A Picture is Worth a Thousand.... Words

Tommy Ton shot this wonderful image while in Paris this season.  And sometimes this is all it takes for a shoe to go from simply beautiful to full on covetable.

I kind of need them.

YSL Palais Mohawk suede pumps.

A Little Bit of Danger

These are wicked, wicked, wicked... and I love them.

How can you not love that heel?

Or are they a little too Single White Female?



I'm not sure. Maybe they are, but I still luuuuuvvvvvv them!

Christian Louboutin Big Lips 120 grey suede pumps - $755 at Net-a-Porter

Featured Shoe: Louboutin Bella Brown

I was surprised when I was doing my outfit post the other day that the shoes I referenced were not anywhere to be found on Polyvore or the web.

They're so cute, I can't imagine why they are so "secret"!

I got these "Bella Brown" Louboutins in May after falling in love with their color, snub toes and pink ribbons. They're like less costume-y ballerina shoes.

One of my favorite details is how ribbon wraps up the back of the heel too.

Now I will be the #1 search for Bella Brown Louboutins on the web. I got these in person at Saks but haven't seen them for sale anywhere else.

It's quite a mystery....

Featured Shoe: BCBG Max Azria Caldea Blush

If you were looking at my Flickr Color Study set you may have seen these beauties when I listed my Pink Color Study group.



One thing doing this project is doing is reminding me of some of these adorable shoes I have lingering in my closets. I need to get them out there more often. At the very least they need to be photographed!

I don't remember exactly where online I first saw these BCBG Max Azria Caldea heels but I remember swooning over how amazing they are.



You really need to look at these images bigger because they are just so detailed. Pink, tan and dark brown sections with dark brown stitching and scalloped edges.



They are just a confection!



Plus they have an amazing heel shape.

I wore these with the pink Liz Claiborne plaid skirt and a grey tee. I was quite girly.

More pics on Flickr!

Web Weaver

It's been a while since I've talked about one of my favorite independent designers, Ashley Dearborn, but when ever I put on one of the shoes I have from her I'm reminded all over again how much I love her work.

Not only is the quality great but I love her witty designs. From her Pegasus heels (which I so wish I had) to ROY G. BIV, the more clever the inspiration, the more I like them.

I only have 3 pairs from her - Euripides, Roy G. Biv and these Charlotte sandals. I can't believe I've never taken photos of them before!



Spider, Spider webs, Charlotte - get it? Wink, Wink!



The tie around the ankles is the 8th arm of the spider. and the little aqua bits on the end are flies, I believe



The web stitching on these is so great.



I wore these with a simple black skirt and top so all the attention went to the shoes. They're very comfortable and summery.

And, of course, clever!

Magic Shoes

I try not to rank the items in my wardrobe. When people ask me what are my favorite pair of shoes I usually say I can't pick just one because I love them all.

But these might be near the top.

I bought these Marc Jacobs peep-toes in 2005 on a business trip to Ohio. I went into the Nordstroms at this really nice open air mall and just instantly fell for them. I didn't even have room to pack them but I had to have them. I think I actually wore them out of the store.



They have such a great retro look to them but the colors are just so modern and fun. This is the Marc Jacobs I like. Some of his newer stuff, not so much.



Mixed materials in burgundy, purple and pink.

Because the shoes are so vibrant I wore a simple black pencil skirt with a kicky pleat in the back and a pink cami under a purple cardigan. This shade of purple is one of my favorites. I need to find more tops in it because I always get compliments when I wear the color.

(yes, I should have put some lipstick on for this!)

Since cleaning up my closets for Summer I'm determined to wear more of my existing shoes, so get ready for more pinks and whites. I have my new New York purchases to work in too, so I really need to get on the picture taking!

Getting in on the Latest Gossip

This is the second time I've been enticed into buying a pair of shoes that were worn on Gossip Girl. For someone who has never watched the show, I still get exposed to the fashion. Either I really really need to watch it because of the style or it would be much smarter for me to stay away because I could be lured into buying oh so much more.

I saw these cute Pour La Victoire Ophelie mary janes on Who What Wear and kind of had to have them!





There are a few color options but being a fan of grey sueded, I knew I had to stick with the ones worn on the show.



It's a slightly softer combo than the traditional black and white, which is why I liked it for a more summery look still in the running for NYC.

Cute detailing, huh?

It looks like kind of a brownish grey which I really like.

My second favorite color combo was the cherry & plum which was also really tempting. But I'm trying to resist!

This is a new brand for me. I'll have to see how comfy they are too and let you know. Anyone ever bought this brand before?

Making Waves

Back when Victoria's Secret used to have somewhat decent clothes and cool sexy but not totally trampy shoes, I got these Colin Stuart boots. What's funny is that I think they are totally tame just with a really interesting detail...



But back when I worked for a certain corporation that had a "Look Book" these were considered "crazy!"

Why?

Because while the front half of the boot is a simple black knee-high boot, the back half is a pale suede with criss-crossing black straps.



I think from farther away it looks like the boot is completely open in the back and that the straps might be lacing up my legs (Yes, I am totally pale enough that this could be considered a feasible scenario. And yes, I might be crazy enough to wear boots like that to work... maybe...).

Inevitably when I wear these, and they are not my "everyday" black boots, I will get a startled question about if they are tied up the back. At this certain corporation I even was asked if they followed the dress code guidelines.

They did. And I would know because I pushed those boundaries almost everyday and carried around a copy of the code about shoes. Funny aside: when I started there you HAD to wear pantyhose (and this is in FL, people!) and you couldn't wear shoes like mules or open-toe shoes, but you could wear slingbacks. Then they loosened up the restrictions a bit. You could wear mules and open toe shoes and sandals but you still had to wear hose. We're not talking cute funky tights and heels, we're talking "flesh-tone" pantyhose with sandals.

Um... ew...no.

Anyhow, these definitely make people take a second look, if only to try and figure them out. I love the color of the suede and luckily haven't marked the heels up or anything. Knock on wood.




I think I've had these about 5 or 6 years now. I <3>

Since they are a bit flashy I tend to wear simple outfits with them. We're not talking hot pants and spandex or anything. Usually a streamlined skirt and top.

Oh, the rule that I had to be sure I was complying with: the tops of your boots had to be covered by the bottom hem of your skirt. No, I'm not kidding.

I think I may have been off of that an inch or so.... ; )