We haven’t seen our friend Cheap Chick in awhile, but she decided to pop out of her shell today in the name of cute shoes that won’t break the bank.  If you’ve been to this site before, you know that Cheap Chick is the resident bargain-hunting birdie at this shoe blog and her sole mission is to find shoes under $25.  Sure, she looks pretty tame, but be warned: she gets downright predatory when it comes to low-priced shoes, especially brand name pairs that normally cost much more.  Here’s what she hunted down today:

Smartbargains is having a Shoe-A-Thon, which works out quite well for this Cheap-A-Thon because they have a selection of nearly 50 shoes from brands like Fergie, Carlos Santana, Franco Sarto, Matisse and Harajuku Lovers marked down to just $19.  Sizes and color options are limited for some styles, but I like the Harajuku Lovers Kalista pictured above.  It’s still available in a wide selection of sizes and comes in silver, black or brown (color availability depends on size selected, some are sold out).  The sale ends 8/14/10.

6pm has the Madden Girl Maci in black with zipper accents marked down to $24.95 (MSRP $54.95).

6pm also has the Not Rated Beadster wedge in tan for $23.99 (MSRP $39.99).  It comes in black as well, but it’s almost sold out.

Shoemall has the Yellow Box Biloxi flip flop marked down to $29.99 (originally $37.95) and coupon code BK2SCHOOL takes 20% off until 8/17/10 and that reduces them to $23.99 with free shipping.  The similar Yellow Box Fusion is marked down to $23.99 and the coupon drops them to $19.19.

Also at Shoemall, the Avia A5020W running shoe is marked down from $44.95 to $28.99. The same coupon code listed above will make your total $23.99 with free shipping.

Victoria’s Secret has the Colin Stuart Patent Platform Sandal marked down from $58 to $24.99.  It looks like gold and black are the only colors available at this point depending on the size selected.  Use coupon code FREEVSSHIP for free shipping on 8/12/10 only.

Victoria’s Secret also offers the Colin Stuart Studded Sandal for $24.99, reduced from $75.  It comes in natural, brown or black depending on size selected.  Use the above coupon code for free shipping today only.

6pm has the RSVP Erinn in black, fuchsia, navy or white for $20.25 (MSRP $75).

6pm also has the RSVP Nell with teardrop peep toe in red, black, navy or grey for $23.22 (MSRP $85).

Aeropostale is having their Friends and Family sale that takes 30% off your order when you apply coupon code FFAUG at checkout until 8/15/10.  They have a few flip flops and sneakers in their footwear section, but I like the slippers.  These Aeropostale Striped Rugby Slippers are $14.99 before the code and $10.49 after.  Five other color options are available.

Please note that prices on any of the above shoes can change at any time and availability may be limited.

P.S. Be a friend of Fairy Shoe Princess on Facebook!  Hit “Like” at the top of the page.

After checking out the latest Steve Madden sale at 6pm, I found plenty of shoes that cost less than, say, what many of us may have blew on having a little fun over the weekend (money just flies when your having fun, doesn’t it?).  The sale includes over 300 women’s shoes from just $20, but one in particular that caught my eye was the Steve Madden Truee pictured above.  The polished leather style looks like a take on the current clog trend, but the cutouts and super-high 5″ heel add a decidedly modern touch (the 1.5″ platform helps to offset the height, thankfully).   You can add this pair to your closet for a mere $26.99 (MSRP $89.95) or, for something different, check out the many Steve Madden styles 6pm offers for up to 75% off during the sale, which runs for the rest of the week or while supplies last. 

Season 3 of The Rachel Zoe Project premiered on Bravo this week.  Did you guys catch it?  It was definitely a must-watch for me, but O-M-G the drama was on a whole ’nother level straight away this season.  We all know that Rachel’s long-time employee, Taylor Jacobson, is no longer with the company - she said on her blog that she left to style on her own, but other sources say she was fired.  So, the situation certainly had to be addressed in the season opener and, according to Rachel and hubbie Rodger, she was fired. 

Taylor we'll miss ya!

Rachael did seem genuinely upset over what went down, but I must say that the accusations against Taylor were flying, even going as far to allege that she fudged her expense reports and failed to give back designer samples (the samples, however, were shown returned intact later in the show).  I’ve always liked both Taylor and Rachel, so it’s hard to pick a team or know who to believe.  But, I do think that Rachel’s camp could’ve taken a different approach for when the cameras were rolling, like briefly explaining what happened, wishing her the best (even if they don’t mean it), and not throwing her picture into the fireplace or accusing her of stealing on national TV.  Maybe that’s just me, but somehow it didn’t seem right since Taylor wasn’t there to defend herself (she did say a few things in response to TV Guide though).  It’s a bit sad how things played out, but the show must go on and this is a shoe blog after all, so I’m here to talk about the fashion.  Luckily, we have some fabulous footwear to check out from the very first episode, most notably from Demi Moore in the behind-the-scenes look of her Harper’s Bazaar shoot.

The shoot had a whimsical fantasy theme, utilizing props like an oversized chair, a live giraffe, a dollhouse and a beach filled with red ballooons, so the shoes had to be just as fanciful - and they were.  Let’s take a look at the designer shoes she wore, along with some less-expensive alternatives:

In the dollhouse shot, Demi wears red crystal Christian Louboutin heels.  I could only find a similar pair on eBay (I believe Demi’s was a closed-toe style) for a whopping $2,835:

Update: The shoes are the Christian Louboutin Lady Lynch Glitter Strass in red, which I found on Coolspotters.

