Manolo Blahnik, Jimmy Choo, Christian Louboutin can all go to hell!

[Flaxbee]

All these super-high-end women's shoes selling for $400-$900 per freaking pair have totally, completely ruined the possibility of buying a good, mid-priced shoe.

Sex and the City made the shoes more popular - dumbfuck Carrie spending $40,000 on shoes over the years - than they ever were before, and because all these dumb fashion wannabes ran out and bought $500 shoes (with killer high heels, too - 3-4 inches) all the other shoes that were reasonably priced and well-made - like Coach, Via Spiga, Cole Haan, Stuart Weitzman - have all cranked their prices up to the high $100s - 200s and I refuse to buy them anymore.

I used to make gobs of money as a corporate lawyer, and even then I wouldn't buy $500 shoes. I'd buy nice suits, and good-quality shoes and bags, but it used to be you could get good stuff for mid-level prices ($100s for shoes, which, if I was on my feet all day and all night and all day for a deal closing, it was worth it to me). Then again, I was in NYC and had access to great sales, something not possible in the wilds of NCarolina.

Now it's either plastic shit (including shoes) from China, or uber-expensive stuff (that isn't very durable anyway). No in-between. Nothing for the person who wants to save and buy a quality item that will last. And it PISSES ME OFF! :mad:

Now, clothes are not the most important thing in my life, not by a long shot, but I'd like to have good quality stuff that will LAST for years without spending obscene amounts of money.

:grr:

Just had to vent. Thank you.

[smbolisnch]

1. Couldn't have said it better myself.

:applause:

What's a girl to do??

[shanti]

2. hey, i hear you!

EVERYTHING seems to come from china nowadays. remember when you saw a "made in usa" label? hardly ever see it anymore.

even birkenstocks, formerly made in germany, are now made in....brazil.

things really went downhill after nafta, imo.

[smbolisnch]

3. Here is an example........

These are god awful, in my opinion. 795.00 :wow:

[Flaxbee]

4. lol! those are HIDEOUS!

I've been cruising thru the online sites of stores I used to go to - Nordstrom's, Saks - and I could just cry.

Even for a good-looking shoe with a manageable heel (for me, 1.5 - 2.75 inches) is $300.

[friesianrider]

5. Hey now!

I have spent many thousands of dollars on ridiculously overpriced Manolos. They hurt my feet, but I love them. Honestly thought I understand what you're saying...but oh how I love my Manolos...

:evilgrin:

[smbolisnch]

6. You are nuts!

I love the way they look, I could just never justify spending that kind of money!

[friesianrider]

8. So I'm told lol ;)

They are a sick addiction. Sick, sick, sick!

*slaps herself on the wrist*

[Flaxbee]

9. if they hurt your feet, why do you buy them?

If they were like Birkenstocks-with-heels, I might understand the pricing. Sorta like good-looking orthopedic shoes.

But if they hurt, why?

My biggest complaint, though, is that they drove the prices up for other shoes I used to love. If they were just up there in their ridiculous stratosphere and left my Coach shoes alone, that'd be fine.

But these uber high prices have fucked it up for everyone. Manolo is living in villas in Italy and chateaus in France. It's obscene. And Coach and DKNY and Marc Jacobs think that $300 is reasonable, b/c it's $200 less than Jimmy Choo.

Now, I'd spend serious money for hand-made shoes that DID NOT hurt my feet. But there isn't even a decent cobbler (shoe guy, not pie) within 40 miles of here b/c people just toss out their shoes when they fall apart, rather than care for them. Why spend $15 to get a shoe resoled when the damn thing didn't cost more than $20 from WallyMart?

And there is a special place in hell for Stella McCartney. I'd buy tons of her cruelty-free clothing if her tshirts weren't $700 and her goddamn shoes weren't $500. How come only rich people get to assuage their consciences and buy fashionable stuff?

