It seems that I was telepathically hooked into Shoesense’s vibe yesterday. While she was posting about wedges and lamenting that they may be on the way out, I was at my local Macy’s drooling over this shoe on the clearance racks. In fact, I severely fractured my shopping ban grabbing these funky babies:

The Zinc “Cassidy” slingback.  Love, love, loving that tattoo “flash” that wraps around the wedge all combined with that soft suede upper. I am almost tempted to keep these as a display; I can’t stop staring at them.

As far as I could discover, there are only two actual ’Cassidys’  available for purchase online: A Size 7.5 in Red at Endless.com for $88.95 and a Size 6 in Blue at Zappos.com for $93.00.

On a positive note for wedge lovers, Zinc doesn’t appear to be abandoning the wedge style anytime soon.  While I was still haunting the local shoe department, I saw that they have now released the “Cassidy Too” which is based on the above  style. This time, its edge comes not from tattoo art, but from a bold pop-art graffiti style.

Have a look:

Available in a variety of colors from Heels.com ($84.99),  Endless.com ($88.95), Shoes.com ($90.00), and  Zappos.com   ($93.00). 

These are for the person who likes their feet to do the talking.

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(Yes, I’m planning on making this a regular blog feature. Why do you ask?)

I got these from Shopbop during their super-fab sale, which is still going on, btw (hey, where are you going? come back! I’ll have more pretty shoes….oh, never mind, I’ll see you later, I guess).  They were 70% off so I didn’t think twice about snagging them, especially as they were one of the rare items in my size. As of now they’re sold out (check it out if you don’t believe me!) and I can’t find them elsewhere on the net, not yet, anyway. No matter, as  they’re mine now, all mine, mah preshus! And I love them to death. Softly padded, delicately manufactured, hip and comfy and a tidbit unexpected, these had ME written all over them (and no, you can’t have them). “Coclico” is French for “poppy flower (spelled “coquelicot”), and the brand was created by Frenchwoman Sandra Canselier. Watch out for their styles, and by all means check the current Shopbop sale (these laser-cut flats winked at me, too, but alas, they’re not in my size).

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The fitness craze shoes of yesteryear are certainly MBTs.

But to be on top the latest rage in toning your gams while you walk, you have to be sporting Fitflops.

As a resident of a bustling metropolis full of people who (admit it, it’s true) will cling to ANYTHING trendy, not to mention anything that will supposedly help tone the bod with a minimum of effort, I am seeing these sandals everywhere.  EVERYWHERE.

They’re for sale in chichi designer shoe boutiques.  They’re on ads in the subways.  They’re on every third person’s foot flip-flopping down the sidewalk.

I have no idea if they’re effective.  I imagine that uncertainty is pretty widespread.  But I do know people are adopting them like Ugg boots.

And just like Ugg boots have the iconic Classic Tall in chestnut to lead the masses, so Fitflops have the WalkStar II in silver (here for $60).

Ladies, if you want to be the cream of the Fitflop trend crop, this is the pair for you.  This is the one I see probably twice as frequently as any of the other styles.

Of course, if I were about to go in for this shoe trend, I’d opt for something a little more outside the box.  Say, the diva-licious Electra in gold.

Or, if you really want to be a gal in the know, stick yourself on Net-a-porter’s mailing list for the release of the Aurelia, the gladiator-inspired Fitflop that’ll be available online in early August in limited editions in black ($150) or snakeskin ($165).

Good luck getting your hands on a pair, though.  They sold out at Kirna Zabete (the NYC store whose owners had a hand in bringing the Aurelia about) faster than your firm calves and thighs could get you in the door.

Gotta say, those are almost funky enough to make me want a pair.  Almost.

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I love that women’s oxfords have been in fashion for the last few seasons. Something about the laces and stitched leather that combine to make a nearly irresistible package that I just can’t wait to try on.

So, when I drove the three hours to the nearest Nordstrom in May during the Half-yearly sale, this shoe, of course, was not included in the sale, became my new obsession:

BCBGirls ‘Corona’.

Available in: Icy Foam/Black, Summer Brown/Canvas, and Black/Black Snake (not pictured). Retailing for $109.95-$112.99 at Nordstrom.com and Heels.com; it is currently $66.45 at Shoebuy.com.

I was specifically attracted to the spectator color styling; my favorite being the ‘Icy Foam’ grey and black combination. This is a lovely alternative to the more traditional black and white spectators and is a great summer alternative to similar closed-toe styles. Unfortunately, this particular color combination is only available in Nordstrom stores and is not available at the Nordstrom online shopping site.  This is a  real obstacle when it is three hours and one gas tank to the nearest brick and mortar location.

So, my online hunt was on.

I actually found a similar shoe by Guess:

The ‘Doozi’.

Available in: Espresso/Ivory or Black at Endless.com ($119.95), Shoes.com ($120), and Zappos.com ($124).

With two mass-retailed brands bringing out such similar styles, should I have been suspicious?

Does it live up to the reputation of Uber-sexy classic styling? Christian Louboutin’s ‘Sometimes’ starting at $860. Already sold out at Net-a-porter, it may still be available in-store at Saks, Louboutin boutiques, and other high-end retailers..

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This is what I’m talking about: you see a cute-as-a-button shoe, just adorable, and then you check the brand, and it’s some cheapo, Chinese-made, all man-made materials low-end shoe and you wrinkle your nose and say, I’ll pass, thank you, so what if it’s only $19.99, it’s not worth it to me.

And then you go into a Fendi or Louis Vuitton or Bottega Venetta boutique and you see a blah or fuglirific product that is, granted, well made (although that doesn’t mean it can’t be made out of plastic entirely) and you fawn over the craftsmanship and say, well, I know it’s $790, which is my rent for the month, but it must be really worth it if they charge so much money for it.

There are high end shoes out there I wouldn’t look at twice unless their exorbitant sticker price didn’t compel me. Just to be clear, they’re not all horrendous or anything, just something I wouldn’t be caught dead in–an example in which the otherwise world-renown taste of the designer is a little…off.

Let’s start with the “blah” range:

I know, it’s a “basic nude” or something, but honestly, $690 for this? Ok, it’s a Bottega Veneta, but that doesn’t make it more palatable.

And these boots–I find them swerving from blah to ugly:

But they’re Chloe and $775, so I’m guessing they’ll have a lot of takers among the snobbish crowd.

And the king of stilettos himself is asking for $1,575 of your hard-earned money for this fringed monstrosity:

But it’s a Louboutin, and I bet that come fall I’m going to see these fringes swaying vigorously around the ankles of many a Hollywould starlet.

Speaking of fringes (I had posted about this trend a while back, and to my horror, I notice more and more of it lately)–I find these distasteful:

And yet, they’re $1,075 because they’re Alexander McQueen. I bet you feel differently about them now, don’t you? There’s so much magic in the name of the designer! A shoe you would have only deemed fit for the 4 a.m. shift in Place Pigalle  or to go in circles around a shiny pole is suddenly a work of art worthy of an entire paycheck.

And Zanotti, you king of zany, what the heck are these?

While I appreciate their fashion-forwardness, their aesthetic is a bit…off. The balance is no good. The harmony is missing.  Plus, they’re $750.

I guess in the world of fashion, the old Shakespearean rhyme wouldn’t apply: “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose/By any other name would smell as sweet.”

Sometimes, in this world, name is everything.

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