Think MTV’s The City and The Hills are all about the catfights and the drama?  Well, think again, because it’s all about the shoes, ladies.  Cute shoes make regular appearances on both shows and, if you’re like me, you like to watch just to see the latest styles the cast is wearing, both on-screen and off.  Need more evidence?  I’ve gathered some from the episodes that just aired this week:

Exhibit A: Kristin Cavallari shoes line Kristin tells those quirky kids, Dan and Jessi, on this week’s MTV Aftershow that she would love to have a shoe line and that she’s been looking into it, although nothing is set in stone as of yet.  But, here on Starpulse.com, she talks about life after The Hills, which is in its last season, and says that she is designing a shoe line and she also has plans in the works to produce three reality shows.  Sure, it is another celebrity doing the fashion thing, but Kristin has admitted to being obsessed with shoes before and she has an enviable designer shoe collection to draw inspiration from, so who can blame her for trying?  I know I would!

Exhibit B: Goth shoes & garbage shoes Over on The City, Olivia helps style pop star Kei$ha, who’s a fan of “garbage couture”, for Elle and outfits her in these Nicholas Kirkwood “trash bag” shoes that feature floral blooms made of actual garbage bags.  These are very cool shoes, but I couldn’t find any additional details about them online.  However, the real fun was watching Olivia scout for shoes at goth shop Trash and Vaudeville before she secured the Kirkwood pair.  I find Olivia best when she’s out of her element, like that time she played investigative reporter by hunting for counterfeit designer handbags on Canal Street, and this store was certainly not her usual stomping ground.  Here’s the play by play:

Olivia was initially gunning for a silver glitter platform pump.  But her idea was nixed and they made her try on a boot with bullets instead:

These are so un-Olivia and she refused to walk around in them, which some store employees found amusing:

After all of that, the shoes they picked at the store weren’t approved for the shoot, but the Nicholas Kirkwood pair Olivia found ended up being a hit.  While the Kirkwood shoes were the star of the show, we did see a cameo from another hot pair:

Exhibit C: JC Tick appearance It was a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment (sorry for the blurry pic), but the Jeffrey Campbell Tribal Tick isn’t the kind of shoe that blends into its environment, so I definitely recognized it in the scene that took place in the Elle accessories closet.

You can get the Jeffrey Campbell Tick tribal at Eilatan for $142.79.  Singer22 also has them for $264.  Update: You can get them again at Karmaloop now that they are back in stock.

Exhibit D: Whitney wears Payless Whitney Port of The City is being featured in People’s 50 Hottest Bodies issue and even though she’s normally spotted in expensive designer footwear, she dons a pair from Payless in the spread. 

It’s the Alice + Olivia for Payless Breckenridge bow sandal and I think it’s adorable.  There are only a couple sizes left online for $39.99, but you can always inquire in your local store for more availability.

Exhibit E: Olivia apparently goes cheap-chic sometimes too Our fave ice-queen Olivia made an appearance at the 2010 Institute for Civic Leadership spring benefit looking light and bright in her floral DVF top, shorts and the coral shoes pictured above (see the entire look on MTV’s Remote Control Blog).  Although Olivia usually favors high-end designers, her shoes appear to be these heels from Aldo (unless these are inspired by another pair):

This is the Aldo Starace in peach and it’s available at Aldo.com for $90.  Get another 10% off with coupon code 175926229 until 7/31/10 and shipping is also free for a limited time.

Photos from MTV.com

I love the butterfly silhouette on this Prada Perforated Platform Sandal, which was recently worn in black by Amanda Peet at the Sex and the City 2 premier in NYC and in nude by Scarlett Johansson at the 61st annual New Dramatist’s benefit luncheon.  You can get these pretty sandals at Barneys for $795, but there’s a similar look at Aldo.com for less:

The Aldo Secrest looks much like the Prada pair in shape and form, but it features laser cutouts rather than perforation.  It also costs much less at $90.  Here are some additional shades that are so spring-ready:

To top it off, you can get free shipping with no minimum at Aldo for a limited time, which saves $5.

