A wedge heel is like a blank canvas, perfect for adding all sorts of embellishments in order to dress it up and make it fancy.  Naughty Monkey has certainly made full use of the wedge space with one of their new styles, the Naughty Monkey Joshua Tree.  I’m admiring the mix of various studs, decorative stitching, and espadrille trim adorning this heel, all of which add plenty of visual interest, but I also like the neutral color palette that keeps it super-versatile.  But, if a bit of extra color is what you’re craving, this pair also comes in orange and a taupe version, which has orange accents in the heel:

The best price I’m seeing right now for the Naughty Monkey Joshua Tree is at Heels.com, where they are offered for $84.99 with free 2-day shipping.  Endless also has this style for $89.95 with free overnight shipping.

Chinese Laundry always offers plenty of hot shoes, but I’m particularly loving some of their recent arrivals for summer.  The colorful kicks I’m checking out right now definitely strike me as being ready-made for a little weekend play.  The candy-colored cutie pictured above is one of the styles I’m talking about — it’s the Chinese Laundry Lightning for $129.95.  Clearly there are plenty of others loving it too because it’s already close to being sold out, but it’s certainly one to put on the radar for more stock or availability (I don’t see it sold anywhere else at the moment).  But, there are more shoes that caught my eye, so let’s check it out:

The stock photo displayed for the Chinese Laundry Mod Squad definitely doesn’t tell the whole story on this style.  It might easily be overlooked as just a regular patent slingback pump, but you have to check out the side view (and the additional color options):

How cool is that heel??  You also have to see it being worn in some of their promotional shots for the full effect:

So.Loving.It.  These are priced at $129.95.

Then we have these super-stylin’ Chinese Laundry Back Seat booties.  I’m all about a pop of color, so these are totally up my alley.  Get them in blue or pink and rock them out for $149.95.

To save on your order, apply coupon code CL15REG323 to get 15% off regularly-priced shoes through 6/30/11.

It was reunion time again this week for The Real Housewives of Orange County, which always means getting dolled up and totally breaking out the claws.  That’s exactly what the OC ladies did for the 2-part special, which included finger pointing, name calling, accusations, walking off the stage — basically everything we’ve come to expect from these get togethers.  Even host Andy was particularly on his game, asking all of the hard-hitting questions and totally calling the Housewives out when they tried to pull a non-answer on him.  He’s so tough.  Love Andy.

The Housewives all donned high heels to dish out the theatrics, but it was Gretchen Rossi’s sparkly ankle cuff sandals that probably stood out the most.  She wore them with a gorgeous pink Lipsy one shoulder dress and, I must say, this seems to be one of her favorite pairs of shoes because she also wore them for a Watch What Happens Live appearance, which I posted about after finding the shoes by request.  The Report Signature Vanderbuilt (pictured above from Endless, also listed in a different spelling as the Report Signature Vanderbilt at Bluefly) appears to be silver, but it’s actually covered in ivory beads.  Definitely a super-hot heel, but also completely sold out online.  If you like the black version, I noticed a few pairs for sale on eBay.  You can also check out my previous post on Gretchen’s reunion shoes for some similar alternatives.

Photo from Bravotv.com

It’s Monday, so let’s get a little wild today courtesy of Jeffrey Campbell.  The brand never disappoints when it comes to outrageous shoe styles and, once I spotted the Jeffrey Campbell Jumper at Lori’s Shoes, I had to discuss JC’s latest archless creation here.  Like the Jeffrey Campbell Benched I mentioned before, the Jumper has a large cutout in the middle of the footbed, where the arch of your foot lies.  I’ve managed to wrap my head around the idea that the arch of your foot won’t know what’s missing when the shoe is constructed in a certain way, but wowza these babies are tall.  The heel measures 6.25″ and the platform is 2.5″, which is plenty of height to make one feel high and mighty when wearing them, but the net effect on the foot is under 4″, which isn’t too bad.  Then there’s the long t-strap, the orange leather, the wide ankle strap…it’s quite the statement shoe.  Impress your friends who don’t know by telling them the shoe causes your arch to magically levitate, David Blaine style.  Then, really impress your friends by actually jumping in the Jumper.  That would be something.

You can find this style at Lori’s Shoes for $184.

We have a super-sweet sale to talk about today and it’s going down at Last Call by Neiman Marcus.  Until tomorrow only, you can get an extra 40% off any one regularly-priced item, which includes their large selection of designer shoes.  But, don’t forget, this is Neiman Marcus’ outlet site, so these items are already discounted off their original retail price even before you get the extra savings.  And, even though you’ll see many styles marked as ”Plus 30% off” while browsing, I noticed that the larger 40% discount is applied to the highest-priced item once you add the shoes to your cart and any additional items in your order are 30% off as part of their concurrent Fun in the Sun sale.  That makes brands like Dolce Vita, L.A.M.B., Charles Jourdan, Pour La Victoire, Rock and Republic, Beverly Feldman (and many more) much more affordable than they normally are.  For instance, the L.A.M.B. Kai Mesh Pump pictured above retails for $295 and is marked down to $225, but falls even further to $135 after getting 40% off in-cart, which is a discount of over 50%.  Let’s check out a few more examples, each with the extra 40% one item discount applied to the price listed:

L.A.M.B. Keagon woven pump in light grey for $147 (retail $325). Also available in black or white.

