Snake Bite

Dangerous, intricate, beautiful, stunning - I can go on and on about this heel. It's gorgeous at every angle, walking towards you and sashaying away. Phenomenal. Now, these aren't your everyday shoe. These are a major statement heel. They will command attention from everyone, but you deserve it. Strike a pose in the new Diego Dolcini Jeweled Stiletto:

Image provided by www.NeimanMarcus.com

Catch your breath, I'll wait. I know, right? Oh my goodness are they amazing. Where do I start? Obviously the heel! It's a fabulous mosaic of classic jewel tones that will catch the light and make your every step glamorous. And at 4.5" the height of the heel only adds to the beauty. The silver trim leads your eye straight to the hero of the heel - the flower detail. It's sexy snakeskin combined with dainty silk to make a fierce combination with a bite. The monochromatic color scheme tones the shoe down a bit if you're timid - but if I were rocking these babies, I'd do it with a bright skirt to really make them pop! Definitely a splurge at $1,330, but hey, a girl can dream.

Cut It Out!

Showing peekaboos of skin is the fun and flirty look on the red carpet lately. Tasteful (or not, depending on placement) cutouts of the fabric to reveal splashes of celebrity skin. People go nuts for that kind of thing. For those of us who aren't quite daring enough to bare the unlikeliest of areas, like the back of your left thigh or right under your bra line, we can test out the cutout waters with the Pigalle Pump by Christian Louboutin:

Image provided by www.BergdorfGoodman.com

Surprise slivers showcase the fun, contrasting cream and peach colors of this shoe, which also show off a bit of skin. Really though, only a bit, nothing crazy, maybe about a centimeter of skin, but combined with the ultra low dips on the sides you'll feel like you're wearing a summer sandal (kind of). Gorgeous leather and a 4.75 inch heel helps this shoe make the cut. Get it? Cute right? No? Ok.

Almost Perfect

How can I not write about a shoe that someone said reminds them of me? A while ago, someone I used to work with gave me a page out of their newspaper, pointed to the Jimmy Choo advertisement at the bottom and said that they wanted show me so I could admire what they thought reminded them of myself. I most definitely took it as a compliment, because this heel is ridiculously gorgeous. Simple but beautiful, great evening shoe. The Lance Sandal by Jimmy Choo. Definitely a compliment.

Image provided by www.Nordstrom.com

How sleek and sexy are these?!? Now, you can either go black or bronze with these beauties. I think I would go with bronze to encourage myself to get a nice tan. The lines of this shoe are out of control - in the best way possible. Not too complicated, but not too simple. They are just right. I'm not normally a fan of ankle straps because they tend to cut a woman's legs short, but these straps have the appearance of being less obtrusive, then take into consideration the 4.5 inch heel and that just adds length. Perfection. That must mean I am, too! (Not.)

Tie Me Up

But don't tie me down! (Heehee, Maryl gets this one!) The lace-up factor is huge right now. Designers are adding yards (Ok not yards, but what was I going to write? Inches? That's not the same effect!) of fabric to their masterpieces to add lacing. It's definitely a sexy spring/summer look, but really, who wants to deal with lacing up their heels and trying to make it look perfect? Then, let's say you're a lacing master and you won the Olympic medal for it, what's to stop the fabric from falling after walking a few... inches? Fabric tape? What a complicated mess. No, completely not worth it. In order to avoid that debacle of awfulness do yourself a favor and try the Satin Platform Sandal by Burberry:

Image provided by www.Nordstrom.com

This pair is the perfect way to lace it up, with ease. It has a zipper closure in the back that keeps those already laced straps in place. And who doesn't love the feel of satin? How yummy! Walking around, strutting your stuff in these neutral, but striking five inch heels all the while feeling satin enveloping your feet! They're a necessary luxury, especially if they get you out of having to deal with fabric tape.

