United Nude Cargo Boots

Okay, I’ve mentioned before that I am not tall. So, I’m short – perhaps on the tall side of short, but definitely shorter than most men or women I come across. Which is what it is – no big deal.  I’ve actually found that since I look folks in the eye when I speak with them, that most of them (When asked; I’ve only tested this with people I’ve met more than once.) think that I’m taller than Iactually am and react with disbelief when they find out that my height is under 5′-3″.

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LAMB vs. Dollhouse & Type Z

Sometimes it’s difficult to tell when a style is simply inspired by recent trends rather than a knockoff of a specific designer’s shoe.

Not so in this case.

Behold spring’s ‘Joelle’ from the LAMB shoe line.

LAMB ‘Joelle’ $383 $251.99 via Heels.com , $208.45 via Endless.com & $195 via Zappos.com

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Dekkori accessories: Spats meet modern fashion.

I encountered the Dekkori brand a few weeks ago while surfing *playing* around the Endless website.

Here’s the deal.  At endless.com, these are referred to as ‘boots’.  That took me aback for more than a moment or two.  But, really, once you get into the product description you begin to realize that these are not meant to be boots; at least not in the classic sense.  If worn by themselves, I suppose these would be more of a pseudo-boot – a potential fashion statement for the bared-foot lovers out there.  I can even really see how these would fit right in onstage at a dance recital.  The reality of these ‘boots’ is more straightforward: These are  a wonderfully modern take on a much older shoe idea: Spats.

Spats (also sometimes called gaiters), in the classic sense, are not seen much in modern times outside of stage, film, and fringe-fashion scenes.  Originally meant as protective footwear extensions to basic shoes, they have, occasionally, taken on a more fashion-centric role (And yes, for good or ill, the occasional resurgence of leg warmers might be seen as part of this trending cycle).

It is the idea of having a detachable shoe upper that can instantly transform a basic or past-season shoe into a completely new silhouette that is still relevant today – particularly if you are a runway fashion lover living on a bargainista budget.

Classic spats have been out of mainstream fashion for decades.  Luckily, these shoe accessories from Dekkori are made with a eye to modern fashion sensibilities and with the current consumer market in mind. The result is silhouettes that  are anything but old-fashioned.  The transformative power of historical spats still remains present within these accessories. But, as you can see, Dekkori has moved far from the spats source ideas in bringing their accessories collection into reality.

So, these are the two ‘boots’ (from the SS ’10 collection) that originally grabbed my attention:

Dekkori ‘Devon’ Cutout lace-up boot $208

Dekkori ‘Riley’ eyelet pull-on boot $128

Dekkori ‘Rocco’ Gladiator boot $146

But these two (from the Fall ’09 collection) are my personal favorites:

Dekkori ‘Charm’ ankle piece $62

Dekkori ‘Innocence’ bow ankle piece $58

The one problem I see with these accessories is their relatively high price-tags. I understand that leather goods have become more expensive over the last 5 years. But, with prices ranging from $40 – $200+ per pair,   a lot of savvy shoppers will be able to find one or more reasonably-priced  ‘whole shoes’ for the cost of just one set of these quirky accessories.

Overall,  I find these to be an intriguing idea. They appeal to the portion of me that loves the idea of limiting production waste.  Interchangeable uppers have the potential to be a great way to ‘go green’ while still indulging your shoe-love.

The basic idea would seem to be a natural marriage to meet the needs of the budget fashion-shopper.  However, the cost on these may be too prohibitive for many consumers. I’m just not convinced that  these are adequately priced to gain the attention of the  ‘budget-based’ consumer.  Instead, these seem to be priced more toward the mid-range and luxury-aspirational consumers, a smaller market by far.  The consumer on a budget knows that  $50 for a pair of shoes was a lot of money 10 years ago – and it still is a lot of money for them today – but today it just doesn’t stretch as far. Will such shoppers be willing to spend this amount of money, or more,  on a partial shoe?

The one place where the Dekkori pieces have an identifiable advantage is for those women who have limited storage space. You can fit a whole lot of Dekkori accessory uppers into the space of just one boot box in your closet. For those shoe lovers with storage issues, Dekkori shoe accessories might be a viable solution to the inevitable storage space dilemma most shoe-collectors eventually face.

Opinions, thoughts?

Designer Shoe Deja Vu: Gucci Tattoo Cruise Slingbacks

Some of you may recall that I liked the Gucci Cruise ’09 Heart Slingbacks quite a bit when they were available for sale last fall.

