At least once a month, and sometimes more frequently than that, I find a shoe that makes me feel like an infatuated teenager with a secret crush.

So, please meet my current crush, one that made my heart beat just a little faster when I stumbled upon it:

Jean Paul Gaultier’s houndstooth T-strap pump.

Can you tell that I’m an absolute sucker for menswear inspired styles?

What do I love?

• The Houndstooth print.
• The Wingtip/spectator styling
• The Retro T-strap.
• The Goth/punk/industrial feel of the over-sized buckle strap.
• The Zig-zag topstitching contrast.

What’s not to love?

Okay, perhaps the price-tag: $665 at Shopbop; this is not particularly expensive for a high-end designer shoe. It is, however far beyond the normal budgetary allowances of this Shoeblogger. 

Even so, I’m really feeling the love for this baby. How about you?

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Am I the only gal who’s heard of the shoe brand “Shoes for Lovely People”? The name really says it all.

I purchased my first pair from Endless.com in February of this year. At that time, there were only a few other online retailers I could locate which carried this style, if they carried this brand at all. I am happy to report there are now a number of online retailers carrying “Lovely” styles.

I really like the fact that Shoes for Lovely People are playing with trends at a reasonable price range. It’s nice to see shoes that are current and fun without necessarily being runway knock-offs.

In my case, I was looking for a striped shoe. This “Bonnie” pump won me over completely, how could it not? That heel is just yummy!

(Sale priced $74.22 at Endless.com in Brown or Black)

And, if you are looking for something more colorful, Endless.com also has a nice selection of colorful flats and wedges that I think of as  ‘Happy Summer Shoes’.

There is the “Blair” flat:

($109.95 at Endless in Green Multi or Silver, and $110 at Piperlime in Gold or Silver)

Or the “Stacey Q” wedge:

(Sale priced $79.72 at Endless.com):

Other retailers offering selections of Shoes for Lovely People include Barefoot Tess, Urban Outfitters, Karmaloop, Shoefly, and Piperlime.

Unable to resist, here is one last style, courtesy of Piperlime; the “Tootie“:

(On sale at Piperlime.com for $89.99 in fairly conservative nude or silver - or this festive green multi that is obviously related to the “Blair” shown above.)

That braid-wrapped heel is gorgeous; A simply lovely shoe.

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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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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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Kenneth Cole must have really loved this color-blocked shoe from last season:

Kenneth Cole “Oh Bell” $89.99 at Shoes.com.

Prefer a rounder, conical heel? Get this season’s recyled version:

Kenneth Cole “Workspace” in Black/Red from Zappos $83.00.

I like the color combination and relatively manageable heel height. I am also tickled that these bring back 80’s color combinations with the bold black and red blocking; now, if we can only avoid shoulder pads and women’s “Power Suits”, I’ll be happy.

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