I’m a self-proclaimed addict of the Real Housewives franchise on Bravo, so naturally I’m tuning in to the latest addition to the series: the Beverly Hills cast!  I’m pretty convinced that Bravo isn’t going to stop until we know just how every well-to-do woman lives, spends her money and catfights across every major city in the country (or the world, for that matter), but so far I’m along for the ride.  Of course, I could get all analytical and talk about how the show highlights the fact that money doesn’t necessarily bring happiness and security - these ladies all have their share of problems, let’s face it - but I’m much more interested in talking about the shoes.  Like previous housewives, the latest crop of ladies love their Louboutins - and who can blame them?  In the last episode, “The Art of War”, I spotted two housewives wearing the brand on the show and I had to find the shoes, along with some lower-priced lookalikes.  Let’s check it out:

Lisa VanderPump is an early fave of mine when it comes to the Beverly Hills cast.  She’s the posh, but likeable, housewife whose dog, named Giggy the Pom, blogs on Bravotv.com and has his own Twitter page - you know, just your average pooch.  While searching for what to wear to the premiere of Kelsey Grammer’s play La Cage Aux Folles on Broadway, we see Lisa wearing this shoe while trying clothes for the event:

This is the Christian Louboutin Poseidon and it was once available for $1,195 at Saks Fifth Avenue, but now appears to be sold out everywhere online.  For a similar look for less, try these shoes:

The Miss Me Jocelyn-22 for $59.95 sold by flyJane via Amazon or the Miss Me Nitron for the same price directly from flyJane.

The Carlos by Carlos Santana Pleasure in pewter for $54.45 with free 2-day shipping from Endless.

The Stuart Weitzman Avalon in natural python for $199 (regularly $398) at Jildor or in Buff Mica Python for $200 at 6pm.

Then there’s Camille Grammer, who is primarily known for being the wife of Kelsey Grammer (and we all know how that turns out), but is already making a name for herself on the show because she’s perfect for stirring up a little drama.  She vamps it up for Kelsey’s premiere in these hot pink satin Louboutins, which add a nice splash of color to her LBD (emphasis on the “L”):

This appears to be the pink version of the Christian Louboutin Greissimo, which I could only find on the UK site Cricket Liverpool.  But, here are some shoes that are very Camille and much less expensive:

This is the Bebe Lola in pink, available at Bebe.com for $149.

There’s also this feisty pink pump, the Martinez Valero Carolina for $81.75 with free shipping at Zappos.

By the way, if you found yourself seriously tempted by the chocolate Louboutins Lisa bought in an earlier episode, check out the chocolate shoes (sans red sole) over at Gayle’s Chocolates for $40 - $45 a piece.  It’s definitely a nice gift option for any shoe lover friends you might have.  Or, you know, for yourself.

Real Housewives photos from Bravotv.com.  Camille Grammer photo from Zimbio.com.

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I’ve noticed that we’ve seen quite a few celebs wearing tutus lately, so it appears the ballerina trend is experiencing a bit of a revival this fall.  Tutu skirts tend to conjure up sweet memories of childhood dress up or ballet classes but, let’s face it, it’s not quite so easy to pull off the look when you’re well into adulthood.  It can be done, but if you’re a bit apprehensive to rock a full-on tutu skirt, you might consider wearing all those frothy layers of tulle on your feet instead.  The pretty Steve Madden Fifi in pink will have you applying the trend with ease and you’ll keep your inner prima ballerina satisfied in the process.  If pink isn’t your thing, it also comes in classic ballet black:

This ultra-girly style is available for preorder at Steve Madden for $99.95 with an expected ship date of 11/24/10.  Apply coupon code rmn15f to get 15% off and free shipping, which reduces the price to $84.96.

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October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and, to support the cause, QVC has partnered with the Fashion Footwear Association of New York since 1994 for the FFANY Shoes on Sale event.  This year’s benefit, which takes place October 15, 2010 from 7-10 pm ET on QVC, will feature over 100,000 pairs of shoes on sale for half off retail price with net proceeds benefiting breast cancer research and education.  One of the shoes available will be the Fergie Hope, which is a pink version of the Fergie Tazed (both currently sold at Shoes.com).  Normally $89, the pink Hope heels will be available for just $45 on QVC and 100% of proceeds from the sale of these will go to help fight breast cancer, according to Peoplestylewatch.com.  Fergie shows us how to rock this pair in the pic above and you can also see them modeled by actresses Denise Richards and AnnaLynne McCord on the Fergie Footwear Facebook page.  These are definitely some hot pink heels (and who doesn’t love pink?), but when you get 50% off the price and support a great cause all at once, they get even hotter.

QVC will have a selection of web-exclusive shoes available online after the live broadcast, although I don’t know if the Fergie Hope will be a part of that selection.  The same style is also available for regular online purchase at Fergieshoes.com and Shoes.com.

Fergie photo courtesy of QVC via Peoplestylewatch.com.

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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.

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Don’t you just love a good Real Housewives reunion?  Host Andy Cohen always has his best game face on and the ladies are ready to rumble.  The recent Real Housewives of New York City Season 3 reunion special was no exception and there were plenty of theatrics to go around - and cute shoes.  The most noticeable shoes on the show came from feuding former BFF’s, Jill Zarin and Bethenny Frankel, who both hashed out their differences wearing brightly colored heels. 

