Q) What’s more fun than watching popcorn kernels pop?
A) Watching shoe images fade in and out on a map of the USA.
Now appearing at a computer screen near you, Zappos presents Shoentertainment: a motion picture of a new kind. Watch as images of shoes fade in and out across the country. You’ll see who’s buying what where in real time: strappy sandals in southern California, proper pumps in Philly, and Weitzmans in Washington.
It’s addicting, especially during peak shopping hours. Shoe Diva’s not a poet, but something came over her as she sat, mesmerized by the changing shoe scene. Inspired, she wrote this little verse:
Her shoes are red,
His shoes are blue.
See something sweet?
We’ll ship them to you!
Then, she tried it. Shoe Diva clicked on one of the shoe images that dotted the shoescape. And, guess what? Those clever folks at Zappos linked her right to the product page for the shoe she’d seen on the map. A totally new way to find shoes. Just say, “I’ll have what she’s having.” Click on the Zap Map and they can be yours, too!
Shoe Diva thinks she takes pretty good care of her shoes. Excellent care, in fact. Never would she have guessed that at times she actually abuses her beloved shoes. Imagine her horror when—after reading Ferragamo’s Golden Rules of Shoe Care—she realized she could be accused of mistreating her shoes. Who knew?
While these rules pertain primarily to the care of men’s shoes, we could all be more mindful of the manner in which we treat our shoes, especially in economic times like these. So, here, for our mutual edification, are the 8 Golden Rules of Shoe Care:
A new pair of shoes should never be worn for many consecutive hours. Once your feet are completely accustomed to the shoes, you can begin to wear them all day.
Never wear the same pair of shoes two days in a row. Let them rest for at least a day before wearing them again.
Always use a shoehorn when putting on your shoes.
Before removing a lace-up shoe, loosen the laces completely so the shoe slips off more easily.
Once shoes are taken off, insert the made-to-measure shoetrees.
Shoetrees should also be used when shoes are wet from rain or snow. In this case, the shoes should not be rested on the soles but on their sides, and left to dry for an entire day.
Each time you wear a pair of shoes they should be cleaned and polished, even when they still look shiny.
If a pair of shoes aren’t worn for some time, coat them with a thin layer of polish, put them in the cloth sack provided, and keep them soles down in a box.
Shoe Diva routinely ignores # 3, 5, 7, and 8. How do you measure up? Do you think we should declare these rules N/A for women?
Call it a grab bag. Or a Shoe of the Month Club. Whatever you call it, Shoe Dazzle aims to surprise–and hopefully delight–members month after month with a pair of shoes selected especially for them. Founded by Kim Kardashian, this sizzling shoe concept provides a personalized shoe wardrobe that’s been selected by a team of stylists based on each member’s individual responses to a fashion and personality quiz.
If you take the quiz, you’ll be shown look book photos and asked five types of questions:
From a trio of runway looks, which model would you select as the best dressed?
From a trio of shoe styles, which shoe do you like the most?
From a trio of fashion brands, which do you like the most?
From a trio of celebrities, which one’s fashion sense do you admire most?
Then there are a handful of wrap-up questions like recreational interests, age, dress size, shoe size, and a chance to rank your five fave shoe colors.
The terms seem flexible enough–shoes ship out free, returns are permitted, and there are no minimum buys. At $39 per month, this new twist on shoe shopping may be enough to coax a smile from recessionistas who’ve grown weary of shopping in their own closets.Shoe Diva signed up today and is eagerly awaiting the stylists’ shoe suggestions, which should arrive via email in a couple of days. I wonder if I’ll get something I like…
Of course they are your Louboutins. And you can do whatever you want with them, I suppose. But coloring those beautiful red soles over with a black Sharpie marker?
Really, I’d have expected a creative like you to be more respectful of a fellow artisan’s work. How would you feel if someone defaced your creations by scribbling on them?
I’ve been a fan of yours for many years. Even stood by you through that sabbatical of yours. But I cannot fathom how you’d stoop as low as this–even if you did delegate the dirty deed to your Wardrobe Mistress.
Please apologize to M. Louboutin. And the rest of us.
40,000 square feet of SoHomania. And $20 million to $25 million in construction costs.
That’s what’s in store for shoppers at Manhattan’s Topshop, as the London-based retailer debuts its version of rock ‘n’ roll merchandising on Thursday at Broadway and Broome. It’s hardly business as usual with DJs like LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy, Justine D, The Whip and other surprise acts flooding the space with tunes from their mezzanine level booth.
Whether music will move shoppers to move merchandise remains to be seen, but Topshop does have plenty of boogie shoes to be sure you’ll steal your next scene. Like the <yeow!> yellow SACHI 2 platform pump shown here, guaranteed to get you a taxi. The mid-budget fast-fashion chain offering great London street style may be just what every recessionista needs in times like these. But beware the queues, and to make the most of your virgin visit, read the survival guide before you go.
“But isn’t the New York City fashion girl utterly glutted with cheap chic imports, from Zara to H&M? Is it possible that, like an elusive love partner, the special appeal of Topshop has resided in its inaccessibility?” queries Meredith Bryan, writing for the New York Observer earlier this week.
We’ll leave that for you to decide.
Although Topshop doesn’t officially open the doors until April 2nd, they’ve been getting around town this week with their Heartschallenger van, giving out goody bags and gift cards worth $5 to $500. If you’re in the city, you can stalk the van using their GPS tracker; they’ll be handing out goodies through April 1st.
And if you’re not a New Yorker, don’t despair: CEO Sir Philip Green has hinted at future stateside locations in locations like Miami, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Boston.
In these, shall we say, challenging economic times, a girl needs all the help she can get when it comes to rounding up money for a non-negotiable shoe purchase. Here’s a creative rendition of our condition. Enjoy!
Especially when the trash is handpicked from Barneys’ discards and collaged onto a red-soled shoe by Christian Louboutin. And even more so when each pair of paradoxical peep-toe pumps is a one-of-a-kind creation, available exclusively at Barneys New York. Only then, perhaps, can one justify a $995 price tag for a shoe that’s been cobbled together from trash.
Mon cher M. Louboutin is undoubtedly a marketing genius, but Shoe Diva suggests we momentarily divert our attention from Christian the charismatic designer, to address instead the women he dresses. What is it that moves a woman to buy a très chère shoe like the PVC-coated couture trash retread?
Although they aren’t as exclusive as his Marie Antoinette capsule collection design, guillotined from production at 36 pairs, the Barneys Trash heels are more unique than the usual Louboutin design, due to their one-of-a-kind stature. Perhaps it’s this extra-ordinary quality that levitates a lady’s longing for a pair. When red-soled status becomes ubiquitous in the circles in which one circulates, a style like this trashy shoe sets one apart from the crowd, giving them a leg up on the competition.
Or perhaps there is a more noble reason to buy these trashy heels. Because each owner is the sole beneficiary of that particular combination of découpaged derivatives, a purchase could, in effect, be construed as an investment in an original piece of art. And art’s worth, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. So, any original price is, at best, an approximation of the perceived value of a given work, and as such, subject to future speculation and subsequent market appraisals.
What do you think? Why do women buy a shoe like this? Do you regard certain shoe purchases as artwork acquisitions rather than fashion? If so, what characteristics converge to constitute that designation in your mind’s eye?
