the gold standard | alaïa gladiator sandals + proenza schouler wedges

been looking for the perfect summer gladiator or wedge.
the search stopped at these  proenza schouler wedges & alaïa gladiators.
then saw the $600 sale tags.
(the search resumed again.)

                                                 via | the outnet | zappos couture

shop it to me | theory shoes

on a rio de janeiro kick right now since--after many delays--the rio line is launching soon. these leather terry slingback heels by theory are a beacon of brilliant color-blocking on the onyx feather rio inspiration board.

                                                                 via | shoe metro

blog travels | shoe in

it's weird to see your personality completely reflected in a shoe.

                                                                     via | pininterest

step it up | osborn shoes

i have a secret weapon (named joan) who periodically sends me 2 line emails about funky companies with great business practices. (always look forward to them). her most recent email directed me to osborn shoes: a quirky shoe line run by a team of designers based outside of guatemala. the business was co-founded by aaron osborn in 2009. (his family runs one of the biggest orphanages in guatemala.) each eclectic oxford shoe is hand-crafted, hand cobbled, and signed by the person who designed it. check out the entire collection here. or an article about how the line started.

                                                                                              images | osborn  shoes

step it up | the gold standard

 

finally met my match: gilded herringbone toms.

step it up | paris fashion week shoes

while perusing photoblogger tommy ton's paris fashion week photos couldn't help but aggregate some of my favorite shoe images. aren't the nude and black ones (paired with the lace dress) radical?

images | tommy ton for style.com

step it up | the penny snake wedge heel

instructions: just add skinny jeans.

via jean-michel cazabat | wit and delight

step it up | toms shoes

toms: innovative company, exemplary mission. (for every pair of shoes you purchase toms will give a new pair to a child in need.) have a passionate love affair with toms that goes way back. finally: these are the ones i've been waiting for. (they're vegan. which rather ignorantly makes me wonder if i can eat them.)

stepping out | jelly bathing shoes

never thought it could be possible to love and respect jelly shoes again (flash-back to middle school) until laying eyes upon these sublime jelly bathing shoes from f-troupe ($42). thanks london for putting a funky fresh twist on a played-out trend.

via | need supply | gingervitis

step it up | alexander mcqueen booties

all the pretty birds is a favorite blog destination. featured there is an image that illustrates a perfect winter-spring transitional outfit.

trench? check

lace? check

zippers? check

wicked hot peep toe booties? check

sexy for summer legs? check 

she does so much, without doing too much. 
(difficult concept to master).

source | all the pretty birds

fix it fast | shrinking shoes

we've all been there. you purchase the loveliest pair of leather boots/high heels/pumps after they appear to fit perfectly. you wear them out of the house. after the first hour your foot starts to throb. the throbbing turns into pounding. pounding turns into limping. limping turns into the angry realization that you will never be able to wear these new shoes again because one foot is a bit too small.

  

so you shelve them, delightedly discover them six months later, wear them, tragically remember why you shelved them in the first place after the throbbing starts again, and the whole process continues like a shoe version of “50 first dates” with drew barrymore. (the role of adam sandler is played by the shoes.)

good news. you can fix them in five easy steps.

(disclaimer 1: this only works with genuine leather shoes.)

(disclaimer 2: this should be your LAST recourse.)

1. put on a really thick, fluffy winter sock.

2. stuff your socked foot in the undersized shoe. 

3. walk around for 3-5 mins. (yes, it will hurt. but 2 mins of pain for a lifetime of shoe comfort? priceless)

4. grab a hair dryer (high heat) and methodically blow hot air on the portion of the shoe you are hoping to stretch out—usually the front. (don't do this longer than 2-3 mins. you want the heat to slightly soften the leather so your shoe expands around your socked foot when the leather dries. not ruin your shoe.)

5. sit with your foot elevated (still in the shoe) for about 5-10 more minutes.

voila. when you take it off the shoe should be more roomy.

image source | omelle shoes

stepping out | how to wear oxfords

image source | blushing ambition

the quirky little answer to everyone's boat shoes and lily pulitzer dresses this spring? oxfords.

growing up in england meant oxfords (or brogues as brits call them) were a school uniform requirement. when i was back in the states i vividly remember college friends staging an intervention and making me chuck my brogues. (lost a little part of myself in the dustbin that day.) and now ::drum roll:: they have made a comeback.

oxfords certainly aren't for everyone and can be a little intimidating to style, but ultimately they are comfortable (when the leather is worn in) and completely functional.
 

tips for pulling off oxfords
*******************************************************
* oxfords are menswear-inspired. balance out their masculinity by wearing them with feminine pieces.
* if you’d like a practical pair try purchasing caramel ones. it’s a great neutral that goes with almost everything. (view image of taylor swift below for confirmation)
* oxfords look great with patterned tights, boyfriend jeans, cuffed pants, skinny ankle-length jeans, patterned dresses, and voluminous skirts. maybe shorts. (if you are quirky enough about it.)
*long legs look great with flat oxfords; ladies with shorter legs should consider a stylish oxford with a small, sexy heel.
*oxfords are not a great look for cankles. (what? sometimes the truth hurts).

here's a link to a polyvore collage of over 20 different oxfords complete with possible styling choices. (extremely helpful when brainstorming how to successfully wear oxfords). 

 

(don't get it twisted. these oxfords belong with her.)

love at first touch | felt booties

absolutely wicked right?

source | omelle

the forecast | rain boots

according to every weather cast in the dc metro area there is to be a blizzard/storm/snowpocalypse that will dump enough powder to bury the entire Capitol building and leave it in a cryogenic state for 20 years. (at least that was the mood at Harris Teeter last night while everyone irritably stood in two hour grocery lines clutching bread, milk, and buckets of sizzling Teeter fried chicken.)

here are three boots (organized by price) that can help you either stylishly trek through an endlessly blizzard or simply splash through a rainy day.

 

Jimmy Choo Hunter Wellington boots. ($395---eeek)

the classic green Hunter Wellingtons ($120). (personal favorite)

 

or go old school with tall sunny-hued wellies. Target ($20!)