[smbolisnch]

11. What?? 700.00 for a t-shirt?

Never looked at her stuff! :wow:

[Flaxbee]

17. it mighta been a cashmere tshirt,

but Alicia Silverstone is vegan, and wears a lot of Stella McCartney and one of the tshirts was $700, a blazer is $1500... Stella prices stuff at couture level (mid-level couture, not up there in the clouds with Chanel).

I hate her for it. B/c you KNOW if she ever comes out with a "mid priced" line the tshirts would still be $200 or so...

[smbolisnch]

19. That is such BS.

Honestly. :eyes:

[friesianrider]

12. Because they look so damn good ;)

They make a girl's legs look fantastic! :evilgrin:

But seriously, I totally understand what you're saying and you're absolutely right. Everyone wants to be the next "overpriced" name in shoes. Plus, as you said, we live in a disposable society. It's easier to just toss shoes needing repair than fix them. Of course, maybe if you only bought the shoes for $20, there's no sense in repairing them for another $20 when you can buy new ones from Target for that same price. Again, disposable society *sigh*

Your last paragraph is really true. It's like that with a lot of things - only people who are uber-wealthy can afford to buy the good AND cruelty-free stuff.

Did you see my other post about Aldo shoes? I love them!

[smbolisnch]

13. Here is a pair of Manolos that I LOVE.

And I am not even that into anything gold.



These are 545.00 :wow:

[Flaxbee]

18. Manolos, Louboutins, etc., are gorgeous...

so are a lot of Pradas, too. I love good quality and good design, I just wish it were more reasonable.

[smbolisnch]

20. Sigh....

Most of my heels are cheapish, and kill my feet.
I have 1 pair that were originally 200.00 and I got them marked down to 25.00 on a clearance rack. They are much better quality!

[friesianrider]

7. Oh and another thing!

Although I have several pairs of my beloved Manolos, when I'm looking for mid-priced shoes I looooove Aldo. Do you have one of them near you? They're almost always around $60-$70. Their styles are pretty good too and they have a great range of heel heights.

[Flaxbee]

15. hmm, there are probably several in Atlanta...

I'm about 2 hours from "The Mall of Georgia" (shudder) but hubby and I get there a few times a year when we need to actually try on clothes (as opposed to mail-order stuff). I'll check for an Aldo next time I'm there...

And I do look at NineWest, even Aerosoles sometimes (because their lining is often leather, which I prefer to the synthetic liner in less expensive shoes... the synthetic stuff gets stinky and leather usually is much better for lining).

[ofrfxsk]

10. I must be the only woman on the planet who doesn't give a rip about shoes

I have 4 pair of shoes that I wear regularly. Two are of the sport variety. One dress. One boot. When they wear out I go buy a replacement pair.
No offense but I do not get the obsession.

[alarimer]

14. Me neither

I only wear running shoes or Tevas. Well I have some Eastland loafers for more "formal" occasions LOL but that's it. I would not want a job that would require me to wear anything else. Good thing I'm not a lawyer. LOL

[smbolisnch]

16. I do love shoes. And accessories in general.

I prefer payless. Quantity of quality? :P

[NorthernSpy]

25. at size 11 1/2, a person learns not to care about shoes

My size is easy to find -- in the men's section.

That's more or less okay for things like hiking boots and work boots. And there's always a nice selection of steel toes.

But for shoes that can be worn with a dress, it takes a lot of searching to find something reasonably attractive that fits.

Still, I'm not sure I'd go for Manolo Blahniks et al, even if I had little feet and lots of money. They're just not to my taste. So no -- I doubt I'd be shoe crazy even if I had the opportunity to be.

[NewJeffCT]

27. my wife is the same

She has several pairs of shoes, but has not spent over $50-60 on any of them. She just goes for something comfortable that looks decent.

[LynneSin]

21. Excuse me - DSW!!!

I love great footwear too. I'm size 11 and nothing is more humiliating than going to a shoe store and finding out that they don't stock up to your size. What's amazing is the fact that Paris Hilton is also a size 11 but I suppose she can special order her shoes.

