I spotted Claire Danes in head-to-toe Valentino while browsing through the latest US Weekly and I had to take note of how gorgeous she is here.  Claire, who donned this look while in Paris to attend the Valentino show, is wearing a romantic, ultra-feminine ruffled dress and she toughens it up just a smidge with these shoes:

The Valentino Studded T-Strap Pump is a sophisticated pump with a nice dose of edge courtesy of the pyramid studs, which look like small spikes.  This is a great way to apply to current spike trend we’re seeing everywhere, including on shoes, in a much more subtle way for those times when a more elegant look is in order.  You can splurge and get the Valentino pair for $895 at Nordstrom (currently on pre-order), but we also have some similar, less expensive shoes as an alternative:

The Boutique 9 Zola in grey or black for $150 at Nine West.  Shipping is free on $50 or more for a limited time.  Or, get them at Endless for the same price with free overnight shipping.

The Charles David Techie for $138 in champagne or $115 in black (MSRP $230) at 6pm.

The Pour La Victoire Danya in whiskey on sale for $104 (list price $285.95) at Amazon.  This pair doesn’t have spikes, but the t-strap design and raised pyramid studs make it a viable option.  It’s also available in black or red and the price depends on the color/size combination selected.

Image from peoplestylewatch.com

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

Drew Barrymore has always been a fave of mine.  She’s fun to watch on screen and seems totally cool off-screen too, plus she has a great sense of style.  Case in point: her recent appearance at the Nylon magazine party, where she opted for high-low dressing in her $25 vintage dress from a Texas thrift store and her YSL Tribtoo suede pumps in taupe.  I couldn’t find the exact shoes online, but they are similar to this $795 patent version at Bergdorf Goodman.  These are the kind of go-with-everything shoes that make a closet staple sexy, but those of us who can’t splurge on YSL might take a cue from Drew (and her affordable, fabulous dress) by trying out a less expensive style.  Here’s one that looks very similar:

The Zigi Soho Staple Pump in beige or black is a great alternative and you can get it for $59.95 at DSW.  If you have a free DSW membership, login and apply coupon code SHOECRAZY to get 13% off regularly-priced orders through today 8/13/10 (see, Friday the 13th can be lucky!).  That drops your total to $52.16.  You can also apply coupon SHIPR for free shipping on $35 or more until 9/12/10.  Now, if only I could score a dress like Drew’s for $25 at my local thrift store…

Photo from Peoplestylewatch.com.

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.

The Ash Lovely is the kind of shoe with the edge factor built right in.  This dramatic studded wedge can be slipped on with with even the most basic of outfits - black leggings, skinny jeans or anything else you can come up with - to add a nice dose of fierce to the look.  But, while they aren’t over-the-top expensive, these bad babies will still set you back $239.95 if you get them at Nordstrom, where there’s still a pretty good selection of sizes left (other online stores that have them for less are practically sold out).  That’s quite a splurge in my world, but there is a similar option for less:

The Luichiny Pass Ive is like a fraternal twin of the Ash pair: not identical, but definitely related.  It essentially comes down to a preference for the brand and details - like the color of the heel and studs - and, of course, the cash flow.  You can get the Luichiny pair in black at Endless for $68.36 with free 2-day shipping or at Bakers for $59.99 with $4.95 shipping.  Endless also offers the camel or grey versions for $54.29 and Bakers offers purple, cognac, grey and camel for the same price as black.  But, the lowest price for the camel and grey is from Amazon, where they are each $49.20 with free shipping.

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

DSW is dishing out the discounts right now with their new coupon code TOPTIER, which takes $10 off $49, $25 off $99 and $50 off $199 at checkout if you sign in to your DSW account.  There’s definitely something for everyone in their wide selection of women’s shoes, but I spotted a new arrival that’s a dead ringer for the Dolce Vita boots Miley Cyrus and Kim Cattrall (as Samantha Jones) wore in Sex and the City 2.  The Dolce Vita Marilyn from the movie is all but sold out - as is the lookalike version from Bebe, the Bebe Jenna - but now we have another style for anyone who wants to rock a tall strappy boot with a bedazzled minidress (or, perhaps, jeans).  It’s the N.Y.L.A. Webebe in tan, black or grey and DSW has them priced at $129.95.  With the code, your total drops to $104.95.  That’s quite a bit less than the Bebe or the Dolce Vita boots and you can also get free shipping by adding SHIPR along with the other coupon.  The TOPTIER coupon expires 7/26/10 and doesn’t apply to Skechers Shape-Ups or Reebok Easy Tones.

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

Ever since doing my post on multicolored shoes for spring featuring the Charles David Tangier (pictured above), I’ve been trying to justify spending $215 on a pair of rainbow sandals that are super-cute but not all that practical or affordable (I still wanted them).  Unfortunately, I couldn’t fit them into the ‘ol budget and I’ve since watched the price go down - they are now $140 at Amazon or $147 at Endless - but I’ve also watched as availability went down even futher, essentially to sold-out territory;  i.e. if you’re a size 5.5, you’re in luck, otherwise not so much.  However, I seriously didn’t expect to see a Charles David Tangier lookalike while casually browsing the shoe selection at Bakers and I was absolutely shocked (read: excited) to see this similar pair for much less:

The Bakers Bonita sandal is basically a replica of the Charles David pair with a much smaller price tag.  You can get it on sale for $39.99 (regularly $79.99) in the multicolored version and they also have a turquoise option for $49.99.  Shipping adds $4.95 or get it free on orders of 75 or more.  Tempting, I say, very tempting.

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