I’ve been watching the Christian Siriano for Payless collection for awhile and I, like many others, had to rant on how toned down the shoes ended up being compared to the runway shoes once they were available for sale (you can see those posts here and here).  For example, the first blue shoe pictured above was translated into this:

It’s ok, but not what you would call Christian Siriano “fierce”, right?  So, I was glad to hear on The Cut that Payless did end up releasing the straight-from-the-runway versions of Siriano’s shoes and I had to go check them out for myself.  And guess what?  They are practically sold out already!  They might be completely gone by the time I post this considering there is only one size left in the All Done Up Mary Jane Pump (pictured in the middle).  The limited-edition shoes are priced higher-than-usual for Payless at $79.99 each, but these sold a lot quicker than the toned down pairs.  I have to say, way to go Payless! 

Update 3/13/10: They are now completely sold out.

Now I’m hoping they’ll do the same for the Christian Siriano Fall 2010 collection.  You can see those shoes at Nitrolicious.  Update: We have word that select fall 2010 runway styles will be sold at Payless in September for under $50.

I was checking out the shoes at Payless today and noticed some new Christian Siriano for Payless spring styles are now available.  Just like we saw with his Fall 2009 collection, the shoes are much different from those that were shown on the runway.  The pictures above, found on Zimbio.com, were seen in September 2009 during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week and they feature claw heels, super-high platforms and edgy embellishments, like large, shiny buckles and straps.  Here are the shoes (or some of them) now:

Christian Siriano for Payless Coast Printed Satin Pump in blue for $34.99

Christian Siriano for Payless Coast Printed Satin Pump in orange for $34.99

Christian Siriano for Payless Downtown Zip Sandal in snake or black for $34.99

As you can see, all of the details that made these shoes interesting on the runway are absent and the only real similarity is the fabric.  I can understand toning things down for the masses and the need to keep the shoes affordable by keeping production costs down, but then I have to wonder why the shoes are shown on the runway in the first place.  Sure, they create plenty of buzz, but the typical Payless customer may not know about the runway shoes, or even who Christian Siriano is for that matter.  I thought these collections were aimed to gain a different kind of customer - i.e. one who does pay attention to Fashion Week and what designers are doing and who may not normally shop at Payless.  This kind of customer might be willing to buy these shoes, even at a higher price, if some of the original elements were retained that made the shoes edgy and unique.  Maybe the claw heel is too extreme for Payless, but they could have raised the platform and made the toe more pointy, which surely couldn’t raise costs by that much.  That’s my 2-cents, what do you think of the shoes?

One thing you can call these shoes is affordable, particularly right now during the Payless BOGO sale, which takes 50% off your second pair until 2/15/10, including the Christian Siriano for Payless shoes.  You can also get another 20% off with coupon code 30445 until 2/28/10.  That makes any two of the above pairs $41.99 total with $5.95 extra for shipping or free shipping to your local store.

Update: The original runway shoes became available for sale at Payless, but are now sold out.  See the latest post here.

Pay even less at Payless right now during their current BOGO shoe sale, which takes 50% off your second pair until 2/15/10.  The savings get even better when you apply coupon code 20437 at checkout, which takes another 20% off your total.  For example, you can get the $29.99 limited-edition Christian Siriano for Payless Saunter Flat (above) and add the $29.99 Lela Rose for Payless Hampton Pump (below) and one pair will drop to $15 after the BOGO savings.  The coupon takes another $9 off, making both pairs $35.99 total.  Choose the free ship to store option to save on shipping, which is regularly $5.95.  Coupon expires 1/31/10.

