The Taming of the (Halloween) Shoe

I’m all about buying footwear with enduring value and comfort—you know, rather than indulging in fleeting trends that collect dust in the back of the closet. This is precisely is why Halloween always stirs up some commitment issues. Last year’s challenge was to find white, high heeled boots that would complete my Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader costume. Quel nightmare.

Being a glutton for punishment (in the form of driving to every costume and consignment store within a 50 mile radius), I’m considering going as Dorothy in The Wizard Of Oz this year. The search for shoes will be no easy task, especially since I’m looking to buy a pair of ruby red dazzlers I can wear again and again after dark, any time of year.

Enter Christian Louboutin’s glittered pump platform. The veritable wizard of ooohs and aaahs has turned out an aggressively sexy ruby slipper (with signature red sole) that’s built for more than a one night stand. At $775,  it better be. Available at NeimanMarcus.com

What Would Dorothy Wear?

What would the Kansas farm girl-turned fashion icon wear today? That’s the question Warner Bros. and Swarovski posed to 19 shoe designers you love (I know you love them, don’t doubt me) and one FIDM design contest winner, Kaddie Lam (pictured with her spiral-heel stiletto). The result? Mouthwatering red confections that would make any modern-day Dorothy want to perfect her yellow brick road strut.

A very chic friend I’m now indebted to was kind enough to take on the role of Shoetube.tv field reporter and sent back pics of her favorites; as displayed last night at Tavern on the Green for The Wizard of Oz 70th Anniversary Emerald Gala.

What’s the fate of these gorgeous creations? They’re being auctioned off here until September 29, with the proceeds going to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, which works in 17 countries to prevent and treat HIV and AIDS.

So if you’ve got the budget, bid away. If you don’t, just click your heels together… or maybe watch the movie. It won’t bring you ruby slippers, but it will bring you back to your shoe-loving roots.

Moschino platform pumps with an oversized half bow on each toe. So sweet!

Christian Louboutin satin heels with fabric-feather detail.

Abaete crystal-encrusted pumps with bow detail.

Tuleh strappy pumps covered in satin and tulle. Dubbed a hot mess by our reporter.

Precarious platforms from Alberta Ferretti.

And L.A.M.B. by Gwen Stefani wooden open-toe platforms with satin bow. Not to mix magical stories but, these are the fairest of them all.

Soleful Tete-a-Tete with a DC Cabbie: What makes women so nuts over a shoe?

Since I’ve been writing for Shoetube, I’ve found that people have no problem spilling their souls when it comes to, well, soles.

A few weeks ago I was on my way home from the Smithsonian Young Benefactor’s Gala* and somehow my cabbie and I got on the topic of shoes. I was telling him about Shoetube, he was telling me about his wife’s massive shoe collection, and then he asked me the million dollar question:

“What makes women so nuts over a shoe?”

Then he started pelting me with questions harder than the rain falling outside:

Is it because a shoe is expensive? Is it the name? Is it because of a celebrity?  Why does my wife NEED all these shoes?!

The man makes a point. Why is it that certain shoes are just to-die-for and some even worth eating ramen noodles for a month? Is it M. Louboutin’s red sole? Is it because Victoria Beckham wore them? Is it just because they’re $$$? Or is it about getting that must-have shoe that’s impossible to find?

Perfect example: I met a girl earlier that evening in a pair of a-mazing $1,000 Pierre Hardy stilettos. Sure, we chatted about those, but what she was even more excited about were the  Pierre Hardy for GAP sandals that she’d scoured the country to find.  She’s currently on an international mission to find this specific Payless sandal that’s been featured in quite a few magazines, but cannot be found anywhere in the US or Canada. Someone needs to call in INTERPOL stat!

Personally I’m guilty of being a red sole addict: these are my latest moral (aka money) dilemma.

To answer the cabbie, I can’t explain it: there’s just something about some soles that make them irresistible.

