Shoe of the week: January, 31

The weather forecast didn't lie - finally, it's getting warmer, the sun is shining and if you concentrate hard enough you could even get a feel of spring somewhere in the air. Yesss!!!
However, it's still advisable to bundle up before venturing outside; on the bright side, though, if you're not planning on taking your pet to the park for a few hours your outfit for today can easily lose one sweater and that thick five feet long scarf that was an absolute must just a couple of days ago.
In terms of footwear, I'd say a pair of tall boots (knee-high or even higher) would do just fine. And if they can fit in a moderatly thin sock, that would be even better.
So, the boot du jour for today is Chloe braid-trimmed knee-high boots. I particularly like the color: it's sand with just a hint of beige and it's very easy to combine with other things. My best find this week!

Baby, it's cold outside

It's still cold in New York and the temperature is still camping around the same 19F as yesterday. And it's just as cloudy and gloomy. Summer footwear still refuses to emanate even a slightest appeal - in the best New York traditions, our apartment is almost just as cold as the Great Outside and to top it up, we had to put the computer in the coldest room of all.
That said, I guess right now the most appropriate footwear should look like this.

Mou, goatskin boots with sheepskin shearling lining. I personaly have a special weakness for furry boots although I'm not a big fan of extreme weather conditions (and windy 19F in New York is extreme conditions unless you grew up in Iceland!)

Another pair from the same brand - cowboy boots.

P.S. Before I forget: in case you're looking for a Valentine present for a significant other, a gift for yourself or just feel that you're eligible for a session of retail therapy: YOOX (http://www.yoox.com/)  is having a special promotion thing going on until tomorrow, January 31. For whatever reason, they didn't announce it this time - I just found it out empirically today. Have fun!

Boots to wear in January cold: Thomas Wylde

It's cold outside. No, I take it back - it's really freezing, 19F and the temperature is climbing gradually down. Add to that strong, chilly and mighty unpleasant wind and I seriously considered cancelling tonight's dinner while running down 57th street earlier today.
My original plan was to write about Lanvin's new shoe collection but frankly, I just can't bring myself to do that: just looking at all those sandals, flats and other espadrilles makes me shiver with cold. And it's not even February yet!
As a plausible solution, I'm presenting you this.

Ladies and gents, please, welcome Mao, the knee-high black (crinckled) leather boots from Thomas Wylde. These boots boast a 4.5'' heel together with a 0.5'' platform, a fold-over panel with a silver skull detailing and even something that resembles a string of Chinese beads. Actually, several of them.
Pair them with dark skinny jeans or leather leggins, add a long shearling and you're ready to go. Outside. Ah, and dont's forget a scarf, it ain't summer yet!

Life's tough choices

Life is all about choices. That's just how it is. It's a fact of life, that's how things work and we would be better off excepting this simple fact as soon as we can manage. But... Why the hell does it have to be so hard, especially when it comes to shoes? More precisely, to picking out just one (pair, that is) out of the whole department at, say, Saks or Barny's? Or out of somebody's new season collection when it happens to be especially beautiful and you happen to want it all but don't happen to be a seikh of Bahrein?
Sorry for this outburst, folks: just done browsing Jimmy Choo's site and there are just too many shoes that I would wanna add to my exisitng shoe collection but I only have one deserving occasion in sight. Well, in any case, here they are.


Quiz

Nevis

Nita

Zoom

Jimmy Choo: there is a clue

As so many other designers, Jimmy Choo seems to have a penchant towards some of his designs. Every season, he would take such a shoe which by then has already established itself in the shoe-loving community, give it a new makeover - and voila! - it's a new shoe but the one with instantly recognizable features. It's very much like jazz: you take a standard, do your variation on it and if it's good it will be remembered for quite a while, like, say, Ella Fitzgerald's Summer time.
Does Mr Choo play favourites with his shoes since only a few of them are entitled for this rejuvenating makeover? Maybe, but who says that he can't, especially if the results are that good. One of the models that he seems to particularly like is called Clue and I have a feeling that this upcoming spring and summer we are going to see a lot of them in the streets of New York. So jsut look around for clues, people!


Silver Clue

Watersnake Clue

Glittery Clue

Black satin Clue

Red Clue (I believe these call for a night at the opera, no less). Quasimodo is optional.

Jimmy Choo: wedges

To tell the truth, I'm not a huge fan of Jimmy Choo. In fact, I'm a rather moderate fan of his footwear but over the past couple of years, it has been growing on me. And his new spring/summer collection seems to go a long way in solidifying me in that blissful I-am-starting-to-like-Jimmy-Choo state of mind.
So, ladies and gents, here are some of the shoes, sandals and wedges from his recent collection that I particularly liked. Since there are quite a lot of them and it would be humanly impossible to show'em all in just one post, I'll make it several.
So, today - the wedges.
Snake-printed leather espadrille wedges

Phyllis espadrille wedges

Crisscross golden wedges

And finalmente, my absolute favourite lace wedges (gun metal color).

