Here’s the thing -

I am really interested in adding a cute, criss-cross, strappy pump to my closet. There are dozens and dozens of shoes that fit this description, yet I keep coming back to these shoes:

Shoes for Lovely People Bombshell $90 $126 at Zappos.com

I have been grooving on these shoes since spring. And, while I really like the black pair, it is the somewhat impractical, metallic red,  faux-snakeskin pair that keeps drawing me back in to see if these have gone on sale yet anywhere online (wow, they are now on sale at Zappos)….the gold ones just give me flashbacks to 80’s Solid Gold episodes - high heels and spandex, *shudders*.

Also, for some reason when I look at these, the phrase “Surrender Dorothy” runs through my mind….but in a fun way. But there’s no way you’re gonna get me to wear a blue-gingham checked dress with these.  More like a black cocktail dress or dark wash denim paired with a tailored button-down blouse.

I was expecting the siren call of these to fade as the months passed, but something about them won’t let go of me.  Perhaps I am subconsciously seeking a pair of my own iconic ruby slippers with all of their magical and transformative powers?

Or, maybe it’s more simple and  I’m just doomed to remain hopelessly, happily shoe-obsessed.

I can handle that.

2 Comments »

Piperlime is having a 1-day ‘Secret Sale’ that gives an extra 20% off select sale items.

Among the eligible styles are:

Moschino Cheap and Chic ‘Basket’ $500 $269.99

Chie Mihara ‘Jean’ $375 $219.99

Biviel “BV1606″ bootie $180 $89.99

Belle by Sigerson Morrison fringed ‘5823′ thong sandal $225 $109.99

Giuseppi Zanotti color-blocked, snake-embossed “E90027″  D’orsay sandal $650 $319.99

Giuseppi Zanotti “E96194″ tribal-woven raffia platform pump $750 $519.99

(Boy, does this one make me regret …just a twinge… living within my budget.)

And finally, a shoe that I loved enough that it got it’s own blog entry:

Pour La Victoire ‘Eden’ $280 $159.99

…..gasp, it’s even in the electric blue…..must log off computer and lock up all credit cards immediately!

Oh, and lest I forget the most important detail: How to get the extra 20% discount?  Use code “Just4U” at checkout.

Fine print: Offer valid online on Piperlime sale merchandise only, now through 11:59pm PT July 23, 2009 in the US only. Online code limited to one-time use. Offer not valid on final sale or the following select brands: designer brands, apparel brands, Frye, Brooks and Patagonia. Discount applies to merchandise only, not to Giftcard, packaging, applicable taxes, or shipping and handling charges. Not valid for cash or cash equivalent. No adjustments on previous purchases. Cannot be combined with other offers or discounts including employee discount.

No Comments Yet »

Unlike Louboutin’s creepy, fish-themed ‘Pesce’ pumps (which, frankly, scare me enough to produce nightmares), Roberto Cavalli has a scaled metallic shoe that is just as fishy as a shoe can get without going overboard (pun intended).

Roberto Cavalli L70038 $1494 $1072.80 at Zappos.com

I find these to be an interesting and fresh alternative to the many recent glittered, sequined, pailletted,  and otherwise bedazzled shoe options being offered in nearly every price range. They also happen to make me smile because they bring immediately to mind one of my favorite, illustrated, children’s books, “The Rainbow Fish” by Marcus Pfister:

These Cavalli peep-toes are just as sparkly as the rainbow fish is at the beginning of the story.

Though, I must admit that I actually love the illustrations as much or more than story text; a morality tale centered around the concepts of vanity, sharing, friendship, and inner beauty.  Over the course of the story, the rainbow fish eventually passes out most of his scales to those around him - sharing his beauty and gaining friends as he learns humility and the ability to share.  There is also a great, tactile, quality to the artwork; foil scales are inset into the watercolor illustrations - adding sparkle and collage interest to each page.

Looking at these shoes, I feel kind of like the rainbow fish at the beginning of the story.  They are soooo pretty; you would feel spectacular any time you tried them on.  I suppose that even as a grown-up,  it’s hard to share certain things that make us feel fabulous and personal all at the same time.

I certainly wouldn’t want to share these if they were a part of my closet. I’m afraid the closest I come to the tale’s selflessness (in regard to shoes) is by periodically donating any non-worn shoes in my closet.

How about you?

4 Comments »

I just ran into some of the newer styles of Harajuku Lovers shoes.  Up until recently, the Harajuku Lovers shoe line has been filled with casual sneakers and slip-on flats. Not so this season.

Harajuku Lovers has apparently taken a page from Betsey Johnson and Beverly Feldman and gone from cute and casual to feminine and fabulous.

