I don’t frequently find myself WAY downtown in New York, as in south of the Lower East Side or Chinatown. But if you can brave lighting and tourist scenes like this, you’ll find some great designer discounts at Century 21.

Here are a few gems.

Courtney Crawford’s stylish slingbacks valued at $595 are on sale for $199.99.

Classic Missoni pumps valued at $580 are on sale for $199.99 and Costume National sandals valued at $600 are $199.99.

Marc Jacobs’ sassy tomato slingback pumps, valued at $570, are $149.99.

Chic cutie pie sandals by French Sole valued at $190 are ONLY $29.99!

Blowfish twist flats valued at $45 are $12.99!

Day-to-evening transitional Seychelles mid-heel sandals valued at $90 are $24.99!

And my favorite of the day, funky-as-ever Harajuku Lovers sandals valued at $60 are $29.97!

What great deals! Skip a latte for a few days and you can get yourself a new pair of shoes at Century 21! That’s how great these sales are.

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Farfetch.com is an ecommerce destination that puts 20 select European independent fashion boutiques under the same roof, erh make that website.  Right now, they are having a shoe sale with some lovely things from Bruno Frisoni, Casadei, McQueen, Chie Mihara, Margiela, Parisi, Weitzman, Marc Jacobs, Opening Ceremony and others, including lots of black boots. Take advantage for the fall and winter to come!

GIA LORENZI - Black suede and patent boots; Retail price $1192, now on sale for $597.

ALEXANDER McQUEEN - Button boots with tiny toe cap; Retail price $1395, now $700.

GIA LORENZI - Black and Brown Thigh High Boots; Retail price $1320, now $660.

DIEGO DOLCINI - Buckled ankle boots; Retail price $1154, on sale for $577.

CASADEI - Suede knee high boots; Retail price $1134, on sale for $568.

DIEGO DOLCINI - Metallic buckle sandal; Retail price $1002, on sale for $501.

MALOLES - Grey and blue Mary-Janes; Retail price $421, on sale for $295.

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It’s no mystery that metallics mysteriously come into fashion every Spring. Each year, the fashion magazine report, with breathless admiration, how “New!” and “Exciting!” this ground-breaking trend is. Whatever people; we’re on to you. We knew it was coming, but that doesn’t make metallics any less fun. In the spirit of fun Spring trends, here are some of the fancier metallic footwear that is (or will soon be) available.

Marc Jacob Heart Heel, approx $638 (converted from British Pounds).

A more practical version is the Marc Jacobs Heart Ballerina, approx $475 (converted from Euros)

Nicholas Kirkwood Black and Gold Sandals, approx $787 (converted from GBP)

Remember these from Phillip Lim’s Spring collaboration with Christian Louboutin (we wrote about it!)? Well now you can get your own pair. Britney Spears already got hers (in the red, heeled version). She’s got them on in her video for “If You Seek Amy.” The people dressing her are really working hard these days. Check out the Christian Louboutin “Adona” Sandal, $1265 at Saks.

CL also shows us what would happen if a disco ball was reimagined as a shoe. The Very Galaxy Platform Pump is available at Saks for $1295.

Brian Atwood gives us a cool Gold Wedge Sandal ($1870, but only available on request).

Prada has a Christmas wrapping type lace up sandal.

Pierre Hardy gives us geometric sandals in both silver and gold. Available on www.pierrehardy.com.

And let’s not forget the shoes we saw on the runway at NY Fashion week 2009. These suckers won’t be available for a good long while and are oficial part of “Fall,” but designers this season seemed a bit confused about what is constitutes Spring and Fall, so bring them on.

I remember when I saw this armored gold bootie at the Karen Walker shoe, I nearly fell out of my seat. It’s even more gorgeous in person than it is in photos.

And Costello Tagliapietra’s models rocked the runway in these and these:

Johnathan Saunders shone when he showed these:

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Have you ever found yourself enamoured of a particular style or trend while simultaneously finding yourself at a loss as to how to make it work within your own wardrobe and personal style?

Alas, that is my predicament with so-called ‘Spats’-styled boots; those boots with an add-on ankle cuff, or more commonly, an extremely extended cuff that falls all the way to the instep to ‘break’ at the top of the instep.  The cuffs on this second style of boot are rather distinct and work just a touch of trompe l’oeil trickery that suggests either an actual removable spatted cuff or an illusory pant-leg that appears to be floating over the boot itself. I am definitely put in mind of the Givenchy ‘Gaiter’ boots from Jitterbugbaby’s (Fall 2008) Paris Runway Roundup post from earlier this year. And, since I have yet to encounter any naming consensus among shoe sites and fashion blog as to a definitive title for this type of boot, I have decided to stick with ‘Spats’ - it has a certain evocative appeal and works for me.

