If you’re all about some heavy metal detail on your shoes, you definitely need to check out the styles from Hades Shoes (also known as Metropolis Alternative).  The Hades Shoes Predator (pictured above) instantly grabbed my attention when I came across it on Amazon recently because, let’s face it, it’s not every day you see a heel with metallic spine-like detail going all the way down the back (not to mention spikes on the platform).

Now, clearly these aren’t shoes made for blending in.  These are meant for showcasing a strong and assertive vibe with a healthy dose of rebellion kicked in.  And, if you seriously coveted those DSquared Spine Shoes, but couldn’t get your hands on them, these shoes provide a similarly skeletal alternative for a much lower price.  Find them at Amazon for $109.99 with several additional color options available.  The Hades Shoes Ripley is the peep-toe version.

Another standout is the Hades Shoes Eiffle, which features custom metal hardware with bolts and gears, making it look like the inner workings of some type of machinery, but placed on the outside of the shoe for a unique effect.

This one actually reminds me of the Alexander McQueen Titanic pump with similar metal detail, but this pair delivers that edgy, industrial aesthetic for a much lower price of $127.99.  Again, there are more colors to choose from and the peep toe version is the Steampunk Pump.

For even more styles, check out all of the Metropolis Alternative / Hades Shoes at Amazon.

Have an amazing weekend!

Update: Hades Shoes are also now available at Shoebuy.com.

I’ve always really admired the eclectic approach taken by Irregular Choice, but I have to say they are slaying it with some of their new fall styles for 2011.  I mean, please, check this shoe out: The Irregular Choice Mayhem, possibly the crown jewel of their current collection –  shoes with wings that I find completely amazing.  I do see a likely Alexander McQueen influence here — you can see some McQueen wing shoes from fall 2010 pictured over at Nitrolicious — but it’s definitely their own unique interpretation of the look, plus they don’t run thousands of dollars in price.  There’s also a black version:

There are so many cool details on this shoe: a stylized silver wing topped with actual feathers, a fuzzy “calf hair” effect on the platform and heel, sparkly detail on both the outside of the shoe and the insole — basically these are blowing my mind right now.  I mean, really, what kind of life adventure could winged heels take you on?  The sky is the limit.

If you love them too, find them at Irregular Choice in red or black for $195.  Update: You can also find them at Must Have Shoes in red or black for the same price.

Lord and Taylor is having a sale on a sale with their latest coupon and I’m seeing some extra-good savings on shoes already-reduced in price.  You can opt to get an extra 15% off regular or sale styles by applying coupon code STYLE at checkout, but the real bargains are found in the clearance shoes section, which enjoy an even higher extra 25% off discount using the same code.  As an example of the savings, the Elie Taharie Chelsea sandal (pictured above) retails for $398 and is marked down to $139.99, but falls even further to $104.99 at checkout after the code.  But, be forewarned that many of these shoes have few sizes left (the Elie Taharie pair only has three as of this posting), so you might want to pick your size at the top before browsing the options.  Here are some more shoes I found in the sale that still have a wide selection of size options:

The Steve Madden Minnii in blush for black retails for $129, is on sale for $49.99, and drops to $37.49 after code.

The Bourne Josephine in animal print or ivory retails for $238, is on sale for $89.99, and is reduced to $67.49 after code.

The Poetic Licence Exclusive Delight in red retails for $98, is on sale for $69.99, and falls to $52.49 after code.  It also comes in purple, but only one size is left in that color.

The Enzo Angiolini Romario in black retails for $89.99, is on sale for $34.99, and is reduced to $26.24 after code.  You can also get it in green or denim.

See the entire selection of clearance shoes for more options.  The coupon expires 8/22/11 and exclusions may apply.

Leopard and other animal prints are unquestionably huge for fall and we’re seeing many shoe options that incorporate the trend right now, but I definitely appreciate this particular take on it.  The RACHEL Rachel Roy Chrissta has the whole animalistic look going on, but with a twist: it pops in bold purple and shades of blue and green. 

Then you have the hanging spike detail in the back, which is a unique touch that gives it even more of a primal vibe.  I must say, it’s appealing to my natural instincts for sure.

You can find this style at Macy’s for $120 and apply coupon code SCORE15 to get 15% off, making the total $102 with free shipping.  The coupon expires 8/7/11.

As I mentioned in Part 1 of my Shoes Seen On TV posts, I have even more hot shoes from the small screen to talk about, so let’s just jump right into Part 2, shall we?  Pictured above, we have Rose Byrne, who went on Chelsea Lately wearing some statement-making stunners that Chelsea Handler complimented right away when Rose walked out.  I most definitely recognized the Kirkwood aesthetic going on:

Rose wore the Nicholas Kirkwood Lace-Up Lace Platform Sandal, which can be found at Bergdorf for a whopping $1,195.  These are ah-mazing, but definitely not a viable option for every budget.  To get a style that’s comparable, but much less expensive, check out this pair:

The Sole Boutique Sydney is certainly Kirkwood-inspired with the similar silhouette and crisscross lace detail in the front, but it differs with its trendy cutout platform and even higher heel: 6 inches (wowza) compared to the 5 1/3 inches on the Kirkwoods.  You can find these at Karmaloop for $50 and coupon code 10OFF takes $10 off for a limited time.

