Project Runway 5.2 is tonight. (Season 5, Episode 2 for the non-PR junkie).

Reading Jitterbugbaby’s Project Runway 5.1, those Dior python shoes looked vaguely familiar to this small-town girl.

Dior Anniversary Python in Green:

(Discounted 40% to $834 off from Bluefly)

Maybe it was the glammed-up L.A.M.B. “Georgina”?

(Available in Grey, White, or Camel from Endless.com, Shoes.com, Zappos and retailing at just shy of $400; It is currently on various sales at Heels.com/$349.99, Shopbop/$197.50, and DJPremium/$266)

No, it was the Guess “Karavi” slingback:

(They are available in black, white, tangerine, pink, green, or espresso at Zappos/$114, Shoes.com/$110, Endless/$109.95, & Heels.com/$108.99 . However, you can steal these for $59.99 at Smartbargains.com).

And there you go. There truly is a shoe for all budgets.

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It seems that I was telepathically hooked into Shoesense’s vibe yesterday. While she was posting about wedges and lamenting that they may be on the way out, I was at my local Macy’s drooling over this shoe on the clearance racks. In fact, I severely fractured my shopping ban grabbing these funky babies:

The Zinc “Cassidy” slingback.  Love, love, loving that tattoo “flash” that wraps around the wedge all combined with that soft suede upper. I am almost tempted to keep these as a display; I can’t stop staring at them.

As far as I could discover, there are only two actual ’Cassidys’  available for purchase online: A Size 7.5 in Red at Endless.com for $88.95 and a Size 6 in Blue at Zappos.com for $93.00.

On a positive note for wedge lovers, Zinc doesn’t appear to be abandoning the wedge style anytime soon.  While I was still haunting the local shoe department, I saw that they have now released the “Cassidy Too” which is based on the above  style. This time, its edge comes not from tattoo art, but from a bold pop-art graffiti style.

Have a look:

Available in a variety of colors from Heels.com ($84.99),  Endless.com ($88.95), Shoes.com ($90.00), and  Zappos.com   ($93.00). 

These are for the person who likes their feet to do the talking.

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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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I love that women’s oxfords have been in fashion for the last few seasons. Something about the laces and stitched leather that combine to make a nearly irresistible package that I just can’t wait to try on.

So, when I drove the three hours to the nearest Nordstrom in May during the Half-yearly sale, this shoe, of course, was not included in the sale, became my new obsession:

BCBGirls ‘Corona’.

Available in: Icy Foam/Black, Summer Brown/Canvas, and Black/Black Snake (not pictured). Retailing for $109.95-$112.99 at Nordstrom.com and Heels.com; it is currently $66.45 at Shoebuy.com.

I was specifically attracted to the spectator color styling; my favorite being the ‘Icy Foam’ grey and black combination. This is a lovely alternative to the more traditional black and white spectators and is a great summer alternative to similar closed-toe styles. Unfortunately, this particular color combination is only available in Nordstrom stores and is not available at the Nordstrom online shopping site.  This is a  real obstacle when it is three hours and one gas tank to the nearest brick and mortar location.

So, my online hunt was on.

I actually found a similar shoe by Guess:

The ‘Doozi’.

Available in: Espresso/Ivory or Black at Endless.com ($119.95), Shoes.com ($120), and Zappos.com ($124).

With two mass-retailed brands bringing out such similar styles, should I have been suspicious?

Does it live up to the reputation of Uber-sexy classic styling? Christian Louboutin’s ‘Sometimes’ starting at $860. Already sold out at Net-a-porter, it may still be available in-store at Saks, Louboutin boutiques, and other high-end retailers..

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Hola, shoe-lovers! One of your bloggers (c’est moi, bien sûr) has been head over well-shod heels in a project that has consumed her life for…oh, too long to count now. The project is more or less out of my hands now, and the anxious wait for a review has commenced.

The point is, I am just now starting to realize how much of a solace shoes have been to me. There is nothing like a good session of shoe-shopping/browsing to restore my faith in joy and beauty after a prolonged session of dreary alliterative drudgery. I am slowly rediscovering — and savoring every minute of it!– what The Manolo has dubbed “the joy that is the shoes.” Let me tell you, he knows what he’s talking about!

I’ve been seeing so much sparkle, color, and wit (yes, wit!) browsing for the shoes of this season that, well, my spirits have been almost restored. Oh, and here’s what I got out of this:

Cynthia Vincent’s Judy silver ballet flat from the good folks at Heels.com (see, they also have flats!). My wardrobe was missing something silver (so hot right now), and what is great about these is that they have the ombre shading, so they’re really a gray-pewter in the back and a shinier silver in front. Very versatile!

I had misgivings about two things with this pair: the elastic back, and the flimsy sole. Both were unfounded–the shoes conformed to my feet and stayed put without a problem, and the sole is generously padded, so they’re really really comfy.

Ah, it’s good to be back in shoe-world. Remember, gals, when you’re in a funk, take comfort in the joy that is the shoes!

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