DSW is like a TJMaxx or Marshells but specifically for shoes. I just bought a $160 pair of Charles David shoes for $20. They have tons of Coach, Stuart Weitzmen, Lauren and other top name shoes (no, they don't have the ubernames - but I'm fine with that). They also have well made practical shoes that I like from Tommy Hilfinger, Kenneth Cole and even Aerosoles. And they are a fraction of the regular costs.

See my secret to brand name shopping is the fact that I dont' live in NYC and therefore I can get away with buying stuff that was probably last years (or the year before style). But I try to stick with the classics so I know that I can be wearing the stuff for ages. I would scour Bloomingdales & Macy's through the discount racks for top price clothes that was on closeout (helps to get the coupons from the papers for the extra 15% off). I'd also rummage through stores like TJMaxx, Marshells and DSW where I could find brand name products that were deeply discounted.

No, not because I was some label whore but just because the clothes last longer. I have a Lauren Cashmere Black Turtleneck I've owned now for 8 years. Paid $40 for it and that thing will never go out of style.

So check to see if they have a DSW there - you can get the really great shoes for much much less

http://www.dswshoe.com/store_locations.jsp

Oh, and edit note: Tons of size 11 stuff there except Ann Klein. Bugs me to no end that she can't be bothered with putting out size 11 shoes!

[Flaxbee]

23. never heard of them, but I'll check it out! Thanks!

I like more classic styles, anyway - I couldn't give a rat's ass if it's the latest trend, so long as the shoes are comfy and well-made.

And I think a big secret to buying good stuff inexpensively is being near a big market - when I lived in LA and NYC I could just drop in on my favorite places once a week, and regularly score super-expensive stuff for less than $50 (really nice black cashmere cardigan by Prada for $50, a Gucci skirt for $30).

The best place in NYC was Bergdorf Goodman's - home of super-pricey stuff, but on the floor where the more classic items were sold (between the trendy stuff on 5 and the couture stuff) there were always racks and racks and racks of items deeply discounted to make room for the new merchandise.

Got a classic Calvin Klein (not CK, but full Calvin) winter coat that was $1200 for $100.

But deals like that aren't available an hour west of Asheville, NC. Sigh.

[LynneSin]

24. Believe me, they have all styles there!!

I needed work shoes but loafers on my size 11 feet look so fricking mannish. And I hate going to department stores because they rarely carry size 11 shoes. I don't want to special order something that I may end up hating once they get here.

The last few years I ended up wearing clogs because I was so desparate to find something usable for work and at least with clogs I could get away with size 10. But I found 3 pairs of great, stylish shoes for work that all fit like a charm and are size 11. I've found that for work, business casual shoes that the Mary Jane style work best for me since it makes the shoe look definately more feminine (Don't find many men's shoe with the little strap across them).

[barb162]

44. when you have a large or small size, you can get GREAT deals

When you are a size 7 or 8 there are no deals

[Pithlet]

45. DSW is great for shoe-holics that don't want to take out a second mortage

to feed their shoe obsession :) I love shoes, too, but I think the $500+ shoe trend is ridiculous.

[abbeyco]

22. I get my good stuff at DSW

They have Via Spiga, Ralph Lauren, Liz Claiborne, etc. Usually there's a great selection in all sizes AND they have a really great close-out area that has all kinds of stuff. Got a pair of Sam & Libby sandals for 19 bucks. I don't think they have Manolos or Jimmy Choo, but there are damn good shoes, boots and sporting shoes too.

Also, if there's a Shoe Carnival, they have good stuff too.

[China_cat]

26. It just follows society.

No middle class, just extremely high or nothing.

[Flaxbee]

32. I know... and it is frightening.

If you're rich, you get health care and well-build houses and well-made cars, if you're poor you live in compressed-sawdust homes (and if you're lucky, have a car).

[fishnfla]

28. The Manolo Blahnik fetish was on other shows too

Now that you mention it, it was on Seinfeld, Friends, and Will and Grace too. Even made the Wizard of ID comic strip too. Not to mention the number of times you read about them in Vanity Fair, etc. I dont get it.

