Notes From the Shoe Closet

Passion Flats

2010-03-04T09:10:00.000-08:00

Spring will come someday to the frigid sidewalks of NYC.... we can't WAIT for that day and all the cute shoes we'll be able to bust out!! Until then, here's a look at some lovely flats that we're all lusting after and longing to pair with our springtime duds!

First- we love these adorable orange flats from Lucky Brand! The mary-jane shape is always in style, and the cute accents make any walk in the park a statement.
These yellow funky flats from Daniblack (called Pansy) are too cute! We love the flower on the toe! (The shoe comes in three colours, but we're featuring our favourite two... mustard, and bone).

We're also kind of obsessed with these lovely simple flats from French Sole. There are literally tons of colours to choose from, our favourite is the sultry red suede. (Who doesn't love the punch of a red shoe?)
Finally, we're deeply infatuated with these classy/funky flats by Gabriella Rocha. They come in purple patent and black leather, and we're hard-pressed to decide which colour we like more! The ankle straps give the shoe that little extra something something. (And these ones will look fab with tights for those chillier days too!)
Well dear Shoe Fans, that's our flat round up! Happy spring to all!

-The Shoe Maven

shoes via zappos

Foot Focus: Betsey Johnson

2010-02-22T08:14:00.000-08:00

We here are The Closet have a perverse obsession with all things Betsey Johnson. As lovers of bright colours, wicked patterns, and all things funky how could we not adore the quirky designer? While we usually find ourselves leaning toward her super bright handbags and dresses, we're also fans of her attention grabbing footwear. Behold, three of our current favourite styles.

First the Lacy shoe. Pink leopard print with a cute flower detail.... what more could you want? The perfect going out shoe!
Next, Glitter Polly's in gold (the shoe comes in black and silver as well). We were told by a burlesque dancer once that walking in Polly's would help you to have a more "sexy" walk when in regular high heels.... regardless of the truth of this statement, the glitter polly has a sweet retro style that we're lusting after.
Finally we have the Kareas ankle boot- which we're totally obsessed with here. The side zipper detail gives a bit of edge while the rest of the shoe keeps it cool. You'd better hurry though, Kareas is on a sale and selling out fast!
Let Betsey Johnson bring a little fun and funk into your life by checking out her website: www.betseyjohnson.com where all these styles (and lots more) can be found.

-The Shoe Maven

Survival Skills: PINK

2010-02-08T11:31:00.000-08:00

We're barely surviving the frigid winter here at The Shoe Closet, so we're digging up some sweet pink footwear to keep us going until the sun finally comes out. Keep your eyes on these rose-hued beauties and the snowstorms won't be too terrible. (Plus, with Valentines day coming up, why not deck out your feet for the occasion?)

This first pair (called Rosie, by Born) may not be the brightest shoes we've featured (we do have a thing for neons) but they're flirty and fun with their wedge heel and flower t-strap. We're already picking out the sundress we'll wear with them..... ah, to dream.

Next we have these gorgeous Marc by Marc Jacobs flats. The pink hue makes us lusty for summertime, and ankle tie is a huge trend for the upcoming season.
Now, if you know us here at The Closet, we're not much for trainers (or tennis shoes if you will), but there's something so cute and comfy about these pink canvas saddle shoes from Keds. Good for those long springtime walks.
There's something delicious about the perfect pair of pink peep toe pumps (maybe it's to do with the alliteration). This pair by Kate Spade is a little bit funky and a lotta bit chic.
And to really add some zest to your outfit, why not go really wild with these amazing pumps by Nine West. A little leopard print never hurt anyone.

So there's your rundown of some pink tootsies to keep your winter bright. Hopefully the cold won't last too much longer!

-The Shoe Maven.

all shoes from this issue can be found at zappos.

Foot Focus: Jessica Simpson.

2010-01-28T09:15:00.000-08:00

We all may know Jessica Simpson as the songstress and occasional actress, but she has a whole other title.... fab shoe designer! (Actually, her collection includes handbags, clothing, and accessories as well. You can see all of it at the Jessica Simpson Collection website).
At first we were skeptical of the moderately priced pieces, but then we got a pair and LOVED them. Her shoes are fairly amazing.

