I know, I know.  Most of the men-folk who would actually benefit from a not-so-subtle guide to Valentine’s Day gifts for their shoe-loving sweeties are likely preoccupied by today’s big game. And yes, I know many women will be watching, too (the Superbowl, for those truly unaware few out there today).

But, I am making the effort nonetheless. Call it a public service. If the half-time ads are particularly unimpressive, at least you’ll have today’s online shoe-break covered. And, if you can get your sweetie to take a peek and perhaps start thinking shoes rather than roses and chocolate, I call that situation a shoe-diva win.

Luckily, the staff over at YOOX have gone out of their way to find every red, pink, purple, or heart-themed shoe currently offered at the site.

The majority of these, whether the subtle, heart-shaped peep-toe, or the not-so-subtle heart appliques, come to us from the creative mind of Marc Jacobs. However, please notice that both Gucci & Prada have at least one entry into this whole ‘Heart and Sole’ fantasy.

Is a statement shoe announcing “Happy Valentine’s Day” to the world with every flashy step the shoe for you?

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A ton of money goes into ad campaigns as the fashion industry tries to convince us to purchase their product.  The US fashion industry alone spent $144 billion on advertising last year.   Several lines have released some of their ads for Spring and Summer 2010.   Some are great, some are not. Let’s have a look.

Balenciaga

Cesare Paciotti

Jimmy Choo

I am weary of the pouting, leggy girl, wearing nothing more than lingerie, heels and a come hither look, sitting or laying on a sofa/chair, with soft focus.  Virtually every shoe, handbag, fragrance, lingerie, and cosmetic advertisement features at least three of these components.  Snore.

Alexander McQueen’s ad is visually striking.  It took me a while to find the shoes, then the girl.  It’s a great ad, but the only thing I see is snakes.

Humor in ads almost always attracts me, which is why this Giuseppi Zanotti is one of my favorites.  I can’t decide which is cuter, the boy or the shoe.

If the product is not attractive, such as the Alexander McQueen or Balenciaga shoes, then a striking advertisement will make no difference.  I’m not buying it.  With the Paciotti and Choo shoes, the ad is tiresome, but it does let me get a look at the shoes.  The Zanotti ad is able to feature a shoe and not annoy me.  That boy is SO cute.  It does it’s job.  Which ads work for you, which ones don’t?

Update:  Here’s Chanel’s Spring 2010 which was shot by Karl Lagerfield.

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Speaking of Turquoise…..

Have you see these Martinez Valero dark turquoise, peacock-feather, fringed sandals?

Martinez Valero ‘Carla’ $174.95 at Endless & $179 at Zappos

Glamorous!

….or is my Over-the-Top radar misbehaving?

There’s something about peacock details that, when done correctly, adds an immediate fashion wow-factor.

These are working for me.

(Yeah, I know, they also come in black. Pshaw! It’s just not the same.)

Anyway, I originally saw these on an endless.com banner back in December:

But, ba-bing, clicking through the banner and eventually through the main website, they were nowhere to be found  by either color or keyword as I tried to find out the maker - so I that I could (naturally) share these babies with all of you.

However, that has recently changed, and these luxe sandals are now (back?) in stock at endless - allowing me to get a style name and then proceed to compare prices at both Zappos and Martinez Valero.

I am loving these. But, I can see that these might be one of those love ‘em or hate ‘em statement shoes.

So, how about you - Love or Hate?

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I’m not one for following every color trend that comes along.

As I push on closer and closer to (age) 40, I tend to stick with those colors that have proved to be complimentary to me over the years. Luckily, pretty much anything in the blue color family works for me.

Plus, with something close to an even zillion re-tweets last week of Pantone’s Color of 2010, this particular color trend seemed worth mentioning.

It will certainly be interesting to see if fashion and shoe trends fall in line with this prediction. It makes sense given the current resurgence of 80’s-inspired fashion that several of the staple colors from that decade, including turquoise and fuschia, would make an appearance. I also recall seeing a significant increase in both turqoise and fuschia sandals last spring and summer, so maybe this is less of a prediction than an acknowledgement of an emerging trend.

So, here it is:

15-5519 Turquoise, an inviting, luminous hue, as the color of the year for 2010. Combining the serene qualities of blue and the invigorating aspects of green, Turquoise evokes thoughts of soothing, tropical waters and a languorous, effective escape from the everyday troubles of the world, while at the same time restoring our sense of wellbeing.

Luckily for me, I already have my turquoise for the year - care of a few great sales last spring:

Guess ‘Chiquita” & LAMB watch

Sandals by ‘Hot in Hollywood’

Report Signature’s ‘Dita’

Okay, I’ll admit, the last is more of a faboulous sky blue, but what’s the point if all of my shoes are the exact same shade?

Anyway, while I doubt any of these shoes from my collection are still available anywhere but the retail aftermarket, there are still a huge number of fantastic turquoise options for you to choose from right now.

Among them:

Christian Louboutin Double Platform Knotted Mule $895 at Nieman Marcus

Christian Louboutin Glitter Peep Toe Pumps $725 at Nieman Marcus

Stuart Weitzman Turquoise Embellished Strappy Sandals $395 at Saks.com

And, for the slightly more budget-conscious:

Jeffrey Campbell ‘Downtown’ Bootie $139.95

Poetic License ‘Kiss and Tell’ $94.95 at Nordstrom.com

Tory Burch Reva Jelly Flats $95 at Saks.com

Steve Madden ‘Saahara’ $49.95 at Nordstrom

And, for the extreme frugalista:

Montege Bay ‘Oscar Bow’ $16.99 $12.99 at Payless.com

Montego Bay ‘Marissa’ sandal $19.99 at Payless.com

So, will you be on the hunt for the perfect turquoise footwear this year?

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So, I found another shoe to love, and it’s not even a week into the new year. Actually, several shoes; all what you would consider to be basically just small variations on a theme. But, these make such a lovely set of variations. Any one of these decadent beauties would make a dream shoe for any holiday from New Years Eve to an upscale wedding anniversary.

These metal-embellished heels are tugging at my heartstrings, but not my purse-strings (not yet, anyway). The Ballys Pappillon and Pattys pumps (ranging from $1395 - $1775 at endless.com) are not just pretty -  they cost an unfortunately pretty penny.

Curse this living on a budget!

Well, a girl can always dream.

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