But, I also found a less expensive, red sparkly alternative: 

The Bordello Violette-14 is a red pump covered in rhinestones, rather than glitter as we normally see with shoes inspired by the Louboutin crystal pumps, and they are available for $123.95 with free 2-day shipping at Endless.  Other color options include pink or iridescent. 

Update: Another option is the super-hot Rachel Rachel Roy Kimi glitter heel in red, which is $99 at Macys.

While sitting in the oversized chair, Demi wears the Fendi Cinderella, which is similar to this one except in a cream/taupe color:

These appear to be sold out everywhere online, but I think this pair is a nice option for much less:

The Topshop Wisteria Chiffon Wedge in blush for $135 at Topshop.  It’s also available in red or black.

Then there’s this amazing shot of Demi, a giraffe and those iconic Alexander McQueen armadillo heels:

These shoes are obviously in a league of their own, but if you’re going for a safari look like Rachel did when she styled Demi for this shot, I think these shoes would work well:

The Jeffrey Campbell So Smart in tan, khaki, natural or black canvas for $99.95 at Solestruck.

Finally, we have Rachel, who admits she never wears flats and had a hard time walking on the beach for the shoot in her triple platform Casadei boots, which were identified on Bravotv.com as the shoes she was wearing.  She had to be carried over the sand and stood on a wooden board, which was pretty amusing.  Her boots look like they are similar to this pair, although these only have a double platform:

The Casadei Suede Knee High Boot for $1,271 at Farfetch.

For something comparable, try the Steve Madden Calgarry for $104.97 at Steve Madden and get free shipping with coupon code SMFREESHIP at checkout.

Of course, let’s not forget that shoe collection in Rachel’s studio, which they showed several times during the first episode.  Rows and rows of hot shoes…it’s shoe heaven!!

Let me know what you think of the new season sans Taylor and the shoes!

Photos from Bravotv.com, Harpers Bazaar and Everyday Minerals

P.S. Be a friend of Fairy Shoe Princess on Facebook!  Hit “Like” at the top of the page.

I received an email from fellow shoe lover Rebecca, who is on the hunt for a lower-priced version of the Jimmy Choo Quinze, which can be found for $1,795 at Nordstrom in nude and for the same price at Jimmy Choo in black.  This is an absolutely gorgeous shoe, but it’s definitely a toughie to find anything that compares to it and I had to put my magic shoe wand on full throttle to find anything that even comes close.  So, are there inexpensive alternatives for the Quinze?  Unfortunately, after doing an extensive search I didn’t see any mesh, crystal-adorned booties for less.  That doesn’t mean we won’t see an inspired-by version at some point (I’ll update this post if I see one), but if anyone knows of something similar, please help Rebecca out.  In the meantime, I’ve found some shoes that incorporate at least some of the same elements of the Quinze and are viable options, at least for the time being:

There’s no mesh in sight, but the Badgley Mischka Forrester has a string of bling across the vamp that reminds me of the Quinze.  Get these for $215 with free overnight shipping at Endless.

Similarly, the Pelle Moda Favilla has beads and crystals running all they way up to the ankle strap.  Endless has this pair for $188.95 with free overnight shipping.

The Steve Madden Fanfair comes in black or blush and features plenty of jewels in various sizes along the t-strap.  Get it for $99.95 at Stevemadden.com with free shipping using code SMFREESHIP or for $89.96 with free shipping at Zappos.

The Boutique 9 Denya doesn’t have jewel or rhinestone detail, but it is a mesh bootie adorned with pretty flowers.  Get it for $129.95 at Shoebuy and 15% off with coupon code FIFTEEN for a limited time.

Get some serious sparkle for much less with the Celest Hana-08 for $28.50 at Urban Originals.

To get an even closer lookalike for the Quinze, you may have to take matters into your own hands…literally.  Get a plain mesh bootie, like the Aldo Schade (pictured above) for $44.98 or this super-cute tie-back mesh heel from Americlubwear for $27.99.  Add some super glue and loose rhinestones and go to town on the black piping for a creative DIY project.  I’m not quite sure how this will turn out, but it might just work for the crafty among us.

Any more suggestions for Rebecca?  Let us know in the comments!

Update: Here’s a pretty close lookalike for the black version: the Mojo Moxy Venus Pump for $79.95 at DSW.

P.S. Be a friend of Fairy Shoe Princess on Facebook!  Hit “Like” at the top of the page.

Fans of MTV’s The City will surely remember those standout Nicholas Kirkwood garbage bag shoes (pictured above) that were featured in the episode where Olivia Palermo helped style pop star Kei$ha for Elle.  While I’m not sure where these shoes can be purchased (or for how much), I couldn’t help but immediately think of them when I came across this pair:

The Petula Rose Platform Sandal isn’t what I would call a knockoff, but it certainly appears to be inspired by Nicholas Kirkwood and is presumably way more affordable.  There’s no mention of the floral accents being crafted from actual garbage bags, which unfortunately eliminates the ”green” recycled factor of the Kirkwood pair, but the frayed roses do convey a very similar look.  Plus, the neutral colors make this style much more wearable while still retaining the overall drama factor.  I’m loving it and, if you love this pair too, you can find the Petula at Topshop for $200.  It’s still a splurge, but definitely a fun one.  Shipping adds a flat rate of $15.

Photo from MTV.com

P.S. Be a friend of Fairy Shoe Princess on Facebook!  Hit “Like” at the top of the page.