shoes
Converse Sneakers
I’ve never been a big fan of Converse sneakers because I have the image of people wearing Chucks with tapered jeans in my mind (which only works well if you aren’t too scrawny and don’t mind that it might accentuate your petiteness). This Sunday I received a sales alert on Juicy Couture… Featured were a pair of really cute red plaid Converse-like shoes, which inspired me to visit the Converse website. There is an option to “Start An Original” with 13 customizations so, being a Gemini, I naturally think that’s pretty cool. My husband is a fan of the original Chucks so he might cringe at the site of my custom design decked out in company colors but I really like it. Grungy couture at its best…
*Photocredit: Converse
Cynthia Vincent Shoes Fit for a Queen ♥
Aren’t these Cynthia Vincent pumps gorgeous!!!? Wow! Would love to wear them with a pretty silk blouse and dressy black pants. Heck, I’d sleep with these on… Look at the crystal details 
*Photocredit: Gilt
Seychelles Shoes
Yet another amazing and distinctive brand of women’s footwear! Seychelles has been popularized by Anthropologie, Solestruck, and other stockists alike. I have a pair of pretty bronze open-toed pumps (unfortunately have to wait until Spring though to wear them). Love the vintagey flair and characteristic thick heels. They are also reasonably priced for their quality. Right now I’m lusting over a pair of metallic gold Lola wedges.
*Photocredit: Kaboodle
Faryl Robin
I was introduced to the FR brand via BlueFly. I instantly fell in love with the Zeppelins. My first Zeppelin was the blood orange, next came cherry, and after that the metallic greens. I’d get one in each color if my shoe fund was unlimited. Well, I guess you get the point that I totally love them. They are also very responsive to their customers and ship fairly quickly. There’s something so hip and different about their designs. The craftsmanship is very good. Hoping to see them continue to create great shoes like they have done, for many more years to come.
*Photocredit: Ideeli, BlueFly, & Faryl Robin
Bloch Ballet Flats
A company known for its ballet shoes has also produced awesome everyday flats. I first saw them featured on Ideeli. They are really cute without looking “granny.” Can’t wait to see their future designs. I’ve only discovered them this year so I don’t know very much about them. So many great shoe brands, so little time to get to know everything about any one. I recommend these to anyone who love flats in general.
*Photocredit: Bloch Shoes
New Shoe Faves
I remember receiving a flyer when Endless Shoes was launched. I took a quick glimpse at their site and initially wasn’t very impressed since they had just started and the brands were limited. Eventually their popularity grew and now their stock is really awesome. Sometimes I’m desperately looking for a particular style in my size and it seems that none-other-than Endless are the only ones carrying them. Their service is impeccable. I’ve bought several shoes from them over the past couple of years and have been pleased with all of them. I know I already featured the Pour La Victoire Peep Toe Oxfords in blue (previous post http://www.nycupcake.com/index.php?s=pour+la+victoire) but now I can finally say they are mine. Endless put them on sale and I had to get a pair! I also love Gentle Souls. They are normally pricey but their shoes are really very comfortable. The only pair I owned so far were black ballet flats but now their Unique Thong Sandal in pewter is on it’s way too! I have to admit I was never crazy about thong sandals before Havianas came along to change my mind. The GS thong sandals are so pretty. Can’t wait to wear them with a pair of jeans on Snack Nights. So a quick recap of fave companies who are comfy shoe conscious…
Born
Gentle Souls
Bloch
Faryl Robin
I plan to post more about the latter two soon because they deserve a separate mention. It’s true that happy feet = happy heart.
*Photocredit: Endless Shoes
Love These FP Clogs!
I bought my first pair of clogs several years ago and totally disliked them after a short while, even though they were comfy. I also made the mistake of not wearing socks with them on which made everything worse. It’s like wearing Uggs without a thin pair of socks…ewww. I love these FP clogs; they look so cute with stockings (I don’t know why I used to dislike that look?). I think I will give clogs another try and bring them out from storage.
*Photocredit: Free People
Hawaii On My Mind
I haven’t thought about Cinnamon Girl Boutique in years. The first time I shopped at Cinnamon Girl was in 2001, Oahu, Hawaii. I instantly fell in love with their floral island dresses with velvet trims and spaghetti straps. Unfortunately, I ended up giving them away to family because I couldn’t fit size 0 any longer. I wish I had the foresight to buy in medium. Oh well, that’s life. But I did keep their satin floral flip flops which I usually take on vacation with me. I’m so glad that adult shoe size doesn’t change. The pic below is of sandals similar to mine except for the color of the satin flowers (mine are in shades of mulberry/berries). I’ve included a link above to their site though it’s currently under construction.
Another thing I was nuts about was Crazy Shirts and their Sharka logo. Crazy Shirts shops are spread throughout the Hawaiian Islands and I believe they are also a popular West Coast brand (California).
*Photocredit: Love*Janine Blog, Various Sources
Pour La Victoire
I recently fell in love with PLV’s designs. Some shoes are a little more retro than others and I suppose those are the ones I favor most. Either way, they are fairly comfortable, even those with high pointed heels. I was pleasantly surprised when I walked around in my first pair and didn’t have any problems (my feet are very sensitive to breaking-in new shoes). I’m admiring a pair of Edens right now and hope they will go on sale soon; they remind me a lot of a pair of Alaia Azzedines that I was drooling over a few weeks ago.
*Photocredit: ShopStyle & Shopbop
L.A.M.B. by Gwen Stefani
I’m only slightly familiar with this brand and haven’t followed their seasons regularly. I remember when LAMB first came out. I loved the knit tops but never ended up buying any. Recently I spotted a pretty pair of LAMB shoes- sort of a retro punky style and just loved them. I also discovered I liked the bags and accessories with signature print, in particular the pattern with “L” and the lamb (animal) logo (these are the older bags though). Although I normally don’t care for striped linings, I think LAMB’s cute. LAMB seems a little pricey to me. It never hurts to wait for a sale unless you are absolutely dying for something. Okay, so here are examples of what I love about LAMB (shoes were featured in a previous post)–>
*Photocredit: eLuxury & Nordstrom