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I was checking out the shoes at Payless today and noticed some new Christian Siriano for Payless spring styles are now available.  Just like we saw with his Fall 2009 collection, the shoes are much different from those that were shown on the runway.  The pictures above, found on Zimbio.com, were seen in September 2009 during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week and they feature claw heels, super-high platforms and edgy embellishments, like large, shiny buckles and straps.  Here are the shoes (or some of them) now:

Christian Siriano for Payless Coast Printed Satin Pump in blue for $34.99

Christian Siriano for Payless Coast Printed Satin Pump in orange for $34.99

Christian Siriano for Payless Downtown Zip Sandal in snake or black for $34.99

As you can see, all of the details that made these shoes interesting on the runway are absent and the only real similarity is the fabric.  I can understand toning things down for the masses and the need to keep the shoes affordable by keeping production costs down, but then I have to wonder why the shoes are shown on the runway in the first place.  Sure, they create plenty of buzz, but the typical Payless customer may not know about the runway shoes, or even who Christian Siriano is for that matter.  I thought these collections were aimed to gain a different kind of customer - i.e. one who does pay attention to Fashion Week and what designers are doing and who may not normally shop at Payless.  This kind of customer might be willing to buy these shoes, even at a higher price, if some of the original elements were retained that made the shoes edgy and unique.  Maybe the claw heel is too extreme for Payless, but they could have raised the platform and made the toe more pointy, which surely couldn’t raise costs by that much.  That’s my 2-cents, what do you think of the shoes?

One thing you can call these shoes is affordable, particularly right now during the Payless BOGO sale, which takes 50% off your second pair until 2/15/10, including the Christian Siriano for Payless shoes.  You can also get another 20% off with coupon code 30445 until 2/28/10.  That makes any two of the above pairs $41.99 total with $5.95 extra for shipping or free shipping to your local store.

Update: The original runway shoes became available for sale at Payless, but are now sold out.  See the latest post here.

Charlize Theron is a talented actress and style icon who always looks gorgeous in the latest designer fashions, but she also devotes time to helping others from her home country of South Africa through her charity, the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project.  The non-profit has a mission of “creating a safer and healthier life for impoverished, under-resourced children and communities of South Africa, with a particular focus on individuals suffering from HIV/AIDS” and their efforts have included providing mobile health clinics in the Umkhanyakude District that provide health testing and education.  They have plans to build athletic facilities with clean water sources and develop community soccer programs in the coming year.  TOMS Shoes is also involved - they’ve partnered with the charity to donate 10,000 pairs of shoes for residents of the area, which will be distributed this month.  As part of this collaboration, Charlize has designed a limited-edition shoe for TOMS with a portion of the sales proceeds going to her charity.  Here is the shoe she designed, one version for women and one for men:

Charlize Theron TOMS Baobab for women $54 at TOMS

Charlize Theron TOMS Baobab for men $54 at TOMS

The vegan-friendly canvas slip-ons feature a native baobab tree design and a custom lining with an Africa Outreach Project logo pattern.  Unfortunately, the women’s pair is already on backorder, but check back with TOMS for future availability.  There are still a few sizes left in the men’s version, which could be a nice gift idea for that special guy in your life.  If you order by 12/20/09, you can get it by Christmas via UPS 3-day air.  Other expedited shipping options are available through the 22nd of this month.  In addition, TOMS donates one pair of shoes to a child in need for any pair of shoes bought on their site.  It’s definitely the kind of shoe purchase that keeps on giving - something we can all feel good about.

Update: The men’s version is now also sold out, but it looks like TOMS will be re-stocking this style, so be sure to check back!

Seen on People StyleWatch

Charlize Theron photo from www.charlizeafricaoutreach.org

In another notable sale from 6pm, all Chinese Laundry shoes are priced at $19.95 today.  I like this studded Chinese Laundry Falcon, which originally retailed for $79.  Right now, they have just under 200 styles left, but sizes are limited and they are sure to go quickly.  Shipping adds $6.95.  Expiration: 12/1/09

Like to hike?  Whether you enjoy exploring everything Mother Nature has to offer or if you prefer stepping it up in the concrete jungle, these Fitzwell shoes can outfit your next adventure at a price anyone can live with.  Several styles of Fitzwell hiking shoes are on sale at 6pm for just $9.95, which is up to 88% off retail.  Pictured is the Fitzwell Lexus, which is currently offered in three color options.  Sizes are limited for some styles, so choose your desired size at the top to narrow it down and you may want to select your width as well (some styles show as not available unless you change to a different width).  Sale expiration is unknown.

6pm has another really good sale on their selection of Keen shoes, most of which are $24.95 each.  That’s a great price for this brand and the savings reach up to 80%.  One of my faves is the Keen Malibu (pictured). Shipping adds $6.95 and the sale ends 10/11/09.