Moving right along to The Real Housewives, where my little eye can always spy some fab footwear — the New York reunion show was no exception.  Now, these reunions are all about stirring up a little controversy but, I must say, some of the “mean girl” behavior went a little far this time (I’m looking at you brunettes! Yeah, ok, Ramona too).  However, the ladies always play it nice when it comes to their reunion fashion and I particularly liked Jill Zarin’s look, which included gorgeous lace bow heels.  They appear to be this pair:

The Valentino Bow Trim Lace Pump is $885 at Nordstrom, but here are some similarly lacey options that come in at much less:

The Chinese Laundry Hotline in black, which is $70 at Bakers.

The Paris Hilton Senorita in lace for $94.99 with free shipping at Heels.com.

Now a final question: Have you seen any shoes on TV lately that made you swoon?  Do share!

As a shoe lover, I’m always checking out the shoes people wear on TV while I’m catching up with some of my fave shows.  Of course, most people making an appearance on the small screen are wearing shoes of some kind, but there are definitely those that stand out way more than others.  Here are a few designer styles that grabbed my attention in a big way while surfing the tube recently, plus I’ve also tracked down some alternatives that provide a similar look for less:

E!’s Giuliana Rancic stopped by Chelsea Lately with her hubbie Bill (pictured at very top) in some very hot and super-blingy shoes, just to prove that our obsession with sparkle isn’t going to fade anytime soon.  She wore the Giuseppe Zanotti E10089 to chat it up with Chelsea and, I must say, being up on that stage seriously lit up the crystals all over this pair.  I couldn’t find these for sale online in black, like she’s wearing, but I did find the above picture of them at Zappos.  The blush pair on the right is available in a few sizes at Endless for $851.48 (regularly $1,495) and they also have a limited-time promotion that takes 25% off select sandals at checkout.  If my calculations are correct, that would drop them to about $638.61 with free shipping, which is a pretty sweet price for this luxe style, but still quite a chunk of change.  Here are some less expensive options:

If you like the blush color, this is an obvious choice for a lookalike version, although the studs clearly aren’t as shiny and bright.  You can find the Wild Pair Glisten in light tan for $185 at Bakers.

The Jeffrey Campbell Rally is another option with similar qualities.  Reflection has them for sale in black for $149.99 with free shipping.

Update: The Steve Madden Stonned is also a good choice for getting this look for less.  It comes in black, blush or blue for $149.95.

Speaking of sparkle, Denise Richards showed off her glow in glitter while appearing on Watch What Happens Live.  These appear to be Christian Louboutin Lady heels, although it may be the crystal-covered version rather than glitter.  They’re totally Andy Cohen-approved (he complimented them on the show) and definitely drool-worthy (seriously, I’m drooling).  They’re $895 in glitter, but I did find some less expensive options that still offer plenty of flash:

I’m loving the Badgley Mischka Humbie II, which looks extra sparkly to me.  They’re $200 with free shipping at Endless.

There’s also the Lauren Jones Vicki silver glitter pump, which is $98.95 with free shipping at Endless. 

Up next? Shoes Seen On TV Part 2!  Stay tuned.

When Kate Middleton married Prince William earlier this year, it was a beautiful fairy-tale wedding and I loved her dress, but I have to admit I was disappointed when we couldn’t get a good look at her shoes.  I’m not sure when or how I thought Kate would be able to show us her shoes, given that they were well-concealed under her full-length gown, but I did hope for a better glimpse.  Fast-forward a few months later and my little shoe wish has come true now that Kate’s Alexander McQueen dress, heels, and more items from the royal wedding are on display at a Buckingham Palace exhibition.  The custom lace shoes Kate wore are pictured above and, much like her gown, they are classic and elegant.  They also appear deceptively simple, but all of those tiny little stitches were done by hand and there’s no telling how long they took to make.  In light of Kate’s shoes making an official appearance, I decided to find some lace wedding shoes for those who want a similar look when marrying their own Prince Charming — or for anyone who wants to incorporate the feminine look of lace into their wardrobe.  Let’s take a look:

The Stuart Weitzman Laceswoon has a similar silhouette in ivory lace.  Find these at Zappos on sale for $255.50 with free shipping (retail $365).

BridalShoes.com has the Touch Ups Bobbie in ivory, which is also similar, but costs less at $74.  The Touch Ups Catalina is a peep toe style in lace and it’s priced at $72.  Note that both will be available in August.

My personal lace fave is the Chinese Laundry Hotline, which has bolder styling with the higher platform and bow detail.  You can find these at Endless in ivory or black for $69 with free overnight shipping.  If you spend $80 or more on your order, you’ll get $25 off automatically at checkout for a limited time.  Shoemall has it for $69.95 and if you buy one item, you’ll get 30% off your second with coupon code BOGO through 7/30/11.  Chinese Laundry also has it for $89.95.

Top image from dailymail.co.uk