cuff 'em

Boots have been having an identity crisis lately. A tall boot with an open toe? A closed toe bootie with an open heel? Is it a shoe or a boot - thus inventing the shootie. Well it is the sandals turn to reinvent itself and I think it is just lovely.

Jimmy Choo could not have came up with this little gem soon enough. Just in time for Spring we have an edgy yet light sandal to go with all those flowery dresses and skirts that keep popping up. Of course this is not the perfect shoe for every girl, but then again has Choo ever designed for the timid? You can add these to your new Spring wardrobe at Saks Fifth Avenue.

you had me at dior

In the spirit of Valentine's Day I felt that it was appropriate to feature something cupid worthy. I skimmed through patent red leather, delicate bows and classic slingbacks. All were terrific but not quite what I had in mind for the Holiday of Love. And then I spotted these and I knew I had been hit by cupid's arrow.

I classic platform pump made into the most fabulous vintage pair of heels I have ever seen. The pinked trim, framed heel and cut-out doily suede say nothing less than "Will you be my Valentine?". I have to wonder if Christian Dior himself was inspired by handmade Valentine creations made by many starry eyed lovers for the last several decades. It is not too late to make these yours on the day of romance. Check them out at www.bluefly.com, you will fall in love just like I did.

how i've missed choo!

There has been something missing in my life the past 7 months. It's not that I did not know what it was, I was just too busy to acknowledge it. And then there were the comments, the questions, the looks. Everyone wanted to know what exactly what was going on. For crying out loud - what happened to the shoe posts??!!

Have no fear all my fellow shoe fetishers. They are back and oh how I have missed doing these posts! And of course I could not have started with just any ole' heel. They had to be special, they had to be fabulous, they had to be CHOO.

Who would not love their perfectly manicured toes peeking out of these feather adorned heels by the one and only Jimmy Choo? And for all you fashionistas out there - I know, I know, we have seen so many feathers the last couple of years. But these are different in that they are natural and dramatic at the same time. I love how the feathers sweep around the shoe, like it was the way nature intended. And those golden studs, the ideal finishing touch. You can find this exquisite pair at Saks Fifth Avenue.

so hot!

Giuseppe Zanotti has once again pushed the envelope on sexy with this HOT HOT HOT wrap around pump:

I little snakeskin, a little red and a lot of heel is sexy enough in and of itself. But the design of this shoe is what sends it over your top. What woman would not love their foot wrapped up in this? Turn up the heat in your shoe closet by visiting Zappos.

put a feather in your heel

The gorgeous and talented Gwen Stefani (designer of L.A.M.B.) has once again blown me away with a unique design. Fashion has been flocked with birds in the past few years. First they were showing up in prints decorating everything from skirts to handbags. Then they moved onto to our jewelry, elegant wings adorned the neck in the most delicate of shades. And in the last 1 1/2 years I guess you could say they have been "plucked". Hair pieces, clutches, hats and of course shoes have been decorated with the prettiest and edgiest of feathers. And even though I know so many of you may be tired of the feather I cannot help but feature these:

A black leather heel adorned with feathers and sparkly paillettes! What more could a girl ask for? These are wonderful sexy, different and most importantly FUN! Sounds like a pretty good description of Ms Stefani herself. You can find these at Zappos Couture.

cut-out snake

Last year cut-outs were all the rage in heels. Carrie Bradshaw rocked them in almost the entire SATC flick. Well just like the girls of SATC we cannot get enough and cut-outs are back! This version from Jimmy Choo is sure make you ask for more and more:

I myself am a fan of snakeskin on heels, but it has to be the perfect pair and it has to be sexy. Nothing, and I mean nothing, tops off the black top and jeans combo better than a sexy snakeskin heel! You can find these at Nordstrom.

in full bloom

Spring is here! The birds are chirping, the grass is growing green again and the flowers are blooming. I cannot think of a better way to ring in Spring than with a gorgeous pair of heels in full bloom! This duo from Giuseppe Zanotti is just perfect:

It is a little sweet, a little sexy and a little naughty. The black satin is elegant, but not too elegant to hold up a leather flower. But what ties it all together is the gold heel. Satin, leather and metallic gold - who on earth would have thought that would make nothing less then a fabulous shoe! You can find this unusual pair at Bluefly.

stacked

Stacked heels are all the rage this Spring. Most of the sandals I have discovered are paired with the season's other hot trend - neutrals. With that being said there is nothing "neutral" about L.A.M.B.'s designs ever. That is why this sandal is such a great "twist" on the usual runway suspects.

I have actually seen these in person and could not stop touching them. The leather is so soft, no digging into the skin with these. And the red is perfect - not too bright and not too dull. I think the best part is the overall design. The twist and heel strap are very flattering on most feet/ankles. You can find these at Nordstrom.

leave them speechless...

