6pm.com is having one of their brand-clearance specials today. This time it’s on the Gabriella Rocha brand.

Prices on some shoe are as low as $4.95 - you can’t even beat those prices at Payless!

Many styles are on sale:

Juliette $7.95 $43

Glori $7.95 $65

Chill $4.95 $81

Mindola $7.95 $61

So, frugalistas: Go forth and shop

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I haven’t done any sale updates or shopping deals for awhile. So, today I swung by smartbargains.com.

What do you know?  They have a bunch of new boot styles in stock to whet your winter appetite.

You all know the only thing I love more than shoes & boots is finding them at a stellar price. Of course, the one caveat that is always true with Smartbargains is that quantities are always limited - and when they’re gone, they’re gone.

So, here are my quick picks great fall style and value:

London Fog ‘Zoey’ in black or chestnut;  $130 $79.99. This is a cozy, practical, cold-weather style.

Max Studio ‘Reunion’ in black or brown $260 $129.99. This has a rubberized sole - which I tend to find helpful in wet & icy weather.

Marciano Ellen $280 $99.99. Tread for winter weather and a high-heel; this is an interesting and sexy little loafer bootie - and it’s got a nice bit of tread on it as well.

Lovely People ‘Finley’ with faux-fur trim; $140 $79.99. A cute and warm-looking bootie; great for pairing with winter outfits.

Charles by Charles David ‘Pow Wow’ $165 $79.99. We haven’t seen the last of fringe yet. These are a nice nod to the moccasin-style inspiration without going too over the top.

Matisse ‘Sioux’ $188 $99.99 in black or brown. Yet another fringe style - this time with a tall winter/fall shaft.

Lovely People ‘Riddler’ $160 $79.99 in black, grey or cognac. A low suede style with a touch of the currently-popular metal-stud detail. Don’t forget to water-proof these!

Lovely People ‘Velma’ $160 $79.99 in grey, black or cognac. I love all the knotted straps on these. Plus, I have had a soft spot for grey, sueded boots for at least 20 years….. go figure.

London Fog ‘Foxy’ All-weather leather boots $135 $79.99. Can I just say ‘Wow!’. These are amazingly gorgeous - plus they’re waterproof. Sign me up.

Matisse ‘Brooklyn’ $175 $99.99. Another ‘I think I’m in love boot’…no particular reason. They just make me go *sigh*. A lot.

Other good news for frugalistas: Some of these boots are still in the ‘new arrivals’ category and are eligible for an additional 20% off at checkout (for a limited time).

So, is it time to go shopping yet?

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I was over at Amazon the other day and encountered the phrase “Museum Shoes” in one of their new fashion forums:

Definition:

Museum Shoes: Too beautiful to wear, but perfect to look at!

- Many thanks to princess-of-shoes for this very appropriate definition.

While I doubt that all women have a pair of  Museum Shoes in their closet, I must admit that I own my own fair share of these. They are a particular failing of mine.  These are shoes that are fabulous to look at but are impractical for regular wear. Some of them are simple fun while others literally take my breath away with their beauty. They all have a place in my closet because even though it is a challenge to find occasions and outfits to wear them, they are too precious for me to give up.

Here are my Museum Shoes…in a wide range of prices from bargain-bin up to Ouch!

The wedges and embroidered pumps find more actual wear-time than the enamel-heeled Maryjane or crystal pumps - although I only occasionally wear wedges since they can look clunky (all the more potential canvas!).  There are just not that many occasions for a soccer-mom living in a small town to get all dressed up - more’s the pity.

So, is it any surprise that part of the wall-to-wall bookcase plans that we are drafting for our home also tentatively include a corner curio for displaying some of my favorite Museum Shoes?

It’s certainly better than leaving them to gather dust.

Well, do you have your own Museum Shoe…or two?

I showed you mine. Show me your Museum Shoes here.

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In keeping with the theme of a lazy weekend at the beach, in 1946, we turn our eye to Rosa Cha. If you don’t know this line, you probably should; it’s an award-winning bathing suit line designed by Brazilian, Amir Slama. It has an insane following. And gorgeous criss-crossy wedge sandals set off the line fabulously.

Please excuse any fuzziness; these photos were taken whilst the girls were in motion.

I love that it kind of looks like a high heel embedded in a wedge. It’s the modern equivalent to the Roman bas relief sculpture, no? I don’t love the pantaloon tied around the food inside the shoe, but the shoe itself rocks. And the criss-crossy (I want to write the Kris Kross…remember them…Jump! Jump!) ones are even better.

On the other hand we have Jen Kao. She showed a very architectural collection paired with stunning jewelry and incredible shoes. Each model wore the same pair of shoes. Can you see why?

Jen Kao’s bathing suit is decidedly not 50s, we’re talking about 2050. The dress on the showcases several trends for Spring 2010. We have the body-conscious silhouette, the miniskirt, the pale pinks and greys, the strong shoulder, and the corset top. Welcome to the future.

Jen herself wore some leather ankle flames to her show. No, that is not a metaphor. See for yourself.

I borrowed the Jen Kao photos from style.com. Unfortunately, mine were just too blurry.

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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.

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