Jill wore bright green shoes with a red sole, which we know is a sure sign that Christian Louboutin is in da house:

This is the Christian Louboutin Greissimo knotted pump in mint, which were sold at Barney’s for $895 but are no longer available anywhere online as far as I can tell.  You can still get the black version at Barney’s or at Bergdorf Goodman.  But, if you have your mind set on that pop of green in your shoe collection and you want it for less, try this pair:

The Aldo Orpin is a lookalike pair for the Louboutin Greissimo and it’s offered at a fraction of the cost.  Get it for $90 at Aldo and take another 10% off by applying coupon code 175926229 at checkout until 7/31/10 and shipping is also free for a limited time.

Glowing new mom Bethenny Frankel looked fabulous in her hot pink heels.  It was hard to get a good close look at these on the show, but I saw on Examiner.com that these are Alexander McQueen, specifically these patent platform pumps that were once available on Net-A-Porter.  But, I noticed in the Bravo reunion photos that Bethenny’s shoes are a peep toe style, so it appears that these are likely the pair she wore:

These are the gorgeous Alexander McQueen 216935 heart peep toe pumps seen at Zappos.  They are now sold out and I couldn’t find them anywhere else, but the same shoe in red is available at the Alexander McQueen website for $279.  For a much less expensive Alexander McQueen heart peep toe pump knockoff, try these:

These Heart Peep-Toe Patent Pumps are available at Frederick’s of Hollywood for $19.99, marked down from $39.  They come in red, hot pink or black.  Thanks to The Look 4 Less for the tip on those!

Photos from Bravotv.com

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 recently purchased these Skechers Tone-Ups Ninjafield shoes in silver because I’m trying to up my game, so to speak, in the exercise department.  I’ve been watching the rapidly growing fitness footwear market for quite some time now with plenty of interest, but also a healthy dose of skeptism.  It seems like every shoe company around that has anything to do with athletic or comfort shoes - i.e. Skechers, New Balance, Reebok, Earth and more - now offers lines of footwear that tout bold claims like weight loss, muscle toning and tightning, calorie burning and more just by wearing them regularly.  And though these shoes often receive positive reviews, it never seems all that clear if they actually cause weight loss or if they really change the shape of your legs over time.  But, I do want to believe that a pair of shoes could be my magic bullet (ha), although the price points have kept me at bay until now.  I just don’t want to shell out the big bucks for shoes that would normally cost much less without all of the promises, i.e. $50-$60 for flip flops and $100+ for tennis shoes that might be half as much without the marketing hype.  However, I must admit, it’s not too much to pay if they actually work, so when I found the Skechers Tone-Ups Ninjafield at Famous Footwear marked down to $29.99 (originally $54.99) and they had a coupon for another 20% off that reduced them to $23.99, it was a no-brainer for me to try them out.  At that price, you can’t lose.

So far, I’ve been super-happy with my purchase.  I think they’re cute for a casual shoe and they felt great from the moment I tried them on.  They have a cushy midsole that I can only describe as like walking on a mattress (in a good way).  The marketing booklet I received with my order says that the midsole is made of a double layer of high-tech polymer with varying thickness from heel to toe and the gradual variation causes three distinct areas of compression: a firm toe area for maximum control, a stabilizing middle and a softer heel strike that causes more effort with each step.

I’ve been wearing them regularly around the house and for doing things like running errands for a couple of weeks now.  I can definitely say that these shoes are very comfortable.  I went out for one of those long power-shopping trips recently and I typically feel plenty of tension and fatigue in my feet at the end of the day (more or less depending on my shoes) but I felt absolutely none of that when wearing the Tone-Ups.  I definitely give them a thumbs up for that. 

As far as toning and weight loss goes, it’s hard to say.  Obviously it takes time to see any dramatic differences, but I do feel like I’m standing a bit straighter and a couple of times I felt some muscle activation in my calves that I didn’t notice with other shoes.  All in all, I am feeling stronger, but I’m also doing other types of exercise, so I can’t give full credit to the shoes at this point.  However, I do like them enough that I’m considering buying another pair.  I’ll give it some more time and keep you guys updated if I see additional results.

If you’d like to try out your own pair of Skechers Tone-Ups for less, you can still get the Skechers Tone-Ups Ninjafield in silver for $29.99 at Famous Footwear with $4.50 for shipping.  Apply coupon code DTWB291 until 6/30/10 to get 20% off your order.  Or, get them at 6pm for $20 with $6.95 extra for shipping (Update: Sold out at 6pm).  Here are some more low prices I found:

Skechers Tone-Ups Strength Train in hot pink and white for $20 at 6pm (Update: Now $14.95).

Skechers Tone-Ups Hotness in bronze for $35 at 6pm.

Skechers Tone-Ups Glamgirl in black, red or navy for $49 at Shoes.com.  Apply coupon code VISA for 20% off, which reduces them to $39.20 with free shipping.  Or, go to FinishLine to get them in black for $29.98 with about $7.99 for shipping.

Skechers Tone-Ups Candy Bar in silver or bronze for $29.99 at Famous Footwear.  Apply the code mentioned above for 20% off, which makes them $23.99.

**Note: Please excuse my slowdown in posting over the past week or so.  I’ve been having some internet issues, including several bouts of no internet service at all (lovely) that prevented me from updating the site as regularly as I normally do.  Luckily, I had a technician out today and it appears to be fixed (fingers crossed), so I should be good to go.**

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