White shoes are tough. Not only do they get dirty quickly, but they rarely look expensive (even when they most definitely are) and usually conjure images of tragically colored pantyhose or naughty nurse costumes. Which of those is worse depends on your perspective, but neither is an objectively positive fashion reference, and as a result, most brands and customers avoid white footwear. Read More…

Most of the time when I write about Jimmy Choo in this space, I’m being critical. The brand tends to waste its potential, which is unfortunate for a company with as many resources as Choo; they really could, not to mention should, be doing better. There’s one category in which Jimmy Choo shines, though, often literally as well as figuratively: fancy dress-up shoes. Read More…

You guys know me. Normally, not only do I try to focus on shoes I love rather than bashing shoes I hate, but I’m also generally supportive of all of Giuseppe Zanotti’s zanier side. I dig his heelless platforms and extreme stilettos, almost without exception. Particularly in the last two years, Zanotti has been more or less beyond reproach in my mind. Read More…

Ugly as sin. Yeah, I said it.

I can see the appeal in most footwear trends, even if they’re not things I’d wear personally. As a critic, you have to be willing to expand your willingness to consider the merit in things outside of your own personal taste, and I take that seriously. I’d never give something a bad review just because I wouldn’t wear it; that’s not a design flaw, in and of itself. Read More…

There are precious few things I love more in life than a truly beautiful flat shoe. Designers put so much time and energy into their high heels that anything less than four inches tall usually feels like an afterthought, but in reality, those are the shoes that women wear most often and really need in their wardrobes. A few select shoppers live in their stilettos, but most of us need balance, both literally and figuratively. Read More…

Based on the Lanvin Grosgrain-Trimmed Elaphe Pumps, I’d wager that no, in fact, there is not. Lanvin is the loveliest of them all. Read More…

In grand Atwood fashion, though, the over-the-topness of the Brian Atwood Brigitte Platform Sandal kind of totally works, though. With the thick proportions, bold leopard print straps and contrasting turquoise and tangerine trim (one of my favorite contrasting color combinations ever, especially for summer), this shoe is a veritable party unto itself. It aims for off-the-rails, and it achieves exactly that. Read More…

Christian Louboutin’s 20th Anniversary Collection just keeps on going, and now there’s a new place to shop it online: NeimanMarcus.com. It’s the best assortment of the special capsule collection that I’ve found yet, and notably, it includes my favorite shoe from the line: the Christian Louboutin Pensee Mary Jane Flower Pumps in mirrored silver leather.

These aren’t Louboutin’s most daring shoes, and they’re certainly not his tallest, but something about the bold, graphic tonal flower attached to the smart Mary Jane pump captures the brand’s whimsy and irreverence so perfectly. Read More…