The Victoria and Albert Museum sponsored a shoe design competition for kids a while back, and the results were amazing. These are the next Louboutins, Blahniks and Choos, my friend. So who was the judge? Jimmy Choo, of course! See the winning and notable entries here.

Speaking of Senor Choo, it’s been quiet in his neighborhood. What has he been up to these days? Well, designing beauties like this, for starters.  They’ll look fabulous with your whole new Moroccan/Algerian wardrobe that you’ll wear to Le Souk and belly dance around in. (Speaking of which, are you digging the North African trend across all of fashion? Surprisingly, I am, leading me to spend work days dreaming of being luxuriously outfitted in a soft caftan, marrying a sultan and being set upon a divan… okay, back to reality.)

Don’t drop the hookah ashes on them, they’re £456!

Fancy walking on that skyscraper of a point? I have tried on many pairs of Choos but only ever worn one pair out, and I have to say I found the skinny stilettos of most of his shoes hard to survive on when traversing cement streets!

Is it not obvious that the sandalista bootie is the new shoe? I’ve heard fashion theorists throw out there that they’ve become popular because they look so tough and protective, like a cage, and in these hard times, we want to feel comforted and protected and tough.

Browsing on Modista, I fell lusciously in love with these Queens of Domination. I’ve come to expect no less from Giuseppe Zanotti, who consistently rocks my world. These mamas definitely wear the pants in the relationship, and scare me a little bit, but I’d dare to wear. With a crazy shoe like this, I’d keep it simple up top with a pair of shorts or a minishift dress in grey or taupe, maybe with a vest and a loose chain necklace.

But alas, $875 does not fit the bill, so I’ll have to settle for a cheap imitation. Fortunately, on Sunday, I was walking through the Haight when I saw these (apologies for the grainy photos, I’m working on getting a new digital camera so for now my Google phone camera must suffice) at Isabel Shoes, reminding me of the strappy “fierce gold or black bandage booties” I saw at Urban Outfitters and decreed the anti-granny chic shoes in this post.

They also come in other colors, and I like the zipper for its punk industrial look that it adds and also for how easy it makes to slip it on and zip it up, then run out the door as I’m likely to do.

Got a favorite pair of sandalista bandage booties? Post a link in comments to let us know about ‘em!