I have two obsessions I have to tell you about. One is old, namely the sleek, elegant beauty of Arturo Chiang’s shoes. Check out these stunners for sale at Lavande in Russian Hill!

I also have a fantastic pair of red patent wedge sandals from Gabay’s in New York. In case you didn’t know, Gabay’s doesn’t look like much, but it can be the holy grail of discount shoes on certain days!

You can find more of Arturo’s shoes here.

The other obsession is new, and I’ve been seeing her work pop up in magazines. Her name is Francesca Giobbi, and her quirky yet sexy Brazilian (what is it with the Brazilian shoe designers?) exotics are just what the shoe doctor ordered for spring. Below are some screenshots from this YouTube video that takes you inside Giobbi’s store.

The problem is, barring a trip to Brazil, which I’ve been seriously contemplating, I haven’t been able to get my hands on these babies. If anyone sees her shoes on sale online or in an American store, do let a girl know! I remember the days when her fellow Brazilian Chie Mihara was hard to get ahold of, and now Chie is everywhere. Let’s hope for the same from Francesca Giobbi!