Below, a rundown of some of our favourites.

First these super cute "Betrice" flats! We love the vivid colours (the shoe also comes in more basic black, brown and gray), the adorable bow accent, and the sweet mini studs. Plus Jessica's flats are some of the most comfortable around-- according to our sources.
Next we have the sexily simple Tansie. We recommend you avoid the slightly dangerous cracked metallic shades and opt instead for the more classic purple, blue, or black. The sophisticated shape of the shoe is best served with these more subtle colours.Now, we know it's not quite summer yet (it snowed in New York today) but we're dreaming of warmer weather and wearing these gorgeous sandals in it! The Dianara style is super chic (and practical with that no-heel). [sorry the picture is so mini! no resizing options. See the original in all its glory on the website.] This studded gladiator comes in black too, but why not take a risk with stand out red?
Finally, since we can't possibly list all the amazing style we found on the Jessica Simpson Collection website, we're going to end with the super cool Junior. These sky high heels feature two of our favourite trends- studs and zippers. Could you ask for anything more?

Make sure you check out the collection's website: www.jessicasimpsoncollection.com; because there are TONS of amazing footwear options, in addition to amazing bags, luggage, childrenswear, and outerwear, all at moderate prices.

-The Shoe Maven

All shoes to be found at jessicasimpsoncollection.com

Back in Black

2010-01-25T08:54:00.000-08:00

Greeting fellow shoe lovers! After a long (unexpected) hiatus, the Closet is back in action!We're revamping our look, and re-dedicating ourselves to the shoe cause! And what better way to bring it all back than a look at the classic classy hue, black?

Bright colours may put a pop in your walk, but ever-faithful black will keep things, simple, chic, and classy (but never boring!). Sometimes sticking to basics is the best brew for footwear fabulosity.

Four of our favourite shoes that are back in black:

First up, Kensie Girl's super cute strappy sandal, Natalie. The tapered heel is a must, and the funky pink interior adds some flair, even if you can only see it when the shoe's not on your foot. (added bonus, these babes are dirt cheap on zappos)!
We here at The Shoe Closet love studs and zippers as much as the next tough girl, so we're lusting after these amazing Jessica Simpson studded sandals. (Look for a feature on the shoe loving songstress in the near future). The look is called Angus.

We saw these next gems by Elizabeth and James Paris and immediately fell in love.Could a classic black t-strap be any more beautiful? Or any more fun? The texture play happening on the heel of these beauties add a punch of funk for the shoe fiend who wants black, but not boring.
Since it's currently raining cats and dogs in NYC, we're featuring another cool weather set. We love these textured ankle booties with buckles by Nine West. (We have a deep affection for buckles here, and these ankle boots are doing it right).

Stay tuned shoe lovers! We'll be back next week with more new features.

-The Shoe Maven.

Shoes via zappos.

Boots continued: bring on the heels!

2008-09-23T10:14:00.000-07:00

Since we featured flat boots last week (in an effort to show our practicality here at The Shoe Closet) we’ve been having some high heel withdrawals. So now, as promised, are the most drool worthy boots with heels! Check them out!

First we have the Ingénue by Carlos Santana. We love the interesting details on the shaft of this boot, they remind us of the eighties (in a really good way).

Next is the Magdalena by Rafe New York. A totally fierce ankle boot than makes us think of the words “power shoe”.

Here’s the Velma by daniblack. Another fierce ankle boot to conquer the world in.

What kind of shoe closet would we be without featuring something from the infamous Manolo Blahnik? We’re deeply in love with this buckled bootie.

Right in line with the hot menswear styles for this season are these vintage oxford booties by Joie. We’re thinking that paired with the right ensemble, these shoes could bring out the sexy schoolteacher in all of us!

Put you’re bibs on, because you’re going to be drooling over these gorgeous leopard print booties from Dolce & Gabbana.

Also by D & G these delicious Victoria boots.

