I love shoes! But in these

Erica InnerRewards — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 18:52:03 -0500

I love shoes! But in these economic times, I have to take a break!! I am glad you posted the deal for $60! They are so cute!

Erica Watson

Community Manager

InnerRewards, Inc.
731 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
www.innerrewards.com

Shoes to make you forget about the economy

Susan Wagner — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 09:35:53 -0500

I'm a big believer in choosing carefully how you spend your clothing budget; I think there are pieces worth investing in and pieces for which you should never pay a lot. Tank tops, for example, fall into the second category -- buy the inexpensive ones from Old Navy, since they will only last one season anyway. Pieces that have any kind of life beyond this one season or this one trend -- wool trousers or the LBD -- are worth spending a little more on, always.

I am also not a fan of cheap shoes; you can get a great pair of jeans for nothing, but typically, cheap shoes will look, well, cheap. The combination of poor construction and flimsy materials make even the least expensive cheap shoes a waste of money.

Usually.

A couple of weeks ago, a PR rep contacted me about reviewing a pair of shoes; they were knock offs of some beautiful (and astronomically pricey) Christian Laboutins. I said yes, partly because I was so convinced that they would be bad and I could use them to prove my point about shoes being an investment. But sometimes, I am wrong about these things, and this is one of those times.

The shoes are adorable, but even more than that, they are well-made. They are not real leather, but the man-made materials are soft and pliable and substantial. Unlike most faux patent shoes, these don't feel like plastic; they feel like leather. The footbed is cushioned and the heel is is sturdy (or you know, as sturdy as a heel that hight can be).

So far, I was impressed. But the terrible thing about sample shoes is that they come in pretty sizes, like 7, and my feet happen to be a 9, and what I really wanted to know about these shoes was how they fit. So I enlisted my visiting sister-in-law, who has a wee size 7 foot and wears sturdy flats most of the time, as my fit model.

She loved these.

The fit was true to size -- if anything, they were a little big, but as my sister-in-law pointed out, that's not a bad thing in a heel. She suggested a small pad in the front of the shoe, which would help with sizing and add extra cushion for the ball of the foot. She walked around my house and said that the shoes were comfortable and easy to walk in.

And the nearly 3-inch heel made her legs look incredible.

These J. G. Hook Mary Jane pumps are available at OneStopPlus.com; they come in suede and patent. And they retail for $59.99, which is really a steal.

While you're spiffing up your fall look with new shoes, here are some other BeautyHacks posts to help you out: Rachel Sarnoff has the 411 on great eco fashions, Heather Barmore shows you what a difference a great bra can make, and Poppy Buxom has fashion tips for those of us who have more hips and less cash than Kate Moss. Which is everyone, really.

BlogHer - Shoes to make you forget about the economy - Comments

I love shoes! But in these

Shoes to make you forget about the economy