To Lucite or Not to Lucite

A funny thing happened on the runways recently with footwear - acrylic. Acrylic-adorned shoes were floating down the runways and now they're being spotted in high-end stores. For example, the Fendi Cinderella Sandal:

Image provided by http://www.saksfifthavenue.com/

They're perfectly normal shoes. Leather covered heel, chiffon straps... but then there's that acrylic platform. I have an inner debate going on in my head. I want to accept them. I want to love them, ogle and obsess over them. But the stigma of LUCITE is holding me back. Tacky images of Shauna Sand and Jenna Jameson cloud my mind when I try to picture these shoes on my feet. Sure, haute couture models gliding down runways in New York and Paris can pull these off. But how do these translate to real life? Our life? What would that look like? A regular looking woman wearing clear heels - S.T.R.I.P.P.E.R. Unfortunately. Which is sad, because these heels are actually beautiful. It's just something I can't get past. Can you?

Glamorators

That's right, you heard me. GLAMORATOR. No, it's not a new superhero or some celebrity nickname. It's a new name for a type of shoe. How did this fantastic name hybrid come about? Here's the back story: My boss knows my love/adoration/affection/obsession for footwear. Well, one day she brought in a Neiman Marcus mail piece and pointed out a fabulous heel and said she thought of me! I know! Sweet, right? Obviously we gushed about the beauty of the shoe and she called it the new Gladiator, then "Glamorator" came to life. A glamorous gladiator. See? Glamorator ©Hollie Gilbert-Arangio. It's what I'm calling the the amazing Studded Cutout Boot by Giuseppe Zanotti:


Image provided by http://www.neimanmarcus.com/

These are ridiculously amazing. The cut outs, the color, the studs, the cuff, the heel - I don't even know where to begin because it's all perfection. The only downside would probably be finding an occasion to wear them. Probably. But then again, I'm the girl that wears knee high black boots in the summer so I would wear these just about anywhere. Even to the office! How could you not show these insanely beautiful Glamorators off? That would be cause for a termination.

Late Bloomer

That would be me. I'm late. I haven't blogged in forever. Apologies. I was waiting for a shoe to inspire me, and I found one.

We're well into the middle of Spring with countless weddings, birthday parties, baby showers, bachelorette parties, and even sex-toy parties if you're so inclined. Not only are you spending time picking out the appropriate outfit for the occasion and season, but you're searching for the perfect shoe. Well, I am at least, or I WAS until I stumbled upon the Randee Sandal by Badgley Mischka:


Image provided by www.Bloomingdales.com

Gorgeous, no? In peach, gold or black this shoe is heavenly and oh-so versatile. I had the great pleasure of trying this shoe on and it's H.O.T. It may look a bit frilly in the photo, but you have to experience this shoe to get a real feel for it. You can absolutely pair this with a nice downplayed summer dress to attend your best friend's wedding or you can glam it up and add gobs of jewelery for a night out with your new beau. With that pretty flower detail and sky-high five inch heel, you'll be sure to rock the look. I think my favorite is the gold, it's more yellow than gold and it just looks like light! I might have to throw caution to the wind and pay the $215 to own them and call them mine. They might definitely-absolutely-without-a-doubt be worth it.

Gone Fishin'

Yup, it's a flat. I know, I know what you're thinking, but I can't in good conscience NOT blog about at least ONE of Giuseppi Zanotti's flats. They are absolutely stunning this season, deserve to be seen, written about, photographed, worn... shared. So, I'm sharing. His line is dramatic and bold yet delicate and completely wearable. He creates statement shoes no matter if they are heeled or not - bullets, roses, and fish are few facets of his bejeweled style. My favorite is the Jeweled Fishbone Flat Sandal:



Image provided by www.BergdorfGoodman.com

Fun, fashionable and fearless - these words should definitely be in your vocabulary when you step out in these flats. This pair of spring deliciousness brings a smile to my face. How unexpected would it be to walk into a fiesta with these brilliant babies on your feet? Adding to the magnificence is the versatility, they can go with anything from a cute sundress, to chic leggings or your LBD. So go, have a little fun; go fish.

