Look For Less Shoes

It’s very difficult to find Look for Less options for Charlotte Olympia’s stellar lineup of platforms and smoking flats; almost all of designer Charlotte Delal’s pieces are embellished with enough signature quirk that it takes most mid-range comparisons off the table. That’s why I was so excited to see the Marc by Marc Jacobs Cherry Embellished Suede Sandals; they’re not a total dead ringer, but the look is very similar to that of the Charlotte Olympia Arlena Cameo Sandals.

Continue reading →

Lately I’ve been praising both Giuseppe Zanotti and B Brian Atwood, so when I saw these two similar shoes sitting together on the same new arrivals page at Neiman Marcus, I couldn’t help but post about it. Zanotti’s shoes are normally fairly priced considering the ever-increasing price tags of the shoe world, but the B Brian Atwood Suede Colorblock Pumps go even lower than the Giuseppe Zanotti Patent Colorblock Pumps in our latest edition of The Look for Less. I actually prefer the less expensive option, in this case – the muted suede makes the bold colors more versatile. Which one is your favorite?

Continue reading →

Burberry Explorer Biker Boots, $895 via Net-a-Porter. Jeffrey Campbell Brit Wrap Strap Boots, $230 via ShopBop

The return of tough, black, flat-soled leather boots warm the cockles of my little ex-teenage-punk heart. I do not simply want a pair of these boots, I want all of the pairs. In fact, I already have one pair of great, grungy BedStu boots waiting for winter, and I’m going to be adding more pairs as soon as possible.

If you feel me on the whole tough-girl-boots thing, then I’ve got a Look for Less for you – the Burberry Explorer Biker Boots and the Jeffrey Campbell Brit Wrap Strap Boots, both of which will add a note of grunge to your casual fall wardrobe. And I mean “grunge” in a good way.

Continue reading →

I’m such of huge fan of menswear-inspired women’s shoes that finding any new men’s silhouette in women’s sizing and fabrication is like waking up on Christmas morning. Not only do the shoes tend to be comfortable and classic, but the juxtaposition of a staid, masculine shape with a feminine, modern material like leopard-printed haircalf is a sly visual joke that I just can’t resist.

And I won’t have to resist it, no matter my shoe budget. If I’m feeling like a splurge, the Jimmy Choo Leopard Haircalf Loafers aren’t too painfully priced. For an even better deal, the Steven by Steve Madden Maddee Flats are a very similar look. Larger photos and pricing can be found after the jump.

Continue reading →

I didn’t think I’d ever have occasional to use the phrase “casual lucite” in either my personal or professional life, but that tends to be how shoe trends work. Just when you think something will never exist, an enterprising designer goes and creates it. In this case, two enterprising designers had the same idea, and the Chloe Patent Leather Toe Pumps and Vena Cava Lucite Heel Pumps both came to be at exactly the same time (but at significantly different price points).

Continue reading →

As I’ve said before, it’s probably not fair to put any brand of relatively low-priced shoes toe-to-toe, both literally and figuratively, with a pair of Louboutins. In fact, there are very few brands of any price level that can really compete with the French footwear master, but since his shoes are not in everyone’s budget, sometimes we compare other brands to Louboutins anyway, fairness be damned. Today’s pair of unfortunate (by comparison) shoes are the Boutique 9 Daraye Studded Pumps, which reminded me immediately of the Christian Louboutin Lady Clou Studded Slingbacks.

Continue reading →

When I first saw the ROSEGOLD Lane Open Toe Platform Pumps, I thought, perfect! Those will make a great comparison to the Prada Laser-Cut Patent Leather Pumps that have just come out for Resort 2011! And then I looked at the two shoes next to each other and, ehrm, not so much. They’re more like a reminder of why some of us have a tendency to pay so much for shoes in the first place.

Continue reading →

Ever since I saw the Yves Saint Laurent Palais Platforms, I’ve been in love. The bold blue suede and curvy heels and platform turn a regular pumps into something special, but unfortunately, they do it to the tune of over $700. Luckily for us, the Dolce Vita Paige Platform Pumps uses a similar shape in a slightly more traditional color and cuts the price by over two thirds.

Continue reading →

Alexander McQueen is oft-imitated and never duplicated, but you can’t hold it against a girl for trying. The Alexander McQueen Ski Ankle Booties ring in at four figures, and that’s just not in everyone’s shoe budget. Luckily, the Ash Egoist Cuff Boots have a similar feeling without being an obvious rip-off, and the price is much more palatable.

Continue reading →

Thigh-high boots are a bit of a conundrum. They’re a look that is mostly colonized by (and, let’s face it, a look that usually looks best on) the young, yet thigh-high boots are often among the most expensive of a designer’s offerings because of the large amount of material needed to manufacture a pair and the mechanical difficulties inherent in designing a boot that will cover almost all of the leg.

Continue reading →