Friday, January 13, 2012

Shoe Hall of Fame


We all have our holy grails.Yes, I know. Shoes are not necessities (beyond what keeps your feet protected when you leave the house, durr). But if I lived in that fantasy life where money was no object, winning lottery ticket, got a star's salary, all that never-gonna-happen-but-HEY-a-girl-can-dream stuff...these are what I'd own:


Behold the Fendi Chameleon. In silver (which just happens to be one of my favorite shoe colors. Evah. The details, gorgeous, gorgeous details! Not my usual style, but they are some serious eye candy.  From Saks, where sadly these are no longer available. Originally $900 plus. Want to see more?



Loving the heel detail as well. This is the Italian "no stone left unturned" aesthetic that I adore (being, as I have mentioned, a bit obsessed with details myself).

Next up, a double header from Giuseppe Zanotti:


Oh my...I've been on the hunt for the right pair of rhinestone shoes for...well, probably my entire life  :)  and these would have done nicely. As would:


These. I can barely stand it. Sadly, also no longer available anywhere I look. Commence gnashing of teeth and tearing of hair. Or is it rending of garments? Anyway, whatever best signifies deep, deep anguish. They're perfect. PERFECT.

But enough with the tease of the shoes you just can't have because they're all gone. Let me show you some current lovelies that make my spine tingle and my toes curl! And yes, if your budget permits...purchase away. Just don't forget to share so that I may live vicariously through you.  :)


Valentino, of course. I know you've seen this EVERYWHERE, ad nauseum, make it stop, enough already...but to me this is as iconic as the Tom Ford-era Gucci corset shoes - a defining moment in fashion history. Not familiar with the corset shoes? Let me refresh your memory:




Note the the signature bamboo heel. And the way they hug ( or should I say caress! your foot, with their clingy satin straps. Everything about Tom's Gucci reign was hot. And these are scorching. Oh, I would love, love, love to have these in my collection! I'm showing you the black first, but wait...they came in other colors as well:



images via thepurseforum.com


They also came in a much harder to find aqua, which would be my first choice. So far the best (and only; it took me literally hours of interwebs hunting to find these shots - yes, sometimes my life is very lame but I manage despite that) photos I can find of the aqua are these:

image via starstyleinc.com


and these:


image via thepurseforum.com

The were perhaps the first of the "unattainable" shoes that really captured my attention. And they remain, for me, the holiest of holy grails. But I am a pretty soft touch for Gucci. And Tom Ford Gucci is right up there with '70s Gucci for me - truly the best of the best.

Anyhoo, back to the Valentinos - I feel that they are in the same iconic arena as those Gucci corsets. They changed the fashion landscape in a major way, ushering back in pointy toes, and even (gasp!) lower heels. And given the subject of my last post, you know I'm thrilled about that).I know they come in a variety of colors, heel heights, and styles (platforms, cage booties, flat sandals, kitten heels) but I love the above version the most. Feathers? C'mon. Who could resist?

Okay, last pair - currently available and sellling for $2445.00 (yeah, you read it right) at Neiman's:




Oh boy. I am not the biggest fan of French fashion (yeah, so sue me). Chanel...nice, but...Dior...take it or leave it (mostly). Hermes, even...I know, I know, but it just doesn't excite me. Sorry - I love me some Italians. What's that you say? You didn't notice that every shoe posted here (until the Loub) is Italian? I know, I'm subtle like that.  :)   But these particular Louboutins (image via Neiman Marcus) hit me in the gut. I AM a fan of bling, and these are just "all in" for me. Literal hotness, flame design and whatnot.

So, there you have my votes for the shoe hall of fame. And who knows...someday one (or more) of them could be available (eBay, no?) with the cosmic confluence: right place, right size, right price. A girl's got to dream! In the meantime, I leave you with this quote, attributed to Manolo Blahnik:

"About half my designs are controlled fantasy, 15 percent are total madness, and the rest are bread-and-butter designs."

Nobody ever said the man was a fool  :)

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