Happy New Year’s!  With 2010 mere hours away, it’s that time of year when everyone thinks about the upcoming year and what it holds.  Of course, we also like to take a moment to look back at 2009 and all of the crazy, interesting and otherwise memorable events that happened throughout the year.  Shoes are no exception.  There’s always something new going on in the world of footwear and we definitely had plenty to talk about in the past year.  So, before we jump into 2010, let’s take one more look at some of the notable shoe news of 2009.  I’m also going to share a few of my own shoe purchases.  Each can be classified as a high or a low, as you will see here:

High: The number of survey respondents that reportedly remember their first pair of shoes over their first kiss, reported by Telegraph UK.  92% off 1,000 women say they remember the first shoes they bought with their own money, but less than 2 in 3 (which I guess would be around 67% or less) remembered the name of the person they first smooched.  Personally, I’m a bit skeptical.  As much as I love shoes, I’m a little vague about the first pair I bought.  I had a part-time job at 16 and, back then, I often had the luxury of devoting entire paychecks (albeit small ones) to clothes and shoes.  I think it may have been these brown leather MIA platform sandals that I loved and wore and wore until I could wear them no more, but I’m not certain.  I definitely remember the name of the person I first kissed though, so I must be in the minority on this one.

Low: The amount Titan Industries Inc. reportedly paid to buy shoe company Penny & Kenny Shoes LLC, who filed for bankruptcy earlier this year.  There was a motion filed to sell all company assets for $150,000, including the Penny Loves Kenny trademark.  While that’s a lot of money for the average individual, it seems like a bargain for Titan, whose mix of brands include Betsey Johnson, L.A.M.B., Bebe and Badgley Mischka.  Penny Loves Kenny will provide a “purely juniors” brand to their lineup, something they lacked before.

High: Despite a struggling economy, people are still buying shoes.  There are a few theories on why we’re still seeing strong sales in this area: shoes are generally considered more of a necessity than things like new handbags or dresses, they are often more moderately priced and have a lower cost-per-wear than other purchases and they can instantly spruce up an older outfit.  Of course, they also make us feel good and women “get an emotional lift from shoe shopping in a way they do not when trying on jeans and cocktail dresses.”  Eileen Lewis of Zappos also notes that many consumers are purchasing shoes in bright colors like red and yellow, which can provide an uplifting boost.

Low: The infamous Barbie cankle comment made by Christian Louboutin, who has partnered with Mattel to “serve as a yearlong godfather to Barbie, not just rethinking her fashion wardrobe and physical attributes, but also art directing her in different lifelike situations”.  Actually, I don’t think he ever used the word “cankle”, but a Louboutin spokesperson said “He found her ankles were too fat,” which sparked a frenzy across the net.  Many Barbies laughed it off, but unfortunately one Barbie didn’t react so well to the news:

Her beau Ken wasn’t too happy either…

Louboutin later clarified, saying “…fat ankles she didn’t have, she just could have had thinner ankles.  That’s all.” and Barbie was somewhat consoled.  Luckily, all was completely forgiven when she saw the Barbie shoes he designed and the ultra-pink pair he made for real-life dolls, the Christian Louboutin Claudia:

High: Speaking of Louboutin, I’d say the shoe of the year would have to be his Bridget Strass:

It’s been seen on a multitude of celebrities, featured in the upcoming Sex and the City 2 movie, worn by Kandi on The Real Housewives of Atlanta reunion and by Jennifer Lopez in the AMA and MTV Music Video Awards performances of her song “Louboutins”.  This shoe is definitely hot, for good reason. 

Update: Check out the Christian Louboutin Bridget lookalike shoe that I found.

Low: J.Lo’s said new song “Louboutins”, which I’m not really feeling.  Theoretically, a song about Louboutins could work, but the execution of this one seems a bit off.  All I seem to hear is ”part-time lover” mentioned a few times, followed by a repetitive string of “Louboutins” - 45 times to be exact.  It’s the type of song with the potential to get hopelessly stuck in your head.  Apparently, Christian Louboutin loves the song and was flattered to hear about it, but I have to wonder - was this song simply born out of Lopez’s love for the shoes or was it a brand placement deal struck between her and Louboutin?  After all, having a song featuring his brand name would serve to further entrench his shoes into pop culture, thus furthering his quest for world domination:

Yes, I’m totally speculating, but you never know.

High: The buzz generated by Alexander McQueen Spring 2010 shoes, which had to be the most talked about shoes of the year.  I’m sure it’s hard for designers to continuously come up with new and different shoes that stand out, but these certainly did.  Although they don’t seem very wearable in real life, it’s no surprise that extreme dresser Lady Gaga was one of the first to don them, in her video for “Bad Romance”.

