When I saw this spike studded shoe at LuLu’s, I had to take note, mainly because of the spike and stone detail on the back that is clearly inspired by a style we all know.  Yes, the Sam Edelman Lorissa officially has a knockoff.  But, I do use the term “knockoff” loosely, however, as the Qupid shoe does have quite a few differences, which could be viewed as positive or negative depending on the person.  First, it has a much higher platform, which I know some people wished the Lorissa had a bit more of in order to off-set the height of the heel (although the lack of a high platform has its own merits for a certain kind of look).  Also, rather than having the stones and spikes running all the way down the back of the heel like the Lorissa, the Qupid pair extends this detail down the side of the shoe, on the part facing outward.  While the Lorissa is made of genuine suede, the Qupid version is faux leather, or what they describe as vegan leather.  I do like the lace sole on the Qupid pair – it’s a nice touch:

Then there’s the price.  The Lorissa retails for $199.95 - although sale prices can be had — and the Qupid Brulee retails for $73 at LuLu’s.  If you’ve been wanting to try out the look of spikes, but you don’t want to invest too much in what might be considered a passing trend (but a very fun one to wear, I must say), then this might be a more suitable option.  Of course, it’s probably not the most opportune time to buy a white peep toe, if you follow the no-white-after-Labor-Day mantra (or just because we’re getting into the colder months of the year), but I did notice that there’s a black version of this style, as well as white, at Urbanog.com for $67.90.

For shoes with spikes at an even lower price point, check out the Liliana Angelina in black, brown, red, or tan at Endless for $40.25.  In this case, you have your spikes over the front of a pointy toe pump and round studs along the back.  If you spend over $100 on your order of eligible styles, including this one, you’ll get 20% off for a limited time.

Update: I came across another shoe much like the Sam Edelman Lorissa or the closed-toe Roza, the Wild Pair Carly, available at Bakers in black or tan for $94.99.

I recently posted about a Christian Louboutin Clou Noeud knockoff in black from Frederick’s of Hollywood and I noted that the shoe looked just like a sold-out style Nordstrom had offered a few months prior, the N.Y.L.A. Genevieve.  Well, I found that the Genevieve is back in action at Nordstrom and it’s now available in a hot new crimson shade.  I’m all about this bright red version, which could also be compared to the Christian Louboutin Lady Clou, another spike studded shoe from CL that came in red.  More good news: If you totally coveted the nude Clou Noeud when it was out, you’ll definitely want to check out this version:

The N.Y.L.A. Genevieve is also back in stock in nude, as well as black, each for $104.95 at Nordstrom.  However, if you prefer the black pair, it’s worth noting that you’ll save more by getting the Frederick’s of Hollywood version for $94 and they’ll give you another $10 off automatically at checkout, making the price $84.  The offer expires 5/29/11.  Update: Frederick’s of Hollywood marked this style down to $79.99 and you get another $10 off at checkout through 6/19/11, making them $69.99.

Update 2: Another knockoff, the Privileged Sheena, is available at LuLu’s and it’s in pale pink!!  Also in black, each for $55.

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If you’ve ever wanted to know what it’s really like to walk in Lady Gaga’s shoes, now is your chance.  The megastar is known for wearing extreme footwear like shoes made of meat and those risque American Idol shoes, but she seems to have a special preference for gravity-defying heel-less shoes.  We’ve seen heel-less shoes before on Victoria Beckham, who wore Antonio Berardi during an appearance in 2008, and we saw them on the Nina Ricci runway in 2009, but Lady Gaga’s heel-less shoe designer of choice is Noritaka Tatehana from Japan.  When asked about his newfound notoriety from Gaga wearing his shoes, Tatehana says “The hardest part is getting all of these emails from 15 year-old Lady Gaga fans. They tell me they love my shoes but can’t afford them, so they ask me to just send them a pair. I don’t know what to say to them.”  Well, fear not – now there’s a much less expensive option for anyone who dares to wear these:

Sole Boutique Saffo Night Walker for $120 at Karmaloop.

Sole Boutique The Mather Night Walker for $130 at Karmaloop.  Also available in black patent.

Sole Boutique The Cora Night Walker in red zebra for $130 at Karmaloop.

I think it’s probably good that the bottom part of these shoes extends a bit further back, which I imagine would increase the stability – a bit like training wheels.  Hey, even a trained professional like Gaga is known to fall from time to time.