When the words "4 inch stilettos and fire engine red soles" are spoken only one designer should come to mind - Chrisitan Louboutin. In an earlier post I mentioned that I would explain those great exit colored soles. This concept came from a simple bottle of the most famous nail polish color - RED. Louboutin's assistant happened to be painting her nails this classic color when he seized the bottle for a prototype shoe he was working on. He was more than pleased with the power color on the sole of his art and intended on painting bold colors on all of his shoes' soles. In the end nothing compared to red and that is one of the many reasons we love his shoes so much today.

I have not posted a bridal shoe in quite sometime and quite honestly was not planning on posting one soon. But while assisting in shoe searching for one of our brides I came across this exquisite piece. It is one of the most gorgeous pair of shoes I have seen for a bride in a very long time:

If a designer gown wanted to be a shoe I believe this is what it would look like. The crepe satin so perfectly tied in a side bow makes this a show stopper. But I think what I love the most is that it is placed on the sexiest shoe form - the d'Orsay. A bride would feel nothing less than radiant on her wedding day in these red soled pieces of art. These were found at Saks.

wild thing

African prints are everywhere! Spring has sprung with zebra, cheetah and leopard! If you ask me they are classics, and worn correctly they are very stylish. This pair from Giuseppe Zanotti are a perfect example:

I really do not see how a girl could not love these! What a statement to add to a less than exciting outfit! The zebra is so bold AND that red heel, oh my! These are confident, wild and most importantly, a shoe you could wear forever. Very smart, just like a Zebra! Find these at piperlime.com.

a refined paillette

I am seeing many facebook notes on prom dresses and I just had to post a sparkly shoe! I wanted something understated and classy yet a tad on the glitzy side. This Dolce&Gabbana number could not have fit the bill better.

I love the deep dark hue of the blue and the thickness of the ankle strap is pure perfection. Such a great inspiration piece while searching for those perfect heels for prom night! You can find these at Nordstrom.

all tied up in a pretty bow...

I have had a few ask about the shoes. Don't worry, still going to make the shoe posts, just going to switch it to every other week. Why? It will make my life a little easier, lol! While I love making these posts it does take time and we just have some other photography related things we are focusing on now. But do not worry, there will always be time for shoes=)

This week's is a great shoe leading up to Valentine's Day! It is from the wonderful Valentino. The last time I posted this designer (which you may view here) I am pretty sure I heard more things about the love of that shoe than any other. Well, hopefully this dainty little number will not disappoint:

This is a great compliment to the prim and proper 50's inspired fashion that is currently out there. And bows are back but they are whimsical, structured and come in unexpected materials like this patent fuchsia. If you are in love with these as much as I am you can find them at Nordstrom.

wonder woman in stilettos...

While searching for this week's shoe I had CNN on in the background. They were of course recapping yesterday events which included the balls. I did not see many shoes but the gowns were incredible. When I came across this patriotic pair I could not help but wonder if these were hidden under a designer dress last night:

As far as a stars and stripes shoe goes there could not be a more appropriate creator than Marc Jacobs. Born, raised and schooled in NYC, Jacobs is an American designer that this country can be very proud of. Jacobs, like so many others, began working in a couture boutique before entering into the design world. After attending Parsons The New School for Design he landed a job at Perry Ellis. It was during this time that he designed an infamous "grunge" look (I am sure many of you remember this era in fashion history). In 1986 Jacobs designed his first collection under his own name. By 1987 he won the most prestigious award in the fashion world, The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) Perry Ellis Award for New Fashion Talent.

Jacobs designs are clean, simple and dramatic. I for one have been a fan for many years. They are fresh and different yet timeless. His marketing campaigns are also infamous for using interesting models like Victoria Beckham, MIA and Sofia Coppola. And oh yeah, he is also the creative director for Louis Vuitton. Pretty incredible if you ask me.

Obviously you would need to be in a patriotic mood while wearing these fun heels. I think they would make me feel like Wonder Woman except in fab stilettos as opposed to the red boots. There is something "comic book superhero" about them. If you feel like tuning into the super powers within you can find these at Piperlime.

couture cocoa

We have a very lovely bride who shares a love of shoes with me=) She turned me onto these extraordinary Prada sandals. They are so rich and decadent, just like a perfect mug of hot dark chocolate cocoa on a winter's night.

What impresses me the most about this shoe is that they took a shiny somewhat cold material (the patent leather) and turned it into a soft and warm ankle wrap sandal. The petals on the front are pure perfection and the back, oh the back! What a way to make an exit! But of course they are Prada, I could not imagine anything less than brilliance from them.