High: The number of celebrities jumping on the shoe design bandwagon.  Victoria Beckham, Heidi Klum, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen (Olsenboye for JCPenney and Elizabeth and James), Dinah Lohan, Fergie, Nicole Richie and more celebs either started shoe lines or announced them in 2009.  Plus, Britney Spears promoted for Candies and designers like Christian Siriano and Jimmy Choo created lines for budget-friendly Payless and H&M, respectively.  Now we have news that Lindsay Lohan will be expanding her 6126 leggings label to include a full-line of apparel, cosmetics, handbags, jewelry and, yes, shoes.

Now, here’s a few shoes I purchased this year that I’d like to share:

Low: The price I paid for this Betsey Johnson Layla heel, which I adore.  They originally retailed for $225, but I happened to spot them on clearance at Victoria’s Secret, inconspicuously listed as “floral sandal”.  They were listed for $89.99 at the time and they had a 20% off coupon, which I missed, but they were later marked down to $79.99, which was much lower than I ever saw anywhere else.  I opted for the black version, figuring it would work with more outfits, but I still kind of covet the pink pair.  Unfortunately, it appears they are sold out everywhere online.

High: The amount of shoe love I have for this Naughty Monkey Resurrection heel, which I purchased in champagne.  I got a good deal on these as well because Shoemall briefly had a 30% off coupon, which reduced them from $74.99 to $52.47.  They are really pretty, particularly the detail on the back, and they are still available (sizes are very limited in champagne and red).  Coupon code 15AMAZON takes 15% off.

High: My neon yellow shoes from Wet Seal.  Ok, I admit it, I actually got these because I was inspired by an extra wearing a similar pair in the N.E.R.D. video “Everyone Nose (All The Girls Standing In The Line For The Bathroom)”.  I had a hard time finding anything like them at the time, but spotted this pair on clearance at Wet Seal for a mere $5, so I figured I had nothing much to lose.  I didn’t expect the quality to be high or anything, but the main issue is they are so, so uncomfortable, like right when you put them on.  I also tried them on with a few things and nothing seemed to look right.  Thus, I haven’t worn them at all.  So, why am I calling this a high?

There is one little shoe princess who has a penchant for raiding closets and happens to love this pair.  It tends to be the one she picks out nearly everytime she feels like dressing up, which I suppose is because they are super-bright and shiny and very yellow, which immediately attracts her eye.  Of course, she usually wears them for a very short time and abandons them after they slow her down a little too much.  But, I must say, it’s been priceless to watch her clomp around the house in them.

I happened to try them on with some black leggings and it finally worked.  Someday, if the right mood and occasion somehow meet, I’ll probably wear them…just as long as I’m not doing any walking.

I hope everyone has a fabulous New Year and here’s to plenty more shoe buzz in 2010!

Project Runway winner Christian Siriano was on Oprah recently and they offered viewers a special, limited-time Payless coupon good for 50% off any purchase.  The coupon is for in-store purchases only and you can get it for yourself by going to Oprah.com and downloading the coupon or texting OPRAHSHOW to the number 242424 to receive a coupon code and more details digitally that you can show in-store.  You can apply it to the Christian Siriano for Payless collection or any other shoes Payless offers at your local store.  Hurry and get the coupon for yourself before it expires 10/30/09.

You may recall the news earlier this year that Christian Siriano of Project Runway would introduce a new line for discount shoe retailer Payless, as reported here by The Cut.  As you can see from the Fashion Week photos, these shoes aren’t your typical pair of Payless kicks.  In fact, The Cut worried that they might be too similar to Rodarte from a few seasons back.  Well, that may have been the least of their worries.  Fast-forward to this month and you’ll see that what actually hit the stores is quite different from how these pairs looked on the runway.  Don’t get me wrong, I still think these shoes are a step above the usual Payless pair (and I’m not a Payless downer, they clearly have their place in the market).  However, I think a lot of people got excited about this and subsequently got let down.  Especially anyone who wanted those insane chain platforms.  Sigh…I guess it was too good to be true.

See the entire Christian Siriano Payless line and then be sure to check out The Cut for a preview of the heel-bending next round…just don’t expect it to look like this once spring 2010 arrives.

Update: Get 20% off any Payless order using coupon code 27858 at checkout.  Expires 9/18/09.