[GCP]

29. Try Zappos.com - free shipping and free returns

They have some designer brands and their prices are lower than stores. I got a beautiful pair of pink Frye boots from there.

http://www.zappos.com/welcome3.zhtml?1009

[Flaxbee]

33. oooh! Pink Frye boots would make me very happy...

I'll check the site out & see what good things they've got in stock...

[alcibiades_mystery]

30. S & C?

:-)

[supernova]

31. Hey Flaxbee, have you ever visited the Etienne Aingier outlet?

:hi:

I went to the outlet mall down in Myrtle Beach a couple of years ago. I got 2 pairs of EA shoes for the price of one pair, a pair of navy loafers for work and a pair of cream pumps for spring. They had all sizes and all widths.

I looked it up and apparently there's an EA store in the outlet mall in Concord. I'm planning on making a trip sometime to check it out.

[Flaxbee]

34. no, I'll look for outlet locations, though...

they used to sell stuff online, and I did really like their shoes (still have a pair of sandals) but now apparently they only sell in stores so I'll have to see if I can find an outlet somewhere within driving distance...

thanks!

:hi:

[GCP]

35. Try this link

http://www.zappos.com/n/es/d/257000000/show_all/1/page/1.html

[LynneSin]

39. BTW, EAs are also sold at DSW

:D

[supernova]

41. Outlets are cheaper

if you can find them. And the stuff is the same quality you find in the store.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

36. I'm reading this thread in fascination.

I feel like a cultural anthropologist studying the clothing customs of a different tribe.

When some traveller, from this planet or another, scrapes the dirt off an ancient pair of Jimmy Choo's unearthed from the buried remains of New York City a few thousand years from now, if this thread can be married up to it, perhaps they can derive insight into our civilization through the custom of buying and wearing high end shoes!

Kinda like the lip discs, or neck rings in other cultures!

[HeeBGBz]

43. I've never spent more than $50 on a pair of shoes ever.

This whole thread boggles my consciousness.

I guess I'm a broke d broke.

[miss_kitty]

37. HEY! LOOKEE HERE!

I used to wear high heels all the time-worked at Nordstrom for years-and now I have a Morton's neuroma. http://www.carolinafootassociates.com/Mortons_neuroma.htm

My shoes did't even hurt ALL THE TIME nor were many of them taller than 2.5"
But years of crushing my feet into some sometimes painful shoes have taken their toll. :(

Just be careful, you Blanik wearers. It's not worth it.

PS. I understand about the OP-When I left Nordstrom in 1990, I bought a load of Caressas that were $68 a pair. I haven't even worn some of them. but if I ever need nice looking comfy well built shoes, i have 'em.

[Flaxbee]

38. one of my aunts destroyed her feet with super high heels, too...

It's almost as if all the connective tissue in her feet broke town and she can't wear anything but flat, very cushioned shoes b/c of hte pain. She was probably more susceptible than others for some reason, but boy, she wishes she didn't wear heels for 20 years straight...

Sorry for your pain! :(

[miss_kitty]

40. thanks I don't have it all the time

but I've been rolling my ankle on rocky terrain or broken sidewalk, which crushes my metatarsals together and wakes it up.

My grandma wrecked her feet and had a painful walk the latter part of her life.

[barb162]

42. You can buy Ferragamo and the other Italian brands on sale for

a lot less. Hell you can almost go to Italy and buy them there for less than the price of some of the shoes like Blahnik. You know what else, I stopped buying expensive shoes... wehenever I scuffed them or they got wet and the water would wick up through the sole, I used to get so upset. When I buy a cheap pair of shoes and they get scuffed or wet, big deal.

I basically stopped buying expensive shoes about 10 years ago. They are often nice to look at but murder on your feet. Gimme comfort and nothing higher than a 2" heel.

A young woman I know buys the 500+ shoes and boots; doesn't pay her electric bill until they shut her electric off.