P.S. As I exited the cab, he informed me that there was no way he was going to tell his wife about Shoetube. However, from what he told me about his wife’s love of shoes, my guess is she’s reading this right now

*recap on that to follow as soon as I work out some technical difficulties with my camera

Nudity at the Terminator Premiere

The Terminator movie premiere was as expected huge but what the girls were going to wear was a total toss up. Would they go glamorous in gowns? Would they show up futuristic and pay homage to the movie? Would they come in classic cocktail? Well kind of but not really. My two favorites Bryce Dallas Howard (What a gorgeous creamy skinned red head!) and fellow fair skinned beauty Rose McGowan showed up in outfits that were funky and fun! Both took risks a little left of what we see on a day to day basis in Hollywood but what did we really expect from these ladies? Bryce and Rose both wore nude Christian Louboutins- the former wearing a sky high peep-toe platform and the latter wearing a pair of lace up pair of killer heels. Enjoy the photos!

The School of Hard Knock Offs

Today’s post on Shoeaholics Anonymous: “Knockoff Marc Jacobs Sandals.” The blog reveals, side-by-side, a pair of strappy red Marc Jacobs cork wedges ($339.95) and a Steve Madden version of the same shoe ($49.95). “Of course, we all know Steve Madden is known for some awesome knock-offs,” the writer points out.

Naga peep toe pump by Guess

In fact, the designer version-meets-discount version is regular fare for many a fashion magazine (I’m a huge fan of Self magazine’s “Admire it, Acquire it” it feature). But the recent lawsuit brought against clothing retailer Forever 21 (designer Travota accuses Forever 21 of copying a line of shirts; Diane von Fürstenberg, Anthropologie, Gwen Stefani and others have pressed similar charges in the past) gives the term “knock off” a dirty ring. (Like “Genuine Pradu” handbags weren’t bad enough.)

Still, how many of us can really spring for the Marc Jacobs sandals these days? And, in the shoe world, is it possible that imitation is still the sincerest form of flattery? Shoeaholics Anonymous seems to think so. The site boasts recent posts on Dolce Vita, Jimmy Choo and Louboutin knockoffs. (The Naga peep toe pump from Guess, pictured here, is nearly a dead-ringer for Jimmy Choo’s Eliza Petrol Patent Peep Toe Shoes.)

Gemology by Kenneth Cole Reaction

And, while out-and-out design stealing likely warrants cries of piracy, what about when designers “borrow” from their own high-end lines to flesh out their lower-priced offerings? Check out the $78.95 Gemology sandal from Kenneth Cole Reaction. It’s rhinestone-encrusted and comes in bronze, gold and silver.

Bedside by Unlisted

Cole’s Unlisted brand features a sister (if not twin) style in the Bedside: sparkly beading, metallic coloring and just $45.

Glamour Girls Shoes Simpson

Finally, there are the replicas which are not knocksoff so much as tributes: Glamour Girls Shoes claims to be “your online source for the latest in celebrity worn and designer inspired footwear.” So, is Glamour Girls’ Simpson Peep Toe Wedge in homage to Jessica Simpson? The singer-turned-fashion-brand hasn’t produced a similar style in her current collection, but the open toe, the stacked wedge… it does nod to the star’s style. And a Simpson-esque shoe ($19.99!) is a step up from a “Genuine Sampson” any day.

Giving in to the Oxford

There are a few trends⎯leather motorcycle jackets, fringed moccasin boots, even cropped leggings⎯that I have resisted out of a sort of pigheaded pride.

It’s not that I think I’m above these pieces. It’s that when I first saw them, I gave them a season, maybe. I waited for them to pass. And like my attempts to take the bus rather than walk home on a rainy day, I’m left waiting but can’t budge because the longer I stand still, the more I have invested in the bus actually coming. Or in this case, the fashion don’t articles being written. Right?

Out of my many shortsighted restrictions, flat oxford shoes have been the hardest to resist. So when I opened May’s Marie Claire to see an adorable Rachel McAdams shot in even more adorable Christian Louboutin oxfords, I knew it was over. I’ve come crawling back to the oxford, tail between my legs, in the rain.

