Shoe Fiending

MOH and I spent our lazy Sunday strolling down 5th Avenue before heading to dinner and a movie. One of our favorite past times is to go shoe-lurking... not shopping... just lurking. We purposely go into shops like Bergdorf Goodman knowing there is a snowball's chance in hell we'll be able to afford anything in there... so we are not tempted! MOH also has the best sample size foot (compared to my honking clown feet) so she would guinea pig it by trying all the shoes we coveted right on the floor. HA! Some of our favorites from our shoe-scursion:

All images below from www.bergdorfgoodman.com

Gucci Broche High Heel Sandal

Manolo Blahnik Fotori D'Orsay

Christian Louboutin Patent Leather Mary Janes

Back to reality today... I have to admit, I am a shoe hound! Though I have expensive tastes, I don't have a fat wallet, so I am usually on the hunt for bargains. The first thing I look for when purchasing a shoe is price... which is probably most everyone's deciding factor! The second thing, I search for where it's made. Strange you say? I am definitely one of those weirdos who picks up the shoe looking for the "Made in..." stamp in the sole. This is very important! When I can, I always opt to buy shoes made in Italy, Spain, or Brazil. Not that I dislike my Chinese counterparts in Asia but it's about the quality and production of the shoe. Shoes from some of the big name designers like Manolo and Louboutin are created in very limited production (on average about 100/month) to ensure the engineering and craftsmanship whereas shoes made in Southeast Asia are often mass produced assembly line fashion. (Here's a great article on why certain shoes are more expensive than others.)

The final test is comfort. Can I walk around without wanting to tear the darn shoes off and throw them in the nearest dumpster? Will I get giant blisters? I don't care how beautiful the shoe is... if I can't walk, I'm not buying them.

Anyway, I was totally inspired after I saw some new updates to the J. Crew site. J. Crew is my good old standby for comfortable and high quality shoes. It is hard to find nice, affordable, fun, comfortable yet classy wedding shoes, but J. Crew has some great options whether you're going for flats or heels. I also love their new bright color scheme.

All images below from www.jcrew.com

Twinkle Ballet Flats $165


I love these, but they only come in Ivory or Orange. The definitely look comfortable!
Daniela satin ballet flats $165


The high heel alternative with more color options. The pink ones look similar to the shoes I bought for my engagement shoot.
Daniela Satin D'Orsay Heels $225

Totally digging the metallics (I'm biased because my wedding shoes are gold!)
Vivian Metallic Slingback $238

I hope Mr. Canary doesn't get down to this part (cover your eyes if you do!)... but here are some shoes I've collected "for the wedding" and events "relating to the wedding."

My most recent purchase from Barefoot Tess. Customer service is superb here. GREAT deal... These are Delman's which were originally $269 marked down to $49. Only size left is a 10 though. They were featured in a recent issue of Bride's magazine. Super comfortable and very sexy. You can totally wear them with a pair of jeans or the classic black dress after the wedding! I will probably wear these with my reception dress.

Image from www.barefoottess.com

And now for one of the best finds I've had for the wedding...

I got these out of sheer luck! I needed to kill sometime and headed to Nordstrom's in downtown Seattle to browse and found these Gucci's that I had been coveting since I purchased my wedding dress. What I loved about them is that they're atypical and I could totally rock them with a pair of jeans after the wedding. My favorite part is the ladybug charm near the ankle. The next best part? They were the LAST pair, brand spanking new with all the plastic and tissue encasing them in the box for 50% off! I loved that they were gold and will probably go with all my dresses for the day.

And last but not least, my dancing shoes. I just ordered these last week because they went on sale and were the perfect height. As much as I love the Gucci's, I know I will collapse if I dance in them all night so I was on the prowl for a nice pair of flats or kitten heels. Flip flops are also an option, but they kill after an hour or so of dancing. I preferred something not jamming in between my toes, so I got these...

Image from www.jcrew.com

Lucie Kitten Heels $98

Not nearly as hot or sexy as the Gucci's but they're practical and give me some height. They'd make for great bridesmaid shoes.

What do you look for in the perfect pair of shoes? How did you decide on your wedding shoes? Are you a flats or heels bride? Color or white/ivory?