Is Sarah Palin’s resignation a sign that she’ll run for the presidency in 2012, or does she just need a break from the media circus that is the Republican party these days? There’s no way to know right now, but either way, we’re likely to see less of the Alaskan spitfire for a few months. As a shoe fetishist, I have to say that I’m going to miss her. Even if her fashion overhaul was funded by her party, I approve of her taste in shoes. Sarah’s shoe choices mirror her personality– she likes to be polished and powerfully in control.
Judging from the shoe selections at this year’s MTV Music Awards, you’d think the year’s top film was Gladiator. Of course, these gladiators were a little less practical than the shoes worn in the Russell Crowe film. A veritable milky way of starlets opted for ankle-binding dominatrix-style gladiators, some with tiny stiletto heels. If you ask me, too many toes were sticking out over the edges of those Amazon-lady shoes. I’ll leave it to others to evaluate who pulled off the ubiquitous gladiator trend–here are a few MTV Music Awards Fashion Kudos you won’t see anywhere else.
According to iVillage’s Shoe-Style Personality Quiz, I’m a secret diva. My results read, “You’re a loafer girl all the way, but that doesn’t mean you don’t know how to have fun… You may look innocent, but there is a fashion diva inside you dying to come out.” And here I thought my diva-nity was obvious. No matter, I’ll just take results as one more sign that I should buy a new pair of Mary Janes, one of my all-time favorite styles.
Her writing gig and seemingly unlimited credit allowed Carrie Bradshaw to spend $40,000 on shoes, but I must limit my shoe habit to my bank account. As much as I adore seeing my own feet outfitted in strappy Monolos, I also hate seeing my savings dwindle while my credit card bills rise. Is there a happy compromise? Is it possible to satisfy such intense shoe cravings while controlling spending?
At times, Michelle Obama’s fashion choices threatened to outshine the political purpose behind the Obamas’ recent diplomatic trip across Europe. If you’ve been as pleasantly distracted by Ms. Obama’s fashion faceoff against the world’s post powerful divas as I have, you’ve probably noticed her sleek, subtle, comfortable footwear. I’m not alone in rejoicing that the First Lady is both fashionable and real.
Just when you thought the Fashion Week frenzy had finally calmed down, Moscow’s designers are ramping up for another week of shows. Russian Fashion Week (RFW) opens this Sunday with designs from one of eastern Europe’s most beloved designers: Slava Zeitsev.
The lead singer of the Black Eyed Peas feels your recession shoe-aholic pain. She knows her fans can’t afford to run out and buy an expensive new product just because it bares her name. So, she made sure her new line of gladiator style sandals and pumps are affordable– or at least more affordable than the shoe lines of competing pop star shoe-sellers like Gwen Stefani. Fergie’s shoes, available at Nordstrom, are priced online between $90 and $130, while Stefani’s soles can run over $300. Despite her international stardom, Fergie seems eager to price her footwear for the masses. She recently said, “I would feel really irresponsible right now to have a line that was completely out of my fans’ price range.”
I thought the heel-free boot was condemned to the footnotes of fashion history after Victoria Beckham couldn’t walk more than thirty feet in them. Judging by the examples at Paris Fashion week, I was wrong. Heelless boots are apparently still in style—at least if you ask designers like Olivier Theyskens. His final show for Nina Ricci had models strutting down the catwalk on their tiptoes, staring stoically straight ahead, probably because their full focus was required to actually walk in those things.
Women around the world are simultaneously shouting, “FINALLY!” Finally, you can move beyond just playing with Barbie’s awesome wardrobe, and actually buy it for yourself! In celebration of Barbie’s 50th anniversary, (notice how it’s NOT a birthday), toymaker Mattel has announced that they are partnering with retailer Christian Louboutin to create Barbie-inspired shoes and accessories.