It’s official, with Thanksgiving behind us and Hanukah under way, the holiday season is in full swing. And that means holiday parties. Me, I’m already planning my holiday party outfit in my head. It’s not going to be used until New Year’s Eve, but that’s never stopped me before. And key to a good holiday party outfit? The shoes, of course! And personally, I like to think of holiday party season as a chance to wear metallic shoes that is rarely paralleled throughout the rest of the year.

I’ll probably be donning the Nana Wanida silver glitter flat that I bought last year, which is now a steal at Endless for only $26!! I’ve only worn them a few times, and this is a perfect chance to wear them again.

You want some other picks for excellent glammed up holiday party footwear?  Shoes.com has a ton of em.

I love the divalicious Sam Edelman Nova slingbacks ($100) that are mirrored and metallic and come in silver or copper. And the Sam Edelman leopard lining? Rrrrowr!

For break the bank gorgeousness, slip on these Christian Lacroix pumps ($615) that mix gold and silver with an oxidized finish and some funky funky heels.

For mod style and plenty o’ comfort (say, with a kicky black A-line minidress), slip on these silver Taryn Rose Bonus flats, which are now 40% off at Shoes.com ($237 instead of $395). Bonus, indeed!

If you want to go for the rock n roll classic, try this blue suede variation of Marc by Marc Jacobs pointy toe low heel. Yes it also comes in black, but how could you pass up a chance to own a purty pair of blue suede shoes. Plus, these are also 40% off, so they’re only $267 instead of $445.

And finally, one last present many might wish for, which comes in the form of this delicate gold Donna Karan sandal. No, it’s not on sale, which means its price tag is a gulp-inducing $525, but maybe if you’ve been a very good girl this year, Santa will take notice and leave you this pair under the tree. Just look, it’s as if the bow’s already tied on them and everything.

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Hello, dear Shoeblog readers!  Long time no see, eh?

I’ve been away and am finally returned and caught up on the last few weeks of Shoeblog and Shoeforum happenings.  And just in time for New York Fashion Week!  Your loyal Shoebloggers will be bringing you thoughts and reviews about the Fashion Week shows, so make sure to stay tuned throughout the rest of this week.

It’s been a bit of a shock to the system coming back to New York from the middle of the woods where I was off on vacation.  Not only are there no shoe stores up there, there was only dial-up internet.  It was a complete vacation from shoes.

Well… that’s not quite true.  You didn’t think I could give up shoes full-stop for several weeks at a go, did you?

Even on a woodland vacation, I managed to not only discover a great new shoe store (JL Coombs, where they stock all kinds of brands that we here at Shoeblog love… Mephisto, Ecco, Ugg, Merrell, TSUBO, etc), but I also snapped up a pair of kicks I’d been coveting online for quite some time.

I’m talking about the 80%20 Jody slip-ons (I got the blue cherry blossom), which were marked down from $65 to merely $35.

If you want a pair of these for yourself, they’re $60 at Shoes.com, but there are often great deals at that site, so play your cards right and you could have these cuties, too.  They come in lots of colors and designs, and I’ve already been wearing them all over the place.

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I’m not one to toot my own horn, but c’mon–you have to admit I’m fabulous, right? I mean, you’d be crazy not to. I’m all the rage this season, why with the chunky platform wedge and the peep-toe and the fancy ankle strap. I’m no wallflower, I tell you whut!

I knew I wasn’t going to last too long on the shelf, it was just a manner of who–and when. It felt good to be tried on a couple of times, and I was getting to the point when I really thought that platinum blonde was going to buy me for sure, but she left empty handed–a fussy shopper that one was. All of a sudden, however, I felt myself up in the air again, examined by two squinty eyes behind thick-rimmed glasses. A mousy librarian type with limp tresses and a long plaid skirt (the horror!) was probing me. Girl, puh-leaze! You are definitely not my type. And I can guarantee you, I’m not your type, either.

I tried to do my best impression of pfffft! in the universal language of shoes (screeching and being a little petulant once she put me on–you know, rubbing her heel out of spite a little, getting as tight as possible across the vamp, all the tricks in the book–but girlfriends, she wouldn’t have it. In that hesitant manner of hers she whispered to the salesgirl, who looked as surprised as I was, ‘I’ll take them,’ and before I could protest, I was wrapped, boxed, and swung in a paper bag all the way home to the librarian’s closet.

I lived there inside my box wrapped in tissue paper for what felt like an eternity. I was beginning to fear I had been kidnapped by one of those weird types that hoards innocent shoes in her closet and never lets them see the light of day, save for the occasional full moon night when she takes them out and engages in some bizarre rituals in the middle of the room, involving usually hair clippings, old photographs, and copious amounts of scotch. The horror stories you hear in a shoe factory, makes one’s toes curl! I was beginning to despair that I was going to suffer the same undignified faith, without knowing the joys of going out, when suddenly one day I felt commotion. Something was happening! Somebody was taking the lid off! The light was blinding!

