So…obviously it’s been awhile since I’ve updated the site.  I didn’t intend to stop posting, but the demands of life got pretty intense for me over the holidays: A project at work that required a lot of extra hours and family stuff basically took over.  But, it seems things have calmed down a bit and I really want to get back to something I love: shoes!  And talking about them on this blog!  I plan to get back into the swing of things and I thought answering some shoe questions I recently received would be a good way to start.  You may have noticed the gorgeous Enzo Angiolini Thaddea in purple pictured above - it’s a shoe I loved the first time I saw it, but I also posted it for a more specific reason:  I had a request from Jasmine on Facebook to help find purple / eggplant wedding shoes, preferably with some bling.  These are one of my favorite fancy purple pairs of the moment - I’m loving the feather and gem detail, not to mention the color - and they can be purchased at Lord & Taylor for $129.  Apply coupon code FINAL to get 15% off, making them $109.65 with free shipping (expires 2/7).  They are also available at Nordstrom for $119.95 with free shipping. 

I really like the Enzos, but I also realize that every bride is different in what they envision themselves walking down the aisle in.  Thus, we need options, options, and more options, which works out well because I never mind checking out more pretty purple shoes.  I think the Poetic License Spectacle in purple is a sweet choice.  It has a more classic vibe, but the all-over texture adds extra interest and the bow is bedecked in rhinestones for added bling.  Plus, the heel is just over 3 inches, which is quite moderate compared to many shoes available these days and may translate to additional comfort - avoiding foot pain is an obvious plus on the big day.  The Poetic Licence Spectacle is available at Endless for $60.23, down from $98.  If you spend over $100 on eligible styles, including this pair, you get 20% off through 2/14.

Here are some more dark purple heels I found, in various styles that range from classic to a bit more over-the-top dramatic (or somewhere in-between):

Steve Madden Bitter for $129.95 at Endless.  Get 20% off $100 on this style at checkout through 2/14/12.

RSVP Ramona for $53.40 with free shipping at 6pm.

Badgley Mischka Lissa in purple for $245 with free shipping at Zappos.

RSVP Fleur for $48.30 with free shipping at 6pm.

Bourne Susie for $140.51 with free shipping at Endless.

Paris Hilton Crystal for $99 at Macys.  Apply coupon code RED to get 20% off no minimum and free shipping on $99 or more (expires 2/5/12).

Isola Tate for $66.99 with free shipping at 6pm.

After a nice dose of purple bridal shoes, we’re going to switch gears to something completely different.  I had an email question from Shadae about the shoes above, which were pictured on Tumblr, and where to find them.  I actually recognized them right away because, well, this is the kind of shoe you remember once you lay your eyes on it. 

This is one of Jeffrey Campbell’s latest naughty creations, the heel-less, totally spiked out Jeffrey Campbell Shadow.  It’s definitely packing some serious edge for the fearless fashion lovers among us and can be found in black leather or patent at Karmaloop for $264 (no promo codes apply at this time) or at Solestruck in black leather for $264.95.

On a related note, Solestruck also offers the Jeffrey Campbell Prickly, a mary jane heel-less style in beige or black, for $219.95.

Have a great weekend!

I love Halloween and it’s just around the corner, so it’s definitely time to think about placing an order if you plan to dress up and shop online for your costume and/or accessories.  I don’t dress up in costume every year, but I do occasionally like to go all out and wear a fun getup — my last one was Little Bo Peep with my baby daughter as the sweet little sheep.  So, while browsing around some of the online Halloween stores to check out the latest kids’ costumes, I had to divert over to the women’s Halloween costume shoes to check it out.  One that immediately caught my eye was this pair of teacup heels — too cute!  These shoes have a cup handle on the back of the heel and the back of the shoe actually looks similar to the shape of a cup, despite the open part where the foot goes in, so I think the concept works quite well as a whimsical, unique costume shoe for a Wonderland / Queen of Hearts type of theme.  Perhaps something along these lines, if you’re feeling extra saucy:

You can find the Teacup Shoes for $37.99 and the Queen of Hearts costume for $59.99 at CostumeSuperCenter.com.  Coupon code OCT40 takes 15% off $40 or more (exp. 10/31).  You can also find the shoes at BuyCostumes.com for $39.99 and coupon code TREAT15 takes 15% off through today, 10/6/11.

