Shoe Diva's Ruby Slipper Society

Criss-cross is undeniably sexy, and this slate blue silk sandal from Burberry has got corset-style seduction coming and going.  Upfront, the halter style ankle strap heralds the message and the grommeted lace-up back seals the deal.  And Shoe Diva thinks those 5-inch cone heels stand in for an exclamation point!

Other designers doing the criss-cross ankle-sauce styling this season include Manolo Blahnik, Giuseppe Zanotti, Miu Miu, Prada, Tod’s and Sergio Rossi.

How do you like to wear your criss-cross?  Do you prefer them in the front, the back, or on both sides of the ankle?

What makes a perfect pairing?

In the wine world, classic pairings abound.  Champagne and caviar, certainly.  Fois gras and Sauterne,  sublime.  Stilton and Port, precisely.  And a great Napa Valley Cabernet can turn a steak dinner into a symphony.

But how about orchestrating a perfect pairing for a pedicure?  Wine would be a welcoming touch, and one that’s certainly included at Atlanta’s 29 Spa, where vinotherapy treatments rule.  Created by Lydia Mondavi, wife of vintner Robert Mondavi, Jr., the spa offers a delightful departure from the standard ten-toes-in-a-bowl routine with their waterless pedicure.  While you sip your wine (or anti-oxidant tea), your therapist gently wraps your feet in softly heated terry towels infused with a refreshing blend of mint, rose and tea tree oil to refresh, cool and cleanse your tootsies.  What follows is a gentle, moisturizing grape seed scrub to exfoliate and soften your skin, plus a calming massage.

And when you think it couldn’t possibly get any better, you spy a pair of strappy Manolo Blahniks in the display case across the room that match your polish du jour.  Just pick up the pedi phone and you’ll be connected to the Neiman-Marcus shoe salon right across Peachtree Street at Lenox Square.  And before your top coat dries, your shoes will be delivered directly to your freshly-polished feet, courtesy of the property’s personal butler.

Now that’s what I call a good shoe day.

With St. Paddy’s Day just around the bend, plenty of lovely lasses will be combing through their shoe collections looking for something green to wear.  Traditionally, our choices were limited to the likes of hunter, lime, and forest.  Today, choosing to go green can mean stepping over the clover-hued heels and into something more eco-friendly.

One company that does this, and does it without sacrificing style, is Charmoné.  Charmoné—which rhymes with harmony—is all about creating charming shoes in harmony with the earth.  Their mission is to create beautiful, luxurious, sexy shoes that are also sustainable and cruelty-free.  Every shoe incorporates European design and quality while using only animal-free, eco-friendly materials.

Six months ago, the Toe Zone chatted with Lauren Carroll, co-founder of Charmoné, about the philosophy behind their company and highlighted some of their fall designs.  Shoe Diva has looked long and hard for shoes that qualify as green and gorgeous, and I’m delighted to say Charmoné gets it: don’t make women sacrifice style for the sake of going green.  And this marvelous Mary Jane style called Marco Polo is a perfect example.  Made in Italy from embossed eco-friendly microfiber, this shoe is done in a high-tech PVC-free material that beautifully mimics leather.  Luckily, it comes in moss green, so you can now go green, in green, for St. Patrick’s Day.

Barbie would be thrilled with all the pink being shown for fall. One of her stylists spells it out, lest anyone miss it:

Q: What’s the top fall runway beauty trend I shouldn’t ignore?

A: Pink. Pink, pink and more pink. It’s a signature look of the season. And the best part? It’s totally versatile.

Indeed, Pantone 219 Pink is Barbie’s iconic shade. Once again, we are reminded that pink is a perennial neutral, as clearly demonstrated by this footage from Barbie’s 50th Anniversary runway show at New York Fashion Week.

