: 3.25 inches

The dish: These lasted 10 hours easily. There’s lots of padding in the insole and through the arch, and the platform again cuts down on the feeling of height from the wedge. The leather is soft, and the ankle strap helped with a feeling of stability.

Sofft Noel heeled sandal, $92 at Shoeline.

Style: 3

Comfort: 4

Heel height: 2.5 inches

The dish: At first, these cute sandals didn’t last more than 3 hours before causing blisters, but after a little break-in period, they made it through the day with flying colors. The footbed was the most comfortable the testers tried, but the heel was a little wobbly and the gold metallic leather looked a tad on the cheap side.

Faryl Robin Fanny ankle-strap sandal, $148 at Zappos (although now it’s $158).

Style: 5

Comfort: 5

Heel height: 3.75 inches

The dish: I can’t really put it any better than the reporters themselves do, so let me just quote you what they say:

How long can they be worn without pain? All day, plus you can clomp down four flights of wooden stairs balancing a giant purse and a Glad trash bag stuffed to bursting. Now that’s a shoe a girl can count on.

Impressions: The perfect collision of bohemian style and orthopedic comfort. New York designer Faryl Robin follows a simple guiding principal when crafting women’s shoes: If they aren’t comfortable enough to take the kids to school in them — on foot — it’s back to the drawing board.

Natural Comfort D100 Rust Suede platforms, $143 at Zappos.

Style: 5

Comfort: 4

Heel height: 4.5 inches

The dish: Well, with tights, these lasted a full day, but without tights only half a day. The cushy footbed is made out of the stuff that pads football helmets, so it’s soft to walk on, but the toe box is kinda narrow, so it may squeeze.

Blowfish Swiss Cheese ballet flat, only $30 at Shoebungalow.com.

Style: 4.5

Comfort: 3.5

Heel height: flat

The dish: The usual issues with ballet flats: no arch support and digging into your feet by the end of the day. But the ”fabric” is a rubberized material instead of leather, so they’re veggie-friendly, and all the holes let your feet breathe freely.

And that’s it.

I’m skipping the last two entries.  One is the Geox D Megan wedge sandal, which can apparently be found at Zappos for $99, but didn’t appear there or anywhere else in my search.  They only get a 3.5 for comfort, anyway.  And the last one is a Steve Madden wedge with an ankle strap, but they don’t give a style name, so I’m stumped.

And there you have it.  The findings of several intrepid reporters in Cleveland.  Now go out into the world in comfort and style. 

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