All I could do was repeat ‘Sweet Saint Crispin, I don’t want to die unworn!’ over and over to my quivering ankle strap, ready to snap with a mix of excitement and anxiety. I was finally out of the wrapping, and found myself held gently by the hands of my owner. Or at least I guessed it was my owner, for she looked nothing like the mousy weakling that had bought me what seemed like eons before. Her hair was cascading in resplendent curls over her shapely bare shoulders, her eyes were suddenly bright and beautiful now that they were free of the thick-rimmed glasses, and her skin was flawless. I could also glimpse what seemed to be perfectly toned calves stemming out of a knee-length gauzy white dress, coquettishly tied with a bright red scarf.

”Here you are, lovelies,” she whispered. ”It’s been a while, I know, but now it’s time for you to shine.”

And so began a remarkable night, the night I knew I was destined for. The whole thing was a whirlwind, so I’ll just try to remember the memorable moments. A pair of fetching boxy men’s oxfords came tantalizingly close. ”Amanda?” I heard their owner say. ”Is that really you? Wow. You look…different. I mean, amazing!” ”You betcha, baby,” I said to myself, flirting openly with his shoes. Then all of a sudden a pair of yellow pumps joined them (they clashed together, blech) and a strident voice took the black oxfords away from me…though they left hesitantly, it’s like they wanted to tell me something. The night was a parade of limos, cocktails, dizzyingly high bar stools, shiny dance floors on which I swirled with unusual grace and precision, and a steady parade of men’s loafers and sneakers trying to flirt with me–none quite as attractive, unfortunately, as that initial pair of oxfords.

Towards the end of the night, however, they came back. I was half-expecting the yellow pumps to return, but they never did. Instead, the black oxfords stayed around. We flirted, we touched, we danced, and ended up spending all night on the floor next to each other, free of our owners. It was all I expected, and more.

The next day I was lovingly put back in the closet by a still gleaming Amanda. It was ok, for I knew those black oxfords were going to stick around and I was going to see them quite often. The only problem was that the closet was sparsely populated with a wretched stock of librarian shoes, the sight of which almost made me jump out of my sole. However, I was confident that situation was not going to last. And indeed, she gathered those sorry, tired, dusty brown lot, and muttered, ”Time for new shoes.”

Well, I’ll dance to that!

The Vince Camuto Manta 1 platforms are $145 at Shoes.com.

This column pays homage to the fabulous and inimitable Erin and her Secret Lives of Dresses series at her fabulous blog A Dress a Day. Just so you know.

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I know we’ve posted Paul Green shoes here before on several occasions, but I figured it was time to do a little feature on the brand (and officially make Focus on the Brand an ongoing column here on Shoeblog).

Paul Green is a Munich-based company that makes classy shoes that are mostly on the dressier end of the spectrum, although in the past few years, they’ve added some sportier shoes to their repertoire (see below). They’ve very well made, and usually do a very good job of staying up on current trends, while still making shoes that are comfortable and good for your feet. To my mind, the greatest feature of Paul Green shoes is that their lasts are all made with a focus on keeping your weight spread evenly around the footbed of the shoe. So, even in their higher heels (which top out around 3 inches), you’re more likely to avoid that knives-to-the-balls-of-your-feet feeling at the end of a day on your feet in heels.

So, what’s Paul Green got out there on the market right now? Let’s take a look, shall we.

I’ll start with the sandal I’m craving: the Sierra ($220 at Zappos). This sandal has just the right mix of Bohemian and dressy for me. It comes in this olive patent, brown patent, and black or white leather. Designers out there, take note: this is the way to do a wooden-soled shoe. Note the rubber sole along the bottom and the rubber section under the ball of your feet where the shoe should flex (and can’t if it’s made of wood).

These black flats with the Mary Jane strap details are adorable and have a cute name to go along with them: Strappy ($275 at Shoes.com).

What was that I said earlier about some new sportier styles? I’m in love with the Salon ($249 at Zappos). Sure it comes in white or black, but how could anyone pass up this platinum/gold color? Talk about the perfect slip-on sporty errand-running shoe.

Are you still digging on the gladiator-inspired sandal trend that showed up everywhere last summer? I know it’s a love it/hate it look, but I’m definitely in the love it camp. And this version, appropriately called Paris , is stylish enough that it’s not going to be confused for something Maximus wore into the arena. Also, it’s 50% off at Shoes.com, so you can snap it up for only $114.

Also on sale, this time at Zappos for $200, the Riot, a clever twist on the T-strap that doesn’t actually include the ankle strap that can appear to cut your legs off at the ankle. Hey, this one could also fit into Shoesense’s post about the masculine/feminine pseudo-spectator shoes.

I could keep going for a long time, since there are lots and lots of Paul Green styles I love. But this gives you a sample of what’s out there, and you can find more at Zappos and Shoes.com and plenty of other places. Go forth and shop for Paul Green’s in comfort and style.

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