Hello Shoe Lovers –

Let me introduce the new kid on the block: Me. You can call me twinkletoes. I am a California transplant to the great shoe-tropolis: Manhattan. My new life has required that I make the transition from my all-stilettos-all-the-time, car-happy past to the these-boots-are-made-for-walking, train-based system of my new home. The mental switch from form over function to a melding of the two has been a tough one for me. My hankering for high heels and my predilection for platforms is not going away easily. However, I’ve come a long way, and my podiatrist thanks me for it. Who knew New York could actually be beneficial to health?

In light of this, I am going to share with you my ideal New York walking shoes. They have all three C’s: cute, classy, and comfortable. They are even completely affordable! If you will direct your peepers below:

Just kidding. I mean I LOVE these, but comfortable they are not. Try walking 20 blocks in these babies. And at $490, these Miu Miu Open-Back Suede Sandals, available on Net-a-Porter will make a pretty big hole in your wallet.

Here are my real New York trekkers:

Et voila! the Matisse Sable. These kitten-heeled honeys have been my tried and true companions for the last two years. Here’s the odd thing: they are almost always available. I have purchased three pairs at different points in time and have never had trouble finding them. Not only that, they come in several different colors (shown here in Ivory). At Zappos.com, they are an affordable $100, with four color options. I’ll tell you a secret though: these puppies are all over the internet and the price varies considerably. I paid $100 for the first pair and about $75 for the last two. The price depends on where you get them and the timeliness of your search. Incredibly comfortable and versatile, they have taken me up and down Broadway time and time again. If the Miu Miu sandals are the alluring bad boy, these are the guy you take home to meet Mom and Dad.

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I loved the Miu Miu “Pop” brogues that came out last fall. With subtle color-block styling, including topstitching and wingtip styling, it was a wonderfully feminine version of a classic menswear shoe. (See Manolo’s take here):

There are a few isolated sizes & styles available at Net-a-porter and Bluefly- but Bluefly is already selling out some styles even as I am writing this, so these will not be around for long, even at discounted prices that are still around $500.

These were apparently too original to stay original.   I am in true awe at the sheer mass of imitations that have spawned from these fun and elegant originals. 

Be warned, some are quite cute, but others border on a level of “What were they thinking?” that leaves me shaking my head in confusion.

So, in no particular order:

Contestant #1 -  Guess by Marciano “Yerex” $125 at Shoes.com & $129 at Zappos.com (Not too extreme, and I kind of like the slender heel):

Contestant #2 -  Two Lips  “Cotton Club” $79 at Shoes.com and Zappos.com (Not sure I’m really ‘feeling’ the antiqued/brushed metal finish.):

Contestant #3 -  Hale Bob “Imagine” $87.47 - $124.95 at Endless.com, Heels.com & Shoes.com. (I’m okay with the metallic color balance, but the red is just too much for me.)

Contestant #4 - Dollhouse with the “Warhole” and “Rembrandt” styles $69.99 at Heels.com for either style. (Honestly, I do like the blue combo as it has enough differences to make it a nice variation on the original idea.)

Contestant #5 - Bamboo ‘Hanete01′ $34.99 at Cutesyshoes  (I can’t ever see myself wearing this cotton-candy color combo.):

And, no,  I have not forgotten Steve Madden, master style imitator; He has an honorable mention for the “Specs” which have apparently sold out at most online retailers.

So, how do we feel about these?

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OK, I’m pretty sure this is not an officially recognized malady.

Luckily for me, the American psychiatric community considers my particular level of obsession within normal bounds for an individual hobby. It’s not harming my marriage or other relationships. It has opened the stage for more than casual teasing when another shoe box arrives on the porch though.

So, it was that feeling of ‘Coming Home’ when I found Shoeblog.com a little more than a year ago - a growing community of folks like me who loved the whole shoe experience.

My personal cycle:

Window shopping - Real World or Online….Stalking a perfect pair….Finding the style in your size….Hunting for it at a bargain & stalking the sales….Ordering….Waiting patiently for the UPS truck to deliver a small brown package….Trying it on for a test run….SUCCESS.

The cycle repeats, occasionally with less success with the anticlimactic return outcome. But it really is the hunt that is a large part of the enjoyment for this gal.

It’s not quite big-game hunting on the Serengeti, but it works for me.

So, when I was recently offered the opportunity to contribute to the Blog portion of this site, it took little persuasion to convince me to give this a go.

Since online sales and bargain hunting are one of my key strengths, expect to see entries from me along the lines of the “Spot the Shoe on Sale “category, among any other tidbits that bubble out of my head.

And if you’re a little bit like me and covet a touch of “Couture Glam” in your shoe collection, Bluefly has this jewelled Miu Miu slide in stock today at about 20% of retail for $440. Just for one lucky Size 10 out there in Shoeland.

Looking forward to a fun time here with you all.

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