Must of us probably associate covering a shoe in crystals, or strassing, with Christian Louboutin. He’s the one that made the look famous, and Louboutin does it in more colors and styles than any other high-end designer on the market. That doesn’t mean that other brands can’t get their piece of the in-demand look, though. Valentino, for its part, does it quite well.

The Fall 2012 collection includes several sparkly options, including the Valentino Crystal Tango Pumps (above) and the Valentino Rockstud Mary Jane D’Orsays (after the jump). These shoes, with their stiletto heels and high sparkle factor, feel like another step in the brand’s plan to modernize for a slightly younger customer.

After grasping around to find its way for a few years, it seems as though Valentino is on a great path. These shoes both look simultaneously like something you’d expect from the brand and something slightly fresher, which is the best way to move an already-successful (and profitable) operation toward a more timely aesthetic. I can’t wait to see what Valentino does for the upcoming Spring 2013 shows.

You can buy the first shoe for $1395 via Neiman Marcus or the second for $995 via Neiman Marcus.