Spring Showers bring Hot Heels

Spring is here, and with this lovely season comes fabulous footwear. The new arrivals are making me extremely giddy, new designs, lines, colors and fabrics. Everything from stylish wedges to bejeweled strappy sandals, sky-high platform pumps to intricately designed flats. (Yes, flats. They are EVERYWHERE right now, and even I've thrown some on. Giuseppi Zanotti has some gorgeous styles out right now. Beautiful enough that I might even blog about a pair one day...) All of these gorgeous shoes, especially the suede pairs, need to be protected from this season's rain to prevent those awful watermarks - except for one pair (kind of) Brian Atwood Suede Watermark Pumps:



Image provided by www.NeimanMarcus.com

Intentionally made to look as though they've fashionably weathered a storm, these pumps could replace my rain boots any day. Ordinarily, most women would deign to wear a pair with watermarks, however, these deliberate heels are altogether out of the ordinary. The two-tone effect creates a whimsical look without going over the top and the color keeps the shoe neutral, but still makes a big statement. As always, in my eyes, the height of the heel really makes the shoe, and these don't disappoint at 4.75 inches. Go ahead and splurge on this perfectly imperfect pair, they'll be an excellent addition to your collection.

Walking on Sunshine!

What makes you happy? For me, it's a multitude of things - family parties, spending time with friends, awesome fortune cookie messages, singing out loud in my car to my iPod, making people laugh, shopping, reading, writing, and as is plainly evident, shoes. All shoes make me happy, well, I'm not talking sneaks or flip flops. My passion is for towering heels that are made to be ornaments for your feet. One pair that brings an instant smile to my face are the Christian Louboutin Rolando Yellow Patent Leather pumps:



Image provided by www.Net-A-Porter.com

These kicks will put a pep in your step each time you slip them on. The attention grabber is obviously the spectacular, in-your-face, bright yellow color. But what really puts this pair over the top is the towering 5 inch covered heel. Not to mention the signature red sole that catches every fashion-conscious eye. You'll be high on life in these bright babies; start walking on sunshine and feel fabulous!

The Greatest Heel on Earth

Welcome to the big top! Take a seat and enjoy the show. Let yourself be visually impressed with the performances in the center ring. Remember, this is my circus, it would be completely incomplete without tremendous footwear adorning the performers' feet. Over to your left is the lion tamer, cracking her whip to calm the beast while wearing neutral Fendi oxford heels. To your right is the courageous fire breather putting her life at risk in pursuit of her art. She's rocking the Manolo cutout pumps in red. In the far back is the juggler, adding more and more to her show. She's kicking off her pink Dior slides and mixing them in with her bowling pins and plates. Look up! High above the ring is the aerial acrobat, gliding through the air using muscle and silk. She's effortless in her Gucci ballet flats. And finally, the ringmaster, front and center, commanding all of the attention. Exuding power from her head down to her toes. What does the big boss wear? Why, the Ulona Platform Heels by Christian Louboutin... of course!


Image Provided by: www.BrownsFashion.com

These magnificent works of art would make any woman feel like the bold, commanding ringmaster in her own circus of a life. These are show-stealers, for sure. The gold tubing along the entire front of the shoe, show a sexy amount of skin and catch the light to make all eyes dart to the shoe first. The bright, vivid colors along the bottom create an unexpected array of geometric shapes to keep the eye lingering. The trendy exposed zipper up the back shows everyone who has been keeping up with her Bazaar. And the sky-high 5.5" heel takes the cake! Practice walking in these, because they'll do wonders for your legs, making them look endless.

For me, it's the sum of the parts that make this pair boss. These lovelies just work. And they'll work for you over and over again to tame that lion of a boss, to juggle the daily tasks of being a successful woman, to glide through your day without flinching at how high you are, and to potentially breathe fire at that frenemy that's been bugging you- if need be. But you couldn't stoop that low in those towering heels... could you?