Perhaps, with LAMB shoes following the trend of increased prices that we have seen in more established luxury brands (Last spring, LAMB shoes were around $400, this spring some styles were near the  $700 mark), Gwen’s Harajuku Lovers brand is expanding to include club-worthy shoe styles at college-friendly prices? After all, it makes sense to establish a recession-resistant middle ground when the pricing on your flagship brand starts outrunning the budgets of your primary customer base.

Here are several favorites from Harajuku Lover’s new look:

Harajuku Lovers ‘Laila’ $80 at Zappos

Too bad I can’t successfully wear yellow.

This is a wonderfully vibrant spring style. And those heart details at the vamp and buckle are all girl!

Harajuku Lovers ‘Liberty’ $90 $73 at Zappos.com

With top canvas and rope details, these just might have fellow blogger trainingheels cringing in horror.  But, I’m pretty sure these are perfect for gals that love a casual sandal that can successfully dress up a pair of jeans as wekk as a fun and flirty summer sun-dress.

Harajuku Lovers ‘Paley’ $100 at Zappos.com

These red-hot penny-loafers are my absolute favorite -  conservative, but not at all stodgy or demure. I love a classic style with a sexy twist.

And look at this, much like Betsey Johnson, the soles are also part of the whole playful package:

Super Cute! How’s that for ‘secret soles‘.

There are several more Harajuku Lovers styles available that I haven’t shown here.  And, while I might miss the cute canvas casuals that were available last year, I love that some of the LAMB attitude is now available at Harajuku prices.

Because, however much I love shoes, I love not going into debt for them even more.  With prices ranging from $70-$100, these fun heels are accessible on most shoe-maven’s budgets.  Plus, imagine the prices if you run across them on sale.  Now that’s something to get excited over.

17 Comments »

I have been wear-testing the following ‘Very Volatile’ wedges for roughly the last month.

Volatile USA’s ‘Nobu’ ($74.99 @ volatileusa.com; the Nobu is also available at shoes.com, Zappos & Endless)

They are a great spring-summer sandal in one of this season’s more popular colors - turquoise. These also have an appealing organic design that really works with a spring wardrobe; particularly if you are like me and have a lot of cooler tones in your wardrobe.

These sandals are available in whole sizes 6-10 B US sizing (37-41 EU). Sizing was my first challenge. As a size 7.5 medium who prefers a lot of toe room, the choice on whether to try a 7 or 8 is the first challenge I encountered.   So, I actually tried a size 7 in the turquoise, and a size 8 in black suede.

The good news is that both sizes adjust fairly well in that the buckled slingback and suede material allow for a lot of fine-tuning and comfort on the initial fit. However, the size 7 had more than enough space to accommodate my anything-but narrow size 7.5 feet.  And, while sometimes slingbacks feel like the strap is about to slip off your ankle, these stayed secure through multiple wearings.

How comfortable are they? Well, they did have a brief breaking-in period of about 2-3 wearings of 2-5 hours each.  Each wearing was successively more comfortable than the last; there were no blisters thanks to the soft suede and roomy shape, but I did get a bit of a workout re-learning how to walk on a platform wedge; these have an almost 1″ lift under the toe and about a 4″ overall lift at the heel.  The footbed it lightly cushioned, and after several wearings, this padding started to form to the shape of my arch - an absolute necessity if you have a higher arch like I do.  If you are not ‘blessed’ with high arches, you may have little or no break-in period with these.

Here are some pictures of how these bamboo-wrapped wedges actually look on the foot:

(Yes, I need a pedicure - fast!)

The turquoise color really is fabulous!

You can see here that the size 7 in turquoise is definitely roomy enough for those of us who normally wear a 7.5. And, while it looks like my pinky toe is trying to escape, it never has. The straps and cutouts are placed perfectly to avoid that happening on my feet.

You can see in this next picture that the size 8 is super roomy. I would definitely think someone who is an 8-8.5 would have no problem with this size working for them.

(If you feel the need to put on your sunglasses to view these, I understand - I really am quite naturally pale.  My hubby has joked that since I don’t tan, I actually bleach in the sunlight. But, I digress).

If I have piqued your interest at all, you can find many other styles of  ‘Very Volatile’ shoes at volatileusa, zappos, endless, and shoes.com.

I have to admit, that although Volatile shoes are a well-known regional brand in the areas such as the Southeastern United States (A ‘go-to’ for wedges, flip-flops, and animal prints), I was unfamiliar with them before I stumbled across them several months ago.

As a brand, Volatile has competitive pricing, current styling, and reasonable comfort.  This is particularly remarkable in the current climate of ridiculously rising shoe prices. This makes Volatile shoes a nice value, particularly for ladies on a budget.

And, if you can get both comfort and style on a reasonable budget, I’m all for that.

3 Comments »