After being a bit MIA around here the past week, I had to get back in the swing of things, literally, with this swinging little boot.  The Luichiny High Life stood out to me when I saw it at Endless and it’s not just because of the fringe detail — let’s face it, we’ve seen many fringe boots before — but it’s the longer fringe that hangs around the ankle, which adds an interesting element of movement.  I don’t know if you’ve ever seen someone walking down the street in this type of fringed shoe before, but I’ve found that I really like the the look of swaying fringe in motion: it’s what you might call dynamic.  I also like that this pair is quite moderately priced for a new fall boot – $134.95 with free shipping in red or black (plus a discount, see below).  Since bold colors, particularly red, are on-trend for fall, it would certainly be easy to get tempted by the fiery hue of the pair pictured above, but I’m personally gravitating towards black in this case:

The reason?  I imagine pairing these with black tights or leggings for the streamlined, flattering look that solid black on the bottom tends to provide, particularly when working with oft tricky mid-calf styles, but you still have the added visual interest of the fringe detail.  Oh, and the cute little heart on the bottom (of either pair) doesn’t hurt either:

Find the Luichiny High Life at Endless for $134.95 and get an extra 20% off your total for a limited time while Endless takes 20% off $100 or more in eligible fall styles.  The expiration date for this offer is not provided; however, if it is still valid, you will see it listed on the product page and the discount will apply automatically during checkout.

Happy Monday!

Ahhh, Aldo, I love you for this shoe.  The moment I saw the Aldo Hafen, I knew it was right up my alley.  Star detail on shoes tends to get me every time but, of course, it has to be done right — and this is a good example of that.  This is the kind of shoe that will add a fun and playful touch to your look, but it definitely doesn’t come across as overly cutesy – no, this is decidedly grown up and fabulous.  Plus, the black and metallic combo is incredibly versatile, which is always a welcome benefit.  The Aldo Hafen is available at Aldo.com for $100 and you can use coupon code getlucky75985 to score an additional 15% off, which makes them $85 with free shipping (exp 12/11/11).

Update: A sequin version of the Aldo Hafen is now also available for $100 at Aldo.com.  Love it!

Have a wonderful weekend!

It’s Labor Day weekend, so it’s time to take a break from work (woo hoo!), give summer it’s last hurrah (um, wow, already?), and bring on the sales (score!).  Shoe sales for Labor Day are always pretty great because we’re in transition from one season to the next, so there’s definitely some rock-bottom prices on remaining spring and summer styles, but you can also snag a discount on those fresh new fall arrivals you’ve had your eye on.  So, if you’re ready for some shoe shopping, here are some noteworthy sales going on this weekend:

American Eagle is taking 40% off sitewide when you apply coupon code 28678011 at checkout.  That’s definitely a much bigger discount than we normally see from AE and you can even apply it to clearance shoes that are already as low as $9.99 before the coupon.  If you’re thinking ahead to fall, shop the latest women’s shoes, like the AEO Wedge Boot.  It’s $79.50 before the code and $47.70 after.  The coupon expires 9/5/11 and certain brands, like Minnetonka, are excluded.

Over at Steve Madden, get 30% off your order when you enter FALL30 at checkout.  This code doesn’t apply to clearance; however, clearance shoes do enjoy an additional 50% off right now (prices reflect discount) and I’m seeing a bunch of really low prices, even many options under $30.  One new style I’m checking out is the Steve Madden Stonned, which is $149.95 before the 30% off coupon and $104.96 after.  The code expires 9/11/11.

Shop the sale shoes at LuLu’s and get another 25% off when you use coupon 25onSALE at checkout.  The Jeffrey Campbell Foxy Fab in taupe floral is marked down from $129 to $87, then it falls to $65.25 after the code.  The coupon expires 9/5/11.