These are available at Bluefly, another little treat that is fun to indulge in=)

plum party at midnight...

While looking for the perfect shoe to feature on New Year's Eve I stumbled across these and about fell over. I was looking for something very party ready yet very very different at the same time, like something I have never featured on here. I think you will agree that there is something truly magnificent about these heeled party shoes:

Georgina Goodman began her career after a long stretch with some of the most prestigious fashion magazines. She realized that she wanted to create the collections and by 2001 she had graduated from a well known art school in London.

While browsing Georgina's collection you will be floored with the artfulness of her creations. She is truly doing something different and with such a deep heartfelt passion, I feel that you can see that in everything she creates. What I admire most is the relationships that she values within her company. Along with her husband BJ, they manage a wonderful team who has the same respect and admiration for Georgina and her work as she does for all of them. She calls them extended family on her site and I think that is just wonderful (the family dog is also featured!).

These stunning shoes are available at endless.com. Seriously, I cannot stop looking at these shoes!!! Enjoy=)

sparkle eve

One of my all time favorite episodes of Sex and the City is when Carrie is forced to take her shoes off at a baby shower upon entering. When she goes to leave she is outraged and devastated to find her silver Manolo Blahnik d'Orsay's missing!

Now for me personally this was not the best written SATC ever. It did however feature one of the most perfect shoes ever created:

D'orsay's are always so classic and chic. This shoe is probably one of the few I have seen that a woman could wear at every special occasion in her adult life and always be the most stylish accessorized woman in the room. These are available at Barney's and as a special gift to you this Christmas Eve I will let you in on a secret. Pelle Moda makes a wonderful version of this shoe and it is available at Jildor Shoes.

Oh, and Carrie did end up with a brand new pair of these gorgeous shoes by the end of the episode! Have a Merry Christmas everyone!

the prettiest snake...

I find it hard to believe that I have yet to feature one of the most famous Italian designers, Valentino. I do not even know where to begin. His career is so infamous and his acknowledgments that still exist after his retirement are amazing! Known for his jet set look the collection is always sexy and always absolutely beautiful.

Many of you may recognize the name Valentino from television and newspapers. He has an excellent following of royalty, celebrities and socialites, all craving after his creations. You will often hear the term "Vintage Valentino" on the red carpet. His vintage designs are some of the most popular for young actresses to wear on their big Oscar night.

We are in NYC this week and I wanted this shoe post to be special. Classy, sexy and sophisticated, just like this amazing urban setting that we love so much. This shoe has it all:

I love the overall shape of the shoe, that classic open toe pump. It is wrapped up in the most gorgeous sterling snakeskin I have ever seen! And just like wrapping a present, it is all about presentation. That pretty bow could not be more perfect. I am absolutely in love with this shoe! It is available at Neiman Marcus.

wrapped in rhinestones and velvet...

I love anything that stands the test of time and that is why I love just about everything from the designer Elie Tahari. Tahari went from an Isreali orphanage to a boutique in Greenwich village which led him to designing women's fashion based on the NYC 1970's club scene. By 1974 he was one of the first designers to open up a boutique on the prestigious Madison Ave.

Tahari now runs a successful business with his wife as his business partner. Women who wore his designs in the 70's still come to him today b/c of his feminine embellishments, sensual fabrics and classic lines that define his collection. This week's shoe is a perfect example of his work:

For me there is only one word that can sum up this shoe: timeless. I could not imagine a decade that this shoe could not have been worn. And what makes it so great is that it is simple yet a show stopper all at the same time. These gorgeous shoes are located at Zappos Couture.

bows of red

Nothing says holiday more than a rich red shoe. And yet once again (I know, I keep going back to Gwen, lol) L.A.M.B. has came up with the perfect shootie! And it comes in a decadent suede...

You simply could not go wrong with these for any holiday party this year. Dress it down with leggings and a long sweater and you have the perfect house party ensemble. Dress it up with tights and a great graphite dress and you will be the most stylish guest at your cocktail party. These can be found at endless.com (one of my absolute FAVORITE shoe stores online!!!!).

sparkly dragonfly

We are at the beginning of the holiday season and I could not help but post something with a little sparkle. After all, doesn't everything look a little brighter when it sparkles?

I stumbled across the beauties from desinger Christian Lacroix. A French born whos love for costume and color reflects in all of his designs. Lacroix's work always has a touch of whimsy to it, yet is very sophisticated. His love of all things topsy turvy is what makes his designs some of the most sought after by cutting edge celebrities.

A jeweled shoe is a great way to add a little pizazz to any ensemble. While shopping for your heels for this holiday season use these as inspiration to find something festive! These are available at Zappos Couture.