Just in case you’re curious, here are 25 random things about Barbie:

1. I’ve been in the fashion biz for 50 years now.
2. But I still don’t look a day over 18.
3. I’ve had super smooth skin my whole life (I know, I’m lucky).
4. I’ve had over 100 jobs and careers, literally.
5. My closet is crazy. I own over 50,000 outfits.
6. I do a lot of modeling, but have never been tall enough to walk a runway.
7. I went to school in New York, but now I live in LA.
8. My feet were simply made for heels.
9. My main squeeze and I have been on-again-off-again for the past 48 years. Now, we’re on again.
10. I used to jazzercise in a unitard. Seriously.
11. I’ve been to the moon and back.
12. My philosophy? A great handbag can save any outfit.
13. I’m an animal lover at heart, and I own over 50 pets.
14. I have a serious thing for pink.
15. I never go out without my makeup on.
16. I love, love, love driving fast cars.
17. I’m a big sports fan and have been in the Olympics for gymnastics, figure skating and downhill skiing.
18. The beach is one of my favorite places: Malibu is just dreamy.
19. I still can’t believe I had a whole runway show at NY Fashion Week.
20. I’ve actually been in the military. The pentagon even gave me a seal of approval on my outfit!
21. I change my hairstyle almost as often as my clothes.
22. Over 70 designers have made custom outfits for me.
23. I once played in an 80s rock band. We were kind of a big deal.
24. I have four sisters: Skipper, Stacie, Kelly and Krissy.
25. I might be a household name, but really, I’m a doll just like you!

Pink IS ever cheerful, and who couldn’t use an injection of pink’s optimism right about now? Perhaps those who feel drawn to the Aggressive Black Shoe. But Shoe Diva thinks there’s room for both shoe strategies in our coping portfolio. When something’s bugging you—really driving you crazy—some days you want to stomp it into the ground, and other days you’re content to just look the other way. Kind of like Barbie’s on-again-off-again relationship with Ken.

Tell Shoe Diva what you think: Is pink the new black, again?

Ever the gracious host, Stuart Weitzman showed some restraint this week when he hosted an Oscar suite at the London West Hollywood. Rather than proffer shoes blinged to the max, he offered a display of chocolate shoes from Lee Gelfond Chocolate in Beverly Hills. Luscious as they may have been, the designs he was showing to the celebs and eds who stopped in were decidedly sleek, simple and elegant.

The new collection, which won’t be in stores until June, showed more rounded toes than before and trended toward more economically-correct styles, like the nude patent leather pump that’s been spotted on Katie Holmes.

Unlike Blahnik, Louboutin, and Choo, whose entry-level shoes start in the $500-$900 range, Weitzman is well-positioned as an entry-level luxury brand, starting around $300, which should stand him in good stead with the topsy-turvy state of retail these days.

And tonight until midnight, you can pick up a pair of Weitzman’s for just under $100. Firefly has 200+ styles to choose from. Go here.

Bergdorf has thirty. And I must say, there’s nothing demure about any of them. Each pair in this intrepid collection has earned the moniker Aggressive Black Shoe.

Difficult times require fearless shoes, I suppose. If ever a shoe could control an economy that’s slip sliding away from us, it would be a shoe like one of these. Consider the components of the Dior Safari Ankle-Tie Sandal shown here: Suede. Leather. Silver hardware. Cage toe. Platform. Studs. Corset-style ankle strap. Whip-like straps. Yeow!

Someone should appoint these shoes to Obama’s cabinet.

They both made her weak at the knees. She spends her days extolling the virtues of one man, and her nights sleeping beside the other.

Fear not: there’s no rivalry here. Her heart belongs to her husband. But her feet belong to Louboutin.

Amita Singh recalls the day she met her husband: “My parents had him over as an act of hospitality to my mom’s cousin. I had plans with friends that night. He had flowers for my mom and a bottle of scotch for my dad. I decided to cancel plans with my friends. We had drinks that night. We hit it off and decided to have lunch the next day. He asked me to be his girlfriend. At dinner, he asked me to marry him.”

And she accepted. After a six-month engagement, they married and moved to Paris. One thing led to another, and before long she was working for Christian Louboutin, back in the States. Now, she’s the store manager at Louboutin’s South Coast Plaza boutique, where Christian debuted his Marie Antoinette capsule collection yesterday.

She speaks about her first pair of Loubs as if they were her firstborn: “They were yellow, satin, peep-toe shoes. It has this embellishment. It’s round and it’s a beautiful flower. There’s pleating on the sides. It’s from 2003. I still wear them.”

Amita has quite a collection:”I was just counting the other day. I believe I have 18 to 20. My first pair is my favorite pair. I love when Christian saw them, he saw them and went ‘Whoa.’”

And she vividly recalls the first time she met Christian: “It was like when I met my husband – like I got all hot. When he left, my knees buckled and I fell to the ground. He was the biggest celebrity you could meet.”

Of course Christian is accustomed to women swooning. I suppose you could say he just takes it in stride.