These displayed more than a little echo of Christian Audigier / Ed Hardy styling without being terribly over the top. Plus, I’m a sucker for slingbacks that make my feet look all pretty and disguise flaws while still having a bit of sassy peek-a-boo appeal, so I was double tempted than had these merely been pumps.

Alas, I passed on purchasing them since they were not in my cash-flow plan at that time.

…As a side note, I have actually managed to stick to my attempts at a budget  – for the most part.  I’m only human and things do come up – but, over the last year I have declined to make any shoe purchases over $200, and at that,  rarely.  In fact, my last shoe purchase was back at the end of February, so self control for me has been generally successful, even if it is all about staying on the cold-turkey wagon and keeping my mindset on the task of  new shoe-finds for our readers here on Shoeblog to vicariously fill my shoe needs.

Anyway, I keep reminding myself that  paying down my debt is one of my most important goals for 2010.   The road to financial stability is worth it, but temptation arises in unexpected ways.

This Martinez Valero Gucci-twin is one of those temptations.  These are copies, not counterfeits, and therefore legal; they make no claims to being an actual Gucci product. But, comparing these two products, the source shoe  is unmistakable:

Martinez Valero ‘Onaway’ $159, on sale for $55.98 at Smartbargains & $96.22 at Endless.com

I had written the Gucci’s off as an ebay aftermarket hunt for sometime in 2011, after my bills are paid off, if at all. Now temptation rears its ugly head.

Should I feel bad that I am tempted by these Valero’s? I am still undecided on the whole legal copies issue, which is much more complicated than initial observations might suggest.

Maybe my weird mental guilt issues would be calmed if I mini-splurged on the black rather than the tan since I don’t recall that color being offered by Gucci?

Or, am I over-thinking this?

Finding a balance with Irregular Choice

I have heard that Irregular Choice shoes can be very comfortable. But, I have never felt the urge to test whether this is true based on many of the past designs made by the brand.

After all, it’s with good cause that the extremely funky styles offered by Irregular Choice have more than once made their appearance in ‘Ugly shoe’ blog posts across  the interwebs.  Originality is a fantastic quality, particularly in shoe-land where runway copies run rampant most seasons. But,  there is such a thing as too much going on – and Irregular Choice often seems to let its exuberance and excitement take a front seat to good taste.

With any artistic endeavor – from painting to sculpture to wearable fashion and shoes – it helps if we understand that editing is key. Know when to stop and time to put down the pen, paintbrush, or fabric swatch.

Edit, edit, edit.

Finally, I am finding shoes from Irregular Choice that are benefiting from this basic concept. Someone, somewhere in the Irregular Choice hierarchy is learning how to edit;  the ‘less is more’ theory of design.

Have they lost their originality and funkiness?

No.

Have they perhaps mellowed to become to become accessible to a wider audience?

Well, ‘mellowed’ isn’t the right word.  But, there are currently a number of funky-yet-modern styles being offered by Irregular Choice; styles which, thankfully, lack any of the crafters-gone-wild excesses of past styles offered from this brand.

Let’s take a quick peek so that you can decide for yourselves.

Irregular Choice ‘Spit Spot’  boot $340.95 at Endless.com

I love these. They are still funky, but wearable for seasons to come. I know that I would make excuses to wear them.

Okay, less commentary, I promised you more shoes:

Irregular Choice ‘Aslan’ $295 at Irregular Choice

Irregular Choice  ‘Women’s Wicked’ side-laced boot $194.95 at Endless.com

Irregular Choice ‘Atomic Apple’ $190.95 at Endless.com

Irregular Choice ‘Brooklyn Beauty’ $149.95 at Endless.com

Irregular Choice ‘Pap Papps’ $130.95 at Endless.com

Irregular Choice ‘Flick Flack’ $103.96 at Endless.com & Spat Attack $146 at Irregular Choice

(Two more personal  faves; my obsession with mixing stripes and polka dots is evident here.)

Irregular Choice ‘Crystillina’ $125 at Irregular Choice

Irregular Choice ‘Shimmmmy’ $120.95 at Endless.com

Oh, and for those of you who liked Irregular Choice’s over-the-top tendencies of seasons past?  Never fear,  a trip to the Irregular Choice website still has the plenty of the funkiest styles for the more daring shoenistas:

I’ll admit, most of these last styles are too much for my taste. Although the embroidered bootie is quite a thing and I’d be tempted to get the kitty boots just for wearing at Halloween each year.

Related forum discussion thread located here.