Dolce Vita Vanni for $95.40 (retail $220).

Dolce Vita North in gold, silver or black for $75 (retail $200).

Seychelles Rogers for $53.40 (retail $100).  Also available in black/white gingham and another floral combo.

Pour La Victoire Vanna in luggage or black for $119.40 (retail $296).

Beverly Feldman Hurray polka dot flat for $69 (retail $170).

To sweeten the deal even more, apply coupon code LCJUNEFS at checkout to get free shipping with no minimum (exp. 6/15/11).

The 40% off one item sale expires 6/9/11 and 30% discount applies until 6/13/11.

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Lately I’ve really been crushing on shoes in various shades of light blue.  I’ve always loved the lighter side of blue, but these shades haven’t been too terribly common when it comes to footwear.  That’s why I’ve been happy to see more and more styles available in gorgeous shades of soft blue that range from pale baby hues to bolder aqua pastels.  These are colors that generally have a cool, calming effect when you look at them, much like gazing at a clear sky or tropical ocean might do, and they tend to convey a fresh, clean look.  One fine speciman is the Jeffrey Campbell Garett, available at Envishoes for $144.95, which combines aqua suede and a Valentino-esque bow with dark blue and light green accents.  This is one of my favorites, but there are definitely more to consider, so let’s it check out:

Aldo Frankenberg sandals with a crisp pop of blue for $110 at Aldo.com.

Rachel Roy Zahira in light blue for $119 at rachelroy.com.

Pour La Victoire Irina in aqua for $179.99 with free 2-day shipping at Endless.

Sole Boutique Mamie for $70 at Karmaloop.

Jeffrey Campbell Shy Town for $148 at Lori’s Shoes.

Jeffrey Campbell Tick in light blue for $180 at Karmaloop.

I’m loving all of the above, but if you really want to make a statement with aqua blue, you mix it with fiery shades of pink and orange à la the Jeffrey Campbell Munroe.  With its unabashedly bright color palette and extra-bold styling (love the two-toned platform!), this shoe definitely has the makings of a quintessential fun summer shoe.  Find them at Lori’s Shoes for $140 or at Envishoes for $144.95.

Note: To get a discount on Karmaloop orders, use coupon code SAVE20 to get 20% off $100 and free shipping (first time users only) or try ROCKIT for 15% off $75 (expiration unknown).  For Aldo orders, use 349147751 to get 10% off (expiration unknown).

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Lady Gaga: Always blending in

It’s really getting down to the wire on American Idol now that only four contestants remain, at least until the results show tonight when it will be whittled down to just three.  It’s really hard to predict who will go home this week since they are all so good in their own ways, but I have to admit that I’m on Team Haley and Team Lauren right now (go ladies!).  The Idol hopefuls definitely have their game face on at this point in the competition, but we also have some shoes sharing the spotlight, like Lauren Alaina’s platform sandals that she wore while singing the Martina McBride song “Do It Anyway”.  I really enjoyed the performance and how she dedicated it to the people affected by the tornadoes that hit the South recently, but it was also great when Steven Tyler called her shoes out while judging her rendition of the song and said he loved her buckles.  Too funny, that guy.  Here’s a pic of Miss Lauren and said buckle shoes:

I had a hunch that these were Bebe, since we’ve seen Lauren in Bebe on the show a few times before, and that was confirmed via StyleList; however, I can’t locate the exact style.  It may be one that was previously available and sold out or one that is soon to be available (or maybe I’m just completely missing it!), but here are a couple of options I found for a similar overall look:

Mark + James Makayla for $225 with free overnight shipping at Endless.  Get 20% off $100 with coupon code MAYEVENT (exp. 5/12/11).

Bebe Austin for $110 at Macy’s.  Get an extra $10 off $50, $20 off $100, $30 off $150 or $50 off $200 in-cart, making these $90 if purchased without other items (exp. 5/12/11).

While Lauren’s towering platform sandals are dramatic enough for many people, this kind of shoe is mere child’s play for Lady Gaga, who mentored the contestants this week.  Gaga’s choice of footwear for the show has sparked some controversy across the net and it’s not because they are extraordinarily high (as you can see above) – it’s because the clear lucite heel of her shoes is in the shape of a certain part of the, ahem, male anatomy.  This is what she wore:

Leave it to Gaga to bring on the shock value with her provacative Void of Course shoes, which are said to cost around $4,500 (note that content/images at the link may be explicit).  Now, I’m not the type to get worked up by such things and you couldn’t see any detail on the shoes while watching the show (producers made sure of that).  But, even so, when you’re making an appearance on a family-centric show like American Idol, it probably isn’t the best time to bust out your best man parts shoes.  Just sayin’.

Photos from American Idol and Void of Course blog.

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