If you’re a brave soul who must own a pair of these, you might want to act fast.  There was another heel-less shoe knockoff in leopard (Magic Leopard Platform Heels) available at NastyGal last month and it sold out very quickly.  And you might want to save a little money too, right?  Use coupon code SAVE20 to get 20% off $100 and free shipping (first time users only) or try ROCKIT for 15% off (expiration unknown).

Update: Another heel-less option is the Jeffrey Campbell Night Walk, available for $169.95 at Envishoes.  Update 2: You can also preorder this style at Solestruck for $169.95 with expected shipment on or before 9/30/11.  Urban Outfitters has it for $199.

Update 3: I definitely had to add the Jeffrey Campbell Rock Star, which is $179.95 at Envishoes.com.  Also available at Solestruck for $194.95 and Karmaloop for $204.

Update 4: More heel-less wonders from Sole Boutique, the Cora Night Walker in Leopard or Zebra (check the leopard sole on the zebra pair!).  Both are available at Karmaloop for $130.

Update 5: An additional option, the Jeffrey Campbell Str8up for $160 at Karmaloop.

Image from Starpulse.com

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You may remember the Spring 2010 Fendi Cinderella (pictured above) as one of the “it” high-end designer styles from last year.  This shoe was worn by a plethora of celebs, including Demi Moore in a Rachel Zoe-styled Harper’s Bazaar shoot and Whitney Port in a promotional photo shoot for MTV’s The City, both of which I posted about here.  Of course, I always try to find similar, lower-priced options for those who want a comparable look, but can’t afford the over-the-top price (plus, these have long since sold out).  At the time I posted about these, I was able to track down scarf shoes with fabric that wraps around the ankle and plenty of shoes with clear lucite heels (you know, the extra sexy ones), but I couldn’t locate a pair that combined both.  But, now we have these:

The Colin Stuart Wrapped Platform Sandal is a lookalike for the Fendi Cinderella, but it’s far less expensive.  Of course, at this price point, the fabric isn’t as luxurious and the platform is definitely a lot lower, but personally I appreciate this detail.  It can be a fine line when wearing clear heels and I feel like the half-inch platform is more subdued and wearable, while still providing the intended effect.  I also like the pretty pink upper on this pair, which is available at Victoria’s Secret for $70 (originally $88).  Additional color options include cream, black or grey and you get free shipping if you spend $100 or more via coupon code SHIPVS11 (exp 5/19/11).

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I’m sooo loving this cheerful new style, the Naughty Monkey Dreamy.  With the crisp red and white checked pattern on the upper and basket weave heel, these shoes are like a perfect little picnic for your feet.  The crystal and bead detail on the top manages to up the cute factor even more.  Christian Louboutin also released a shoe in gingham recently with the $875 Gressimo, but the Naughty Monkey pair is a far more affordable way to get a similar look.  You can find them at Endless for $60 with free overnight shipping and they’re also available in black, navy or brown gingham.

Have a wonderful weekend!

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You never know just what kind of shoes you’ll run into when browsing stores that are primarily known for selling pretty little underthings (i.e. lingerie).  It’s something I knew before, but I rediscovered it recently while checking out the footwear offered at Frederick’s of Hollywood and Victoria’s Secret.  What caught my eye is some “inspired by” versions of popular styles from both Christian Louboutin and Jeffrey Campbell that I hadn’t seen anywhere else.  First up, we have the Christian Louboutin Clou Noeud spiked heel (above), which was definitely an ”it” shoe in the latter half of 2010 and seen worn by a slew of celebs.  These $1,195 shoes are sold out online and I haven’t seen a close lookalike, but I noticed the site In Their Closet found the N.Y.L.A. Genevieve at Nordstrom back in December that replicated the look.  Those are now sold out as well, but Frederick’s of Hollywood offers up another pair as an alternative:

This is the Peep-Toe Leather Artillery Pump in genuine black leather and it’s priced at $94.  You get $10 off $75, $20 off $100 or $40 off $150 automatically in cart until 4/10/11, which drops the price to $84 if ordered without other items.  I wouldn’t call it an exact replica of the Louboutins because you surely wouldn’t mistake one for the other (no signature red heel and less pointy spikes, for instance), but they’re clearly perfect for getting a very similar overall look.  Plus, if you missed the N.Y.L.A. version while it was at Nordstrom, this appears to be the exact same shoe but (presumably) sold under the Frederick’s label.

