Let’s talk about the “Mouse” shoe. The leather ‘whisker’ originating the ‘mouse’ designation:

Available in Brown or Blue stamped leather ($237) and Cracked metallic bronze (222.50) at Net-a-porter.

 Mark Jacobs updated it playfully last fall with full mousy features, including 3-dimensional ears.

Available in a basic flat style at Zappos ($243.46) or Shopbop ($325); or in a slingback style, at Net-a-porter ($227.50).

Now, Mr. Jacobs has taken the mouse & flattened it again; this time with the look of  ‘drawn on’ stitching which creates a cute illusion of 3-dimensional ears and tail:

Available for $250 at Shoes.com, Piperlime, and Shopbop, among others.

And, just when I thought that was enough variety for any shopper, along comes the Jelly Mouse:

My, Oh my! Almost speechless here. 

Available in Teal and Coral at Net-a-porter for $160.

Oh, and the vinyl and jewelled shoes from an earlier blog? On sale today at Saks for $165.90 for the D’orsay & $107.90 for the flat. Happy shopping Cinderella.

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I’ve wanted a pair of Chie Miharas for the longest time, but between their high retail price (in the $300s) and the abundance of high-heels styles she has produced of late, I’ve had a hard time deciding. So I’ve waited–for about 1 1/2 years, to be precise (that’s how much it takes me to mull over things). Finally, at some point last month I said, that’s it, I’m getting them! It may have helped that I had recently finished my PhD and the euphoria hadn’t worn off yet, plus my birthday was up, so I felt a slight sense of entitlement. I ponied up a LOT of cash for these (I got them from the lovely people at Ped Shoes, who, by the way, have a decent collection of interesting shoes), but I can say I don’t regret it: they’re gorgeous, and super-comfy, and go well with just about anything. Also? They come with heel replacements, which is just about the coolest thing in the world.

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I was lucky enough this past weekend to catch up with an old friend I haven’t seen in several years.  She’s living in the rural Northeast, but has spent plenty of time in Boston and New York and has the taste of a cosmopolitan city lady.  What does she do now that she’s far removed from such fashion options as sample sales and designer boutiques?

Well, to start with, she blogs about it.  Rural Fashion is her place on the web, and she sums it up best herself with the line “An Homage to Women Who Live Down Dirt Roads but Dress for 5th Avenue.”

Her great secret that she confided to me was that she scores bigtime (we’re talking Burberry trench coat for $3) at places like Marshall’s and TJ Maxx where there’s more brand name fashion than the generally practical locals are interested in.  So in swoops my friend, A, and scores things like these Marc Jacobs silver slingbacks that she was wearing on Saturday night.

Low light made for slightly blurred pics, but you get the idea.  They’re gorgeous, aren’t they?  So, don’t fret if you live off the beaten path.  If A can do it, so can you.

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Not Shoeblog, that’s for sure–and hopefully, not you, dear readers and shoe-lovers. We know you crave a happy, well-adjusted, and well-fitted shoe, appropriate for all your spring needs; we know you don’t want to be either dowdy or so sweet they could send you into a diabetic comma. So here, let’s contemplate a few of the season’s offerings in terms of the floral trend. We’re looking for, say, a sweet-and-sour with a side of hot-and-spicy (as opposed to sweet-on-sweet with a side of bland). Let’s see!

These Maloles “Perry” slingback flats, in a tiny floral print, feature the classic ruched-toe we’ve come to expect from Maloles, and a chunky black ribbon to balance the sweetness with a dark side ($318 at Zappos, or $295 at Plaza Too+S&H).

The saccharine overtones of the antique floral pattern of this “retrofitted flat” is tempered by the cord piping and rope laces with leather tassels ($78 at Anthropologie):

And also at Anthropologie, and also in the non-bank-breaking  bracket, are these  cute ankle-strap flats, with a dark, stormy edge ($68):

These “Tarantella” wedges limit the floral pattern to discreet patches on the vamp and heel, and tops it all with a dark bow ($98 at Anthropologie):

Although I can’t recommend a 4-inch heel to anyone, I still love the pattern on these Pink heels ($78 at Anthropologie):

When it comes to floral shoes with an edge, however, I think these take the cake:

Paul Smith floral oxfords, oh my! $574 at Zappos.

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Because my life is a yellow monochromatic obsessive blur lately, I offer you today a bright, chic, ultra-trendy peep-toe slingback oxford from Nine West…in yellow.

The Nine West ‘Heathers’ heels are $93 at Zappos. Cute AND affordable!

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