And we’re seriously lusting after these simply perfect tall boots by Christian Louboutin, called Ginerva.

There are soooo many deliriously gorgeous heeled boots out there for your viewing and purchasing pleasure that we’re super excited fall is finally here!! You can find the ones in this issue at Piperlime.com and Bergdorf Goodman.

-The Shoe Maven

these boots were made for walking!

2008-09-16T07:34:00.000-07:00

Because we're devout bootist's here at The Shoe Closet, for this week's feature we're want to talk about those fabulous pieces of footwear that are gorgeous, trendy, and useful in one's closet.
Yes, we're talking about the boot.
Lately over here we've all been obsessed with the boots coming out for this season, trying to decide which one's we have to have and which one's can probably wait.....unfortunately the consensus seems to always be that we have to have them! So here's a rundown of some of the styles that we're infatuated with.

First, we're totally in love with these boots by Gucci called Devendra. So simple, but utterly classic at the same time. Their height, as well, is awe inspiring. Simply gorgeous!
Next we're obsessed with the Vienna flat boot from Fry. Normally we're not fans of the somewhat oversized Fry shape (making the shoes sometimes look terrible on fabulous ladies with a shoe size over 7), but for these we'll have to make an exception. We love the hard core feel of the shoe and think it might make an interesting contrast with an otherwise girly outfit.
We're also digging these Dolce & Gabbana boots for many of the same reasons we liked the Fry's above. They'll give substance to any outfit.
Finally we're infatuated with these flat suede pull up boots from Jimmy Choo. The top can even be folded down for that extremely awesome pirate look. These, we've got to say, are probably our favourite of the lot, and we're really drooling over them here.

That's all folks! Tune in next week when we talk about boots of another ilk.......heels!!

-The Shoe Maven.

Boots from this issue can be found at:
Bergdorf Goodman

Fall is Falling!

2008-09-09T07:44:00.000-07:00

Trend remix for fall 2008:

Fall is finally here shoe lovers, and it brings with it delightful new trends in the land of footwear. Here are some of the hottest new styles and colours.

First up, the colours which are oh so hot this season (drumroll please)....
Purple, Grey, Green, and Berry Hues. We're pretty excited about these colour choices; the brights and bold seem to be back in, something we always love. Particularly these Machino oxford booties which combine THREE of falls trends in one gorgeous shoe:
Fall 2008 seems to be the year of the boot! And since we're bootists anyway, we're very excited to have a "reason" to go out and shop 'til we drop!!
The major trends in boots are ankle booties with laces, and flats, plus anything with fringe.
Ankle booties are best work with no leg flesh showing...pair them with dark tights to elongate legs and prevent you from looking like a munchkin. We love these boots by Vince Camuto, called Calder.
What about those brilliant flats?? Any woman who walks (which seems to be a lot of women) will be thrilled that there is finally a trend that is not counterproductive to being functional. Especially in cities where walking is the norm (we're thinking NYC). So the falls new flat boots are a dream come true. We've featured a few pairs in the previous articles, including The Kiss by Jessica Simpson (which we've already ordered online). We're also loving these little gems by Wanted, called Frontier.
For fringe, we're obsessed with Minnetonka moccasins. N actually has a pair of fringed ankle boots from them, and those are the one pair of her shoes that get the most use. These boots from the moccasin house are pretty delicious, called Calf-Hi 3 in 1
Another super hot trend this season is the classic lines of the menswear inspired shoe. Go stock up on oxfords (especially those Machino booties we featured above). We love these pantent oxfords from Marc by Marc Jacobs (style: 684316) and the following killer heels from Nine West aptly named ohmygosh.
Finally, also hot this season are high heeled mary janes. We're loving this pair called Bliss, by Carlos Santana.
We're also infatuated with these by Coclico called Oberon. We love the more substantial feel of the whole shoe, and the tapered heel.
Ahh, fall....what lovely trends you bring.

-The Shoe Maven.

p.s.
due to circumstances beyond our control, we are moving our weekly post day to tuesday....so check back next tuesday for more shoe love!

Shoes from this issue can be found at:
Piperlime