In my case, the first real example of this style that I encountered (outside of old black and white movies) was the now sold-out LAMB ‘Crowther’ which was available last fall.  This was in fact a classic pump with a separate spat attachment. And, while I loved the look and convertibility of the shoe, I could not justify the purchase of this altogether adorable shoe. A year later I am still trying to find reasons that I could wear this and have almost come to turns with the fact that this shoe simply does not work within my personal wardrobe and everyday style. More’s the pity.

If you fancy this particular detachable ‘gaiter’ style, you can also purchase individual ‘Gaiterettes’ from LesFrivolities at Etsy.com. These are spats/gaiters that can easily be added to shoes or ankle boots that you already own. Prices range from $55.00 to $155.00 per handmade pair.

Next is a more casual offering, the LAMB ‘Zeyn Tex’ ($179.95 at Shoebuy.com). While I am not really a fan of this particular boot, it clearly illustrates the idea of the boot incorporating the actual  trouser cuff or pants-leg as an integral part of the boot shaft itself.

What I now present to you is the result of several months of squirreling away these styles one-by-one into their own special favorites folder as I periodically encountered them online.  For your inspection and in no particular order: Spats, spats, and more spats.

Zucca Black Buckle Tall Boots $1422 at Creatures of Comfort

Delman Suede Knee High Boots $595 at Saks.com

Marc Jacobs Nappa Leather Boots in Grey or Black $640$578 at Yoox.com

Botkier ‘Xenia’ $715-$725 at Endless.com and Piperlime.com

Chie Mihara ‘Saigon’ $695$409.99 at Piperlime.com (Size 9/39 only).

Tahskent by Cheyenne ‘Osgood’ $760 at Shopbop.com, on sale for $439.99 at Piperlime.com

Materia Prima by Goffredo Fantini  Style # ‘4M4753′ $484 $228.85 in size 8/38 only.
(This is my size and is right up near the top of my list of most drool-worthy uber-spats.)

Jessica Simpson ‘Mazzey’ Boot $138.00-$140 at Zappos.com, Endless.com, Piperlime.com and Shoemall.com.

London Underground ‘Bit of Romance’ $164.99 at Shoes.com.
Confession time: Whatever the reason, I love this boot truly, madly, deeply.

T.U.K ‘Cara’ $85 $70 at Zappos.com (size 7 only).

Naughty Monkey ‘Belly Up’ $119.95 at Endless.com and $131 at Zappos.com.

These last two ankle boots are also really turning on my positive, feel-good vibes.  I think it has something to do with the split, buttoned cut of the cuff that also conjures to my mind the Alfred Noyes poem ‘The Highwayman’; Such a romantic and dashing image that these boots conjure up in the imagination.

I’m thinking that with the right pair of brown Spats, and a warm wool Kinsale cloak, I might just have the perfect thing to wear during a long, cold winter.  Maybe the key to Spats (at least in my case) is to embrace my anachronistic fashion tendencies and mix some period styles in with my modern wardrobe.

Of course, I still need someone else to guide me on what to wear with the LAMB Zeyn boots. That challenge continues to elude me.

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So maybe the real answer to the title of this post is a resounding “Both!” The question was inspired by her recent attire at the launch of the Beckham Signature Fragrance Collection at Macy’s Herald Square in New York City this weekend.

The Evidence:

I’m sorry, perhaps you did not get the full impact of this here photo. Take a closer look.

The Trial:

Defense: As you will see, Lady Posh has lifted an outfit entirely from the Antonio Berardi Fall 2008 runway line. It’s fits beautifully, because let’s face it, Posh can wear the hell out of outfits! And she is all about the crazy high heels!

Prosecution: But she isn’t wearing any heels! Those rubber stockings/boots (yes, they are connected!) have platforms, but are completely heel-less, giving the impression that Posh is balancing all her weight on her tippy toes. That’s not high heels; that’s just crazy.

Def: We of the defense are not the first to laud Miz Beckham for her courageous footwear choices. Let me draw your attention to her Elle editorial from 2008. Here are the shoes that she wore in the highly discussed spread:

Pro: Yeah…those were pretty cool. But wait - they have HEELS, albeit ones that don’t actually touch the ground! The point we are making here is that heel-free shoes are against nature.

Def: It’s not like she’s the first. Marc Jacobs sold a ton of those backwards heel shoes last season. (Still available on Net-a-Porter for the low, low sale price of $660)

Pro: Oh yeah - those were so cool. I mean crazy, they were crazy. I must stick to my guns…

Def: And Vogue’s Stephanie La Cava wore these fantastic Dior Couture uber-platforms to the Whitney Art Party in June and people are still talking about it. See how we are still talking about it?

Pro: I WANT those! Where can I get some. Wow - they look a lot like Posh’s Elle shoes. She’s such a trend-setter. I can’t believe you got to me like this. Ok, she’s crazy AND amazing. We should make a movie about her finely tuned sense of fashion insanity. Must…go…shopping….!

The Verdict: After long deliberation the jury has decided that Posh is both crazy and awesome. Sure we knew that already, but the evidence was too good to pass up.

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