I was fine with the Isabel Marant Sneaker Wedges. They’re not something that I plan to wear, but the wedge was pretty low (and therefore less offensive when inserted into an athletic shoe), and I’ve seen them look fantastic on people in exactly the same casual French way that characterizes all of Marant’s best work. It’s a shoe interesting enough that I can see outside of my own personal style to understand why people like it.

The problem, though, is with the gaggle of impostors looking to benefit from the coattails of Marant’s creativity. Twitter was seemingly abuzz over the weekend with the news of the Marc by Marc Jacobs Kish Colorblock Wedge Sneaker‘s online debut, but for the life of me, I can’t see why anyone would be excited about these shoes. What they lack in Isabel Marant’s Parisian ease, they make up for by looking like the shoes of a slightly slutty circus clown.

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If you’ve been looking for a pair of Yves Saint Laurent Cardinal Loafers, you might want to scoot over to Net-a-Porter – quickly. These Spring 2012 runway shoes have been selling out left and right, but Net-a-Porter still has about half the sizes left in this much sought-after design. Get your credit card ready, though – these shoes, also called the Yves Saint Laurent Cardilam Loafer Pumps, ring in at a very pricey $1695.

For me, looking at designs like the Alexander McQueen Fall 2012 runway shoes makes me wonder why I have to look at any other group of shoes at all. McQueen may not be known for wearability when it comes to shoes that grace the company’s catwalks, but it is known for making even the most fantastical shoe dreams a reality.

I once read a fashion critic say that McQueen’s famous armadillo shoes negated the reality of the human foot, and it seems as though the company’s shoes have continued to do just that, even after the Lee McQueen’s tragic death. Instead of steadfastly conforming to what a shoe should be and what a foot should look like, the designers at McQueen treat the traditional ideas of “shoe” and “foot” like something to be overcome. And overcome them they do, season after season. Check out all of the loveliness after the jump.

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When I first saw the listing for the Jimmy Choo Fall 2012 stock photos, I was honestly a little bit timid to click it. I don’t like writing negative things about designs over which someone has surely slaved long hours; as a creative person, I know that kind of feedback has to be extremely disheartening. It has to be said, though: Some of these shoes are straight-up terrible. I’d describe the ones I’m talking about, but when you look through the gallery, I’m sure you’ll pick up on them.

There are a few bright spots, though. A pair of knee-high purple suede boots overlaid with black lace and embroidery gives the wearer nice contrasts in both texture and color. Most of the strappy sandals, a structure for which Choo is widely known, are pretty and wearable, if not particularly amazing. And…well, just see for yourself after the jump.

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Hat tip to our compatriots over at Jezebel for noticing a blatant knockoff in our midst – Jessica Simpson‘s uber successful low-priced shoe line has apparently taken quite a shine to the Christian Louboutin Straratata Pump, originally released in 2010. As Jezebel’s Jenna Sauers points out, the shoes aren’t just any “inspired” version – the Jessica Simpson Evangela Sandals take the shoe detail for detail, down to the suede-covered buckle, omitting only the red sole.

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One thing you’ll probably notice quickly about the first shoes to emerge from the Christian Louboutin Fall 2012 collection is the near-total lack of platforms. Louboutin loves to give a shoe a little (or a lot of) extra height by raising the entire thing by an inch or two, but in these early released, only one shoe sports a modest platform. The rest are all more traditional takes on the pump or bootie, most of which add in a little bit of the brand’s signature whimsy.

For devotees of the Louboutin platform, fret not; Megs and I were lucky enough to go to the brand’s fall preview last week, and the collection will, of course, include plenty of shoes to whet your appetite. With the fashion industry’s admiration moving away from platform stilettos, though, it’s only natural that Louboutin would look to keep up with the pack and maintain his spot atop the industry. We’ll keep you updated as more stock images surface, but for now, get your first look after the jump.

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I’ve never entirely understood why more shoe designers don’t take advantage of the full spectrum of prints available to them. Particularly when a shoe involves a heavy platform or large heel, the opportunity is ripe to embellish the shoe with print and pattern to make it stand out, and perhaps more importantly, to make it look special enough to merit the designer price. A heavy sole provides an enormous canvas.

Brian Atwood is never one to miss an opportunity to embellish a shoe, which is why the Brian Atwood Manhattan Slingback is so thoroughly him. It’s bright, cheery and a shoe made for fun, even if it’s a little heftier than the slender heels for which Atwood is more widely known.

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What’s more tasteful and demure than a lace-covered peep-toe pump? Nothing. It’s exactly what a Chanel-wearing, Birkin-toting woman would wear to lunch with her well-heeled friends at The Plaza on any random Tuesday. That’s why I like the Nicholas Kirkwood Lace Peep Toe Platform Pumps so much – they take the expectation of what this shoe should be and stand it on its ear, but they do it in a way that I could still see appealing to a few of the aforementioned ladies.

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Let it be known: I dig a weird shoe. I prefer something sightly left-of-center, just a bit off-kilter and a little unexpected over something obviously sexy any day of the week. The reasons that people dig “obviously sexy” are clear to me, of course, but I just can’t really get on board with them for my own personal style.

Something like the Chloe Susan Studded Ankle Boots, on the other hand, are right up my alley. The look reminds me a bit of the Isabel Marant aesthetic – Parisian chic meets the American West – but I actually like this Chloe pair better than any Marant shoes I’ve ever come across. I first encountered them on Elin Kling’s blog, and she seems to be just as obsessed as I am – a worthy shoe endorsement if there ever was one.

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It’s Friday, and that means I’m in the mood for some fun. (Not that I’m not always in the mood for fun, because obviously I am. Y’all know me well enough by now.) Our friends at Net-a-Porter released their season Shoe Guide this week, and as always, it’s full of enough lust-worthy footwear to keep me entranced for at least the next month. Also entrancing: how did they shoot it? I’ve walked on a tight rope before, and it’s difficult to do in bare feet or sneakers, let alone monstrous, unyielding stilettos. Dude the models walk on flat ground in front of a green screen? I have no idea, but I want to watch it a few more times and see if I can figure it out. If you’d like to take a few moments to contemplate the production tactics, I suggest you do it while perusing Net-a-Porter’s shoe guide.