See the whole series at Just Jared: http://tinyurl.com/cfuryw

It wasn’t your fault, oxford, that a buyer at Urban Outfitters spotted you before I did. I shouldn’t have judged you so harshly. I should have believed in you. Now, with a degree of sureness that you’ll last another full season, I’d like to purchase you. Just not at full price.

I’m sheepishly headed to eBay store ShoeMetro for black Steve Maddens,

or Whochee Vintage for Kenneth Coles,or MrHaney4 for classic Cole Haans,

or Historic Images for crisp ivory Rockports.

Recession-Proof Shoes

According to recent fashion week coverage by the New York Times, “Certain things are simply recession-proof.” Such as suede ankle boots wrapped in chains by French designer Isabel Marant. Retail price: $1,050.

Isabel Marant boots, as seen in New York Times

Of course, not everyone can still (or ever could) shell out a grand for shoes (no matter how of-the-moment). The blog Style It Less started this year with a post on retail therapy with an eye toward bargain hunting: “When I stepped into the shoe section of T.J.Maxx … I saw this pair of Unlisted d’orsay bow peep-toe pumps with a $10 price tag and I was hooked.”

Style Bakery has another take on recession-proof footware: Go for timeless styles over trendy steals. The site notes these shoe styles among it’s list of “Seasonless Wardrobe Additions”: The Ballet Flat (“wear this style on all but the coldest days of the year”) and the Peep Toe Pump (“whether worn with tights or bare legs, the peep toe pump is an all-season favorite”).

Colorblock platforms from Charlotte Russe

The same Web site also included these bargains among it’s list of “Spring Wardrobe Additions You Can Afford”: Colorblock Platform Pumps for $24.99 at Charlotte Russe, and Lifestride’s $49.99 faux-snakeskin Women’s Murphy sandal.

Along the same “a penny saved is a penny earned” line of thinking, blog Farnoosh.tv posted a post-Fashion Week article on how to “Recession-Proof Your Shoe Closet” with tips about using cobblers, online deals and consignment finds.

Christian Louboutin for Rodarte

But for all the sage advice on maintaining a shoe collection despite a dwindling bank account, there’s something heartening about a luxe line like Marant’s selling out. Fashion blog Jak & Jil trumpets the ever-evolving architecture of high-end heels, often accessible only to those in the fashion business. Drool over recent posts in the ShoeGazing files, including these fierce, spiked iterations from Christian Louboutin for Rodarte.

Heavenly Evanly Shoe Idol

Once in a while a Hollywood starlet comes along and really just kills it with her personal style and shines through so much brighter than the rest of them. Right now I’m super obsessed with Evan Rachel Wood and her string of spot-on glorious “my shoes are better than yours” looks. I love love love that she doesn’t overdo it with obnoxious attention seeking footwear (though don’t get it twisted I am quite the champion for the most obnoxiousest of obnoxiously insane impractical look at me! shoes) and instead picks a shoe that is left-of-center and very splendid yet still graceful and fittingly completes her classic hollywood meets goth rock chick look. I love her. I adore her style. I think she is a cute chameleon. Anyhooo enough about what I think! Here you go! Check out her string of hits beginning in the latter part of last year (2008) with this frilly little black cocktail number paired with a cool strappy cutout platform sandal in black. Very couture goth. Then follows it up in early 2009 at the Golden Globes where she rocks a classic black Christian Louboutin shoe to complement black Elie Saab gown. Note patent leather is her material of choice instead of the typical satin, jewelled, blah blah blah. Thats what makes it a little more interesting. Her big wow me moment was when she walked the 2009 SAG Awards red carpet in a deap teal Monique Lhullier dress offset by an absolutely gorgeous pair of fuschia satin Sergio Rossis which complement her little clutch- and then proceeded do a cheeky little red carpet show and tell to make sure everyone saw it. ERW is so hot it hurts and even she works it out in her photo shoots. Check out this spread where she is wearing white Jimmy Choo cutout boots. Wow. The heat is burning me. <3 XO

Am I Grown Up?