On wedges and such

The universe of wedges is vast and immeasurable - classic wegde, fancy wedge, funky wedge, wedge that goes way beyond funky or fancy (or in any cases, both of them, combined). It instantely makes your legs longer, your posture better (no, you can't slack out in those) and overall, gives you all the benefits of a heel, at the same time offering much more stability and comfort. And they never wobble!
However, the quesiton of the right arch support still stays: if a wedge doesn't have it, in my experience walking in such footwear becomes even more impossible than in a comparable pair of heels. But technicalities aside, this is what the upcoming spring/summer season has to offer us wedge lovers.
Sporty and sporty/fancy wedges are especially great-looking this season and pose a serious threat to a shoe-lover's budget.


Lanvin, bi-color wedge with macrame strap (love the color)

Lanvin, satin wedge (love the color!)

Dior, patent bow espadrille wedge (1.25' platform nevertheless!)

Miu Miu, croc embossed leather wedge

Miu Miu,  strappy leather wedge

Christian Louboutin, Macarena wedge (wow!)

To be continued...

Shoe of the week: January, 24

It seems like yesterday that I was posting the picture of the slingback-that-struck-me-as-oh-so-awsome by Lanvin but in reality a whole week has managed to pass by since then. Gee, how's that possible?!
Anyway, it's Sunday again and thus it's time to pick out another Shoe of da Week. Frankly, it's a dreary January night out there and they even said something about a huge thunderstorm later on tonight and I'm leaning towards a fancy pair of Wellies as this week's favourites but that would be just such a cliche! So with an eye on an upcoming summer (which is just short four months 'n change  away) - Rene Caovilla, high-heel sandals with flowers (officially known as Floral Ruffle sandal). Found at http://www.neimanmarcus.com/ together with a few other deserving shoes by the same creatore.

Gladiator sandals, part 3

Turns out that fancy G-sandals are much more popular among modern designers than their less glamorous relative aka simple G-sandal.Well, then again, it's glitzy times we're living in and what if not a shoe should be the indicator of that. However, I still managed to round up a few pairs of footwear that a simple, unpretentious gladiator would probably pick.
Daniblack

BCBG Generation

Stuart Weitzman

On a slightly fancier note - Tapeet by Vicini

Fendi

Michael Kors

And my personal favourite - Ralph Lauren Collection

Gladiator sandals, part 2.5

So, back to fancy gladiator sandals. Seems like this particualr version of GS is by far the most popular out there on the arena.
Sergio Rossi's contribution to the above.

If you are in a good mood, wear these and win! Antik Batik, Sqaw Spartiates gladiator sandals

And of course, the pinacle of the Fancy Gladiator Sandals collection  - Alaia, gladiator knee-high boots

Ready to kick some... eh... bottoms?

Gladiator sandals, part 2

So, this gladiator sandal has really got me thinking. And browsing. And trying to classify what I see - in order to better understand this style and also decide whether or not I could incorporate it into my wardrobe.
Ladies and gents, out topic for today is fancy gladiator sandals (obviously designed for those fashion-conscious fighters whose motto might've been "Life is short, so at least get yourself a descent sandal, man!")
With that in mind - Givenchy, Iguana zip sandals

Modern Vintage, chain-braided gladiator sandals (they also had'em in black, gaudeamus, igitur)

Jimmy Choo, Rebell (I swear they had almost exact same ones last season, except these are in lizzard print)

Jimmy Choo, Weylin (with preccccious stones)

If you wanna see what future looks like, here's your chance: Jimmy Choo, Future sandals - they are a very interesting take on the gladiator theme, btw

To be continued (God, they got me started!)...

Gladiator sandals, part 1

Oh, the good ol' gladiator sandal! These days, which girl doesn't have them in her wardrobe? (checking my sandal collection) Actually, I don't but it's only because those that I had my eye on for a while -  Lanvin patent leather dark navy ones - were sold out before I finally made up my mind. Still sad about it, though.
Anyway, the gladiator theme, as well as numerous variations on such  has obviously found its way into Spring/Summer 2010 season which gives me some hope.
Belle by Sigerson Morrison

Emilio Pucci, studded gladiator sandals

Miu Miu's version: leather gladiator sandals

Now this is something that probably started as GS but drifted somewhat along the way. Pedro Garcia, silk suede sandals

Michael Kors, Vachetta leather sandals

And of course, I couldn't just pass by these. Sigerson Morrison, Specchio gladiator sandal boots (never knew those actually exist)

Where exactly do they end, by the way?

More on Giuseppe Zanotti

Found these today at Saks. Am I dreaming or he already had something like that a couple of seasons ago? In any case, those sandals were also built around a fishbone theme (although I wouldn't be sure if he used the same fish as a prototype both times). In any case, they're truly unique.

The fishbone at a different angle (still can't figure out the type)

Guiseppe Zanotti

Guiseppe Zanotti is another one of my most favourite designers.  His shoes are absolutely incredible and are rather hard to resist. Here are some shoes from his Spring/Summer 2010 collection that I liked the most.