Famous Footwear is having a BOGO sale, where the second pair of shoes purchased is 50% off, and you also get another 20% off when coupon code LABORDAY is applied in-cart.  Of course, the 20% off can be used on one pair if desired, but you can definitely rack up the savings using the BOGO offer in combination with the code, especially since sale items are included in the offer.  For example, the Madden Girl Cleary in red is on sale for $49.99 (originally $54.99) and when you add the Madden Girl Cluelezz leopard colorblock pump, also $49.99, you can get both for $59.99.  Shipping is free on three or more pairs of shoes and the coupon expires 9/10/11.

More shoes on sale for Labor Day:

Macy’s: Extra 25% off clearance shoes (prices reflect discount), plus another 10% off with coupon code FALL through 9/5/11.  The coupon also applies to regular women’s shoes.

Shoes.com: Extra 25% off sale shoes with coupon code 25SALE through 9/6/11.

Lord & Taylor: 25% off clearance shoes and 20% off regular and sale shoes with coupon code LDAY through 9/6/11. 

Last Call by Neiman Marcus: 25% off women’s shoes and more at checkout, plus free shipping on $50 or more via code LABORDAY through 9/6/11.

All of these offers may have exclusions and are subject to change at any time.

Enjoy your Labor Day weekend!

You may remember my mention of the Chinese Laundry Mod Squad awhile back and my admiration of the unique curvy heel, which you might describe as a teardrop-shaped wedge cutout.  Or, you might call it an “abstract heel”, which is how the shoe pictured above is described.  Whatever you call it, this heel style is now available in a different form: the Sole Boutique Tully, which can be found at Karmaloop.  With this pair, you get the very cool sculptural look of the heel, plus you incorporate one of the hottest trends for fall, which (in case you haven’t noticed) is leopard print.  It’s also nice that this shoe is very affordably priced: Get it for $45 at Karmaloop and score free shipping on new arrivals with coupon code FREERUN through 9/30/11.  More color options are available:

Sole Boutique Tully in black

Sole Boutique Tully in taupe

The Chinese Laundry Mod Squad in turquoise, black or fuschia is also still available at Chinese Laundry for $129.95 with free shipping, although the fuschia color is really low on size selection at this point.

End-of-season sales are a mecca for a bargain-hunters like our friend Cheap Chick, who loves to find cute shoes on the cheap.  First, I have to point out that the use of the word ”cheap” on this blog only refers to the price of the shoes (simply defined as under $25) because anything beyond that — looks, quality, etc – is really a matter of personal preference.  However, it does help to find shoes that are not only low in price, but also come from recognizable brand names that are normally much more expensive.  That’s what Cheap Chick found in the Piperlime Final Sale and it’s also when things get really fun, like when you come across something like the Sam Edelman Magdalena (pictured above) with a retail price of $150 marked down to just $19.97 with free shipping in gray or whiskey/black.  That’s an unusually low price for this brand and I’m not seeing this particular style for less than around $80 anywhere else right now (Update 8/20: The price of the whiskey/black version was just increased to $39.95).  Want more?  Here are some additional name brand sandals and heels under $25 at Piperlime:

Seychelles Pickford for $24.97 with free shipping (retail $99).

Steve Madden Glistenn in black and 3 more color options for $24.97 with free shipping (retail $90).

Naughty Monkey Shinner in grey for $24.99 with free shipping (retail $89).  Sizes are getting a bit limited.

Report Ledger for $24.97 with free shipping (retail $90).

DV by Dolce Vita Siren for $24.97 with free shipping (retail $90).

Matiko Blake for $19.97 in black or white (retail $195).

Mia Biscotti in natural or black for $19.97 (retail $59).  The Naughty Monkey Divine in grey is a similar style for the same price (retail $99).

This is merely a sampling — there are tons of options at various price points in Piperlime’s Final Sale.  Note that returns are not allowed for these styles and prices are subject to change.

Update: Many more shoes under $25 can be found in the Steve Madden clearance sale, where prices are currently reduced by an extra 50% through 9/2/11 (the price listed has the discount applied).  There are quite a few priced under $20!