In my 25 years on this earth, I’ve worn many varieties of black shoes—mary janes, slingbacks, ballet flats—until last week, though, I had never owned a pair of basic black pumps! As I mentioned in my very first Shoetube article, I tend to find black pumps extremely boring and far too responsible (aka grown-up) for my taste. Well, sign me up for a 401k and charge my blackberry: I guess I’m a grown-up now!

The need for boring black pumps came one lovely afternoon when I was setting up an interview with a potential employer and the recruiter jokingly mentioned not to “do anything crazy like wear silver shoes” to the interview. When I got off the phone, I did a mental inventory of my current shoe collection and realized I was in trouble! Needless to say, the purple platform Chloe’s that go perfectly with my interview suit were definitely out, as were every other shoe in my closet. I knew that at some point in my “professional” life I would potentially have to succumb to the pressure of wearing boring black pumps, and I had already decided that if I had to do it, Louboutin’s were the only way to go (at least their soles are colorful!).

I went to my local Neiman Marcus and definitely horrified a few shoppers when I candidly chatted about how I was purchasing my first black pumps. However, the real shock was when the salesman figured out the shoes were mispriced by $100 in my favor! I figured that was as good of a sign as any, that the shoes were meant to be.

As for the interview, it went quite well and even wearing my “boring black pumps” my shoes were still the topic of conversation on the elevator ride to the lobby!

An L.A. Native’s Guide to Summer ‘No-Nos’: No Heels at the Beach!

The first hot weekend in L.A.–And I’m talking about when it’s 85 degrees by 9 a.m., the air is stagnant and those who continue to excercise outside are just showoffs–usually sends the local masses migrating to the beach.
There are two distinct categories of “Summer Girls”: Those that wear flip flops,and those that wear high heels to the beach. Having grown up at the beach myself, I firmly believe that heels have no place near sand or slippery surfaces.
I hate to say it, because it sounds a bit snobby, but you can tell the flip-flop girls from the high heel girls from a mile away. The flip flop girls wear string bikinis and Reefs and let their hair air dry in the sun. The high-heel wearing girls wear the designer stuff that look amazing on the pages of Vogue but, sadly, odd and potentially deadly on the sand.

When I lived in Manhattan Beach, my new roomie startled me one afternoon by emerging from her room wearing a white one-piece suit with diamond shaped pieces cut from both her sides, and two giant pieces cut out from each side of her rear. She paired this with a smattering of gold bangles, some giant Bono-sized sunglasses and sky-high Christian Louboutin wedge heels. Wow. I normally bow down to the girl who owns anything by Christian Louboutin, but that day, as we walked side by side down to watch the professional volleyball players sweat and flex their muscles, she in her ass-chapping white get-up and I in my faded cotton triangle top and cut off shorts, I have to say I felt a little bit like the odd couple. Where were we? Vegas?

At any rate, the poor thing tripped and leaped forward several times trying to balance those Louboutin wedges in the hot sand. Oh, did I mention she also had one of those gigantic fold-up beach chairs strapped to her back? She looked like a stripper on a camping trip. I traipsed after her from a safe distance. She finally got the hint that she wasn’t going to be able to walk in her shoes and, untying them, slipped them off. This was also a bad decision, because no sooner had she done this then the pink skin of her feet met with the blistering heat of the sand. Still wearing the fold-up chair, she began gyrating back and forth, doing what athletes and trainers like to call “High Knees”, trying her best to stay calm but looking like she was having an epileptic fit. Of course I jumped to attention and gave her my towel to stand on and that was the pinnacle of our day at the beach. We decided to set up camp right there and avoid any more unwanted attention.
My point with all of this is that this summer when you go to the beach, or the pool or wherever you go to stay cool,of course you must preserve all that is your individual sense of style. But take it from me when I say, there really is something to that saying, “When in Rome..”