The Fourth of July is coming up this weekend, which for many of us means the 5 F’s will be in effect: Food, Family, Friends, Fireworks and Fun.  Part of that fun, in my opinion, is going ALL out in the patriotic spirit of Independence Day by wearing traditional red, white and blue.  Of course, you can always opt for shoes in these colors that will have you looking firecracker hot.  One of my favorites is the Charles David Tapestry (pictured above), which is available at Endless for $122.47, marked down from $174.95.  It ships free via overnight shipping, so there’s still time to order before the holiday weekend.  I also found more options that range from casual and fun to dressy and fab that I think are perfect for the day.  All are from Endless and have free overnight or 2-day shipping as noted:

Jessica Simpson Bobcaty in red for $44.21 with free 2-day shipping.

Spring Step Gardenia in red for $52.46 with free 2-day shipping.

Pilar Abril Magnolia for $71.25 with free 2-day shipping.

Pilar Abril Verbena for $54.60 with free 2-day shipping.

Apepazza Topazio for $74.96 with free 2-day shipping.

Nomad Footwear Sparkles flip flop in red and blue for $23.77 with free 2-day shipping.

Poetic Licence Star Gazing in black, pink or grey for $97.95 with free overnight shipping (no red, white or blue, but love the stars).

Naughty Monkey Rain Dance for $70.95 with free overnight shipping.

Have a happy 4th!

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’m really liking the new coupon DSW is offering for June because it takes $10 off any regularly-priced pair of shoes when you apply TAKE10 at checkout and the minimum purchase is a low $10.  That’s pretty good, but it gets even better when you apply second coupon code FREESHIP for free shipping with no minimum purchase required.  You have to log in to your DSW Rewards account to use the $10 off code, but it’s free to join and basically means you’ll receive DSW emails and points for your purchases.  With the coupons, you can score the Dollhouse Tano Bootie - a shoe inspired by the Christian Louboutin Bridget that was included in my recent Sex and the City 2 shoes post - for $39.95 with free shipping.  The $10 off coupon expires 6/28/10 and the expiration for the free shipping code is unknown.

Of note, if you’re looking for a pair inspired by the gold sparkly Christian Louboutin Bridget Strass, Amazon has the Dollhouse Tano in black and gold marked down to $41.97 with free shipping.  Amazon also has the red/black and all black versions for the same price.

P.S. Be a friend of Fairy Shoe Princess on Facebook!

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.**

P.S. Be a friend of Fairy Shoe Princess on Facebook!

On this season of MTV’s The City, we’ve seen Whitney Port hard at work on her Whitney Eve clothing line and she’s definitely had her share of success - like showing her designs at Bryant Park during Fashion Week and scoring deals with companies like Rue La La and Maybelleine - but we’ve also seen her endure some criticism from the fashion world and fellow unsupportive castmate Olivia, whose fate at Elle is definitely hanging by a thread at this point (leaving anticipation high for a potential firing).  But, we all know that looking fabulous is the best revenge and Whitney did just that while attending the MTV Movie Awards and the premier of Sex and the City 2.  I love both of these looks on her and, of course, I had to notice the shoes.  At first glance, I thought her SATC 2 shoes (with the black dress) might be the Christian Louboutin Coussin, but a closer look revealed them to be this pair:

This is the Charlie My Love ATM Knotted Woven Bootie and it’s available at Shopbop for $268.80, marked down from $384.  That’s certainly a lot less than the $1,595 Louboutin bootie, but you can save some money and get a similar look with this pair:

Boutique 9 Val for $199 at Shoe Woo.  If you buy 2 pairs, get 20% off automatically at checkout until 6/14/10.

Or, save even more with the N.Y.L.A. Isabel bootie in black, which is $76.98 at Target.

On to the next pair:

Whitney reaffirms her love for the cage at the MTV Movie Awards by pairing her yellow dress with bronze Sergio Rossi Scalloped Booties, which are available at Neiman Marcus for $850.  For less expensive alternatives, try these:

Calvin Klein Dylan for $119 at Shoes.com.  Get 20% off with coupon code VISA for a limited time, which reduces them to $95.20 with free shipping.

Mixx Chloe 01 for $44 at LuLu’s.

Martinez Valero Courtney for $96.22 with free 2-day shipping at Endless.

Photos from MTV.com

P.S. Be a friend of Fairy Shoe Princess on Facebook!

When I spotted this N.Y.L.A. Megu platform sandal (pictured above), I recognized it as a lookalike version of a style from one of the hottest luxury designer shoe brands around, Miu Miu.  More specifically, this pair:

The Miu Miu Forma cutout sandal is a super-sexy statement shoe worn by several celebrities, as seen on Coolspotters.  They actually look even better worn - personally, I like Katy Perry’s out-on-the-town look - but they appear to be sold out online (except for a size 11 at Net-a-Porter).  Plus, their $755 price tag will make quite a statement on the bank account, not just the feet.  The N.Y.L.A. Megu replicates the look and it’s far less expensive.  DSW offers this pair for $89.95 in black or gold and you can get free shipping if you log in to your DSW account and apply code SHIPR during checkout.  Or, try Endless for even more color options.  They have pink, brown, silver, black and bone versions for $119.95 with free overnight shipping.  The DSW coupon expires 7/6/10.

Update: Here’s another option at an even lower price.  GoJane has the Cut-Out Design Open Toe Platform in black, brown or red for $31.90.

I love a cute pair of flip flops and anytime I’ve been out and about lately, I’ve noticed this polka dot pair being worn literally everywhere I go.  I wasn’t sure of the brand, so I finally had to ask the latest person I saw wearing them where they were from.  I found out they are Yellow Box flip flops, specifically the Yellow Box Fusion.  I love this style as a cute and casual option for summer and it comes in a variety of colors too.  You can get a nice price at Shoemall, where they are offered in lime, purple, pink, black or red for $29.99.  Then apply coupon code UPROMISE to take another 15% off, which reduces them to $25.46 with free shipping.  The coupon expires 6/19/10.

There are plenty of additional styles from Yellow Box to choose from, including another polka dot flip flop with a higher wedge heel, the Yellow Box Biloxi.  It comes in pink, yellow or turquoise for $37.95 before the coupon and $32.26 after.

P.S. Be a friend of Fairy Shoe Princess on Facebook!