Update: See more Clou Noeud knockoffs from another post.

The other interesting shoes I came across (pictured above) are from Victoria’s Secret.  This is a style from Naughty Monkey and you’ll likely recognize the tack studded heel from another pair, the Jeffrey Campbell Tick - you know, the shoe that totally gave office supplies a fashion moment when they first came out in 2009.  Naughty Monkey’s version, again, is slightly different with the slingback, double strap styling and the various colored studs on one of the pairs.  I don’t know the exact name of the shoe because Victoria’s Secret usually doesn’t list this information (it’s called Embellished Wedge), but it doesn’t look like it’s currently available anywhere else.  You can get it in black or taupe for $80 (sold out).  If you add something else to your order to meet the minimum purchase requirement, you can get $15 off $100, $30 off $150 or $75 off $250 by applying coupon code SPRING11 through 5/3/11.  The expected ship date is 4/20/11.

Update: Mystery solved:  This shoe is the Not Rated Gaga and it’s also available in black at Journeys for $79.99 (ships in May) and in grey at Buckle for the same price.  Not Rated is a brand owned by the same company as Naughty Monkey.  Update 2: The black version is available at LuLu’s for $79.  Update 3: Piperlime has the black version for $79, Shoemall has grey or black for $79.95 and Zappos has black, grey or taupe for $84.99.

Note that prices and promotions listed are subject to change.

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The cast members of The Real Housewives franchise on Bravo are each quite different in their own way, but if there is one common denominator among the women, it’s that they all love shoes.  And, more often than not, they like to get their footwear fix from Christian Louboutin (as discussed in several of my previous posts).  So, it’s no surprise that we saw plenty of red soles flashing on the The Real Housewives of Atlanta reunion for Season 3.  After all, when you have some explainin’ to do for all of your antics during the season, you must have your best power pumps on.  What I didn’t know, however, is that host Andy Cohen also has a thing for shoes.  On Watch What Happens Live, he let us in on a little tradition where he selects his favorite pair of shoes from those worn by the Housewives during the reunion taping.  And, according to this video footage, Andy is all about sparkly and rock ‘n’ roll styles, making him a man after my own heart for sure.  You can see all of the shoes up close in the video, but here’s a rundown of what the ladies wore:

Kandi Burruss wore the Christian Louboutin Miss Fast booties with spike detail.  These were available at Saks for $1,095 at Saks, but are now sold out.

Phaedra Parks wore the Christian Louboutin Ambertina, available for $895 at Barney’s, but only a couple of sizes are left.

NeNe Leakes wore the Christian Louboutin Pigalili in gold.  The silver version is available in limited sizes for $3,545 at Christian Louboutin.

Kim Zolciak wore a nude version of the Christian Louboutin Pigalle spiked pump, like this one in denim.  I don’t see the nude pair for sale online.

Sheree Whitfield wore these $895 Christian Louboutin Maggie heels, which are also sold out.

Cynthia Bailey was the only one not in Louboutins.  She wore a YSL platform pump that appears to be this metallic silver version, available for $895 at YSL.

Andy’s favorite pair was Phaedra’s Ambertina sandal.  Of course, we can’t all splurge like the Housewives do, so I tracked down some shoes that have similar elements, but at a much lower price.  Here’s what I found:

BCBGeneration Flossy boots on sale for $51.99 at Shoemall (originally $129.95).  Act by today and use coupon code SAVE25 for 25% off $25 or more and you’ll score them for just $38.99 (expires 2/23/11).

Fever Raven for $250 at Fever Shoes.

Wild Pair Celeste for $80 at Amazon or for the same price at Bakers.

Betsey Johnson Ice in gold glitter for $85 at Zappos.

Sam Edelman Lorissa spikes heel in nude for $200 at Karmaloop.  Apply coupon code OHSNAP to get 15% off $75, making them $170 (expires 2/28/11).

Paris Hilton Patty for $59.95 at DSW.  Members get free shipping with coupon code SHIPR (expires 3/21/11)

Steve Madden Fantasha for $99.95 at Steve Madden.  Coupon code rmn15f takes 15% off and gives free shipping, making them $84.96 (expiration unknown).

Real Housewives photos from bravotv.com

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