Now here’s a house I think we’d all like a tour of: Christian Louboutin and other fashion designers invited author Marie Bariller into their luxurious private homes, the book Fashion Designers at Homewas the result…Columnist Liz Jones at The Daily Mail (UK) weighs in on the trend toward loafers and moccasins…FabSugar spots another trend: conical heels…Is there a correlation between heel height and national mood? Is the 120mm heel “responsible for our current woes?” Read and discuss.

My good friends at The Shoe Dish just tagged me with the Premio blogging award — thanks so much Shoe Dish!

In turn, I am passing along the award to my favorite blogs — most are shoe/fashion blogs, but I’m throwing in one smart and funny celebrity blog for good measure.

Shoeflair
ShoeSmitten
Fashionista
ShoeThatFits
StyleFrizz
The Coveted
Celebritology

London-based footwear designer Beatrix Ong (who trained with Jimmy Choo; a selection from her S/S ‘08 collection is shown at left) is getting financial backing from the Jaeger clothing brand…Celebrity stylist Philip Bloch saves Keisha Whitaker from gladiator-based fashion faux pas…Over 1,000,000 pairs of FitFlops have been sold - demonstrating once and for all that adding the word “Fit” to anything will make it a hit (FitFantasticToe.com, anyone?)…Diane Sawyer indulged in the increasingly popular fish pedicure - wherein live fish chew away at the dead skin on your feet - on Good Morning America yesterday…If you’re into this sort of thing, this is the thing for you…Shoes are always on  Shoedish’s mind.

In a follow-up to a piece from last week, James Brown’s platform shoes – in a lot of 10 pairs – sold for $15,000 at the auction of his belongings conducted by Christie’s last week…Protecting their right to be uniquely ugly, Crocs has brought a patent and trade dress lawsuit against Skechers USA Inc., alleging that some of their models infringe on Crocs’ designs…Heels just keep getting higher, prompting some women to – wait for it – undergo cosmetic toe amputation to make wearing skyscraper heels more comfortable…You’ve heard of wearing your heart on your sleeve, right? Now you can wear your money on your shoe… According to their blog From The Floor, Nordstrom may get more Dior extreme gladiators sandals in this month – call your sales person!

The first shoe collection by Rag & Bone - the label started in Kentucky by two men who, according to their web site, “were unable to buy the jeans that they wanted to wear” - hits stores in November…Today’s Trend Alert from FabSugar: lace-up oxfords. The 80s really are back…The Fashion Spot blog spots scrunchy boots as the next big thing…Nicholas Kirkwood (the creator of these utterly wack shoes) has been tapped by Italian fashion house Pollini to revitalize its line of accessories…Manolo Blahnik wrote the foreword to famous fashionista Camilla Morton’s new book A Year in High Heels, to wit: “She is witty beyond belief, a wonder with words, and knows fashion like a medic would know the human body…” - the book is available now in the UK, in a couple months in the US: A Year in High Heels: The Girl’s Guide to the Seasons

Online Sale Alert: The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is going on now!

Summertime, and the shoe news really isn’t all that plentiful! If you feel like dishing a bit more on Project Runway, have a look at this online chat hosted by The Washington Post’s Pulitzer-winning Fashion Editor Robin Givhan…Raymond Scott, recently arrested on suspicion of stealing a prized 400-year-old volume of Shakespeare and profiled in this Washington Post article, “said he remembered the moment he realized how much better the best was. He was 18, and he had slipped his feet into handmade Italian leather shoes.” Well, duh!

Twenty shoe designers - among them Betsey Johnson (whose sketch is shown at right) and Manolo Blahnik - are recreating Dorothy’s ruby slippers to commemorate the 70^th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz. The shoes will be shown during Fashion Week in New York in September, and at Art Basel Miami in December…And in the “It helps to have relatives in high places” category, Jimmy Choo’s niece Michele Pritchard started her own line of shoes, opened a boutique, and threw a launch party (attended by Jimmy Choo)…Izzy Lane, the ethical fashion label, has created a line of gorgeous shoes in faux leather and snakeskin, all of which have been approved by the Vegetarian Society…I wasn’t even aware this was an issue, but apparently stubby-toed folks have a hard time finding flattering sandals! Here, from FabSugar are some sandals that address this very disturbing problem.

Not ones to quit while they’re ahead, the suits at HBO have started talks for another Sex And The City movie…FabSugar brings us a hilariously-named yet still-questionable celebrity trend, the gladiator tuck…Last month we learned that moccasins are back, this month’s retro revival: loafers!…Courtesy of the fabulous Shoeflair, we learn about Kathryn Kerrigan, who designs stylish and comfortable shoes for women with larger feet…Italian footwear king Cesare Paciotti has re-opened his humongous retail store on Madison Avenue, after 6 months of renovations. It’s gawgeous! (Photo at left: Adrian Wilson/Courtesy of Cesare Pacotti)…CFDA-winning footwear designer Jessie Randall is expanding her line to include women’s clothing…Set your DVR: The new season of Project Runway starts tonight!

Gracious, it’s a slow shoe news day, we only have a few items. First up is a biggie, via the Kromstyle blog: The Manolo Blahnik spring/summer sale - where shoes are 50% off - is going on this week at the Manolo Blahnik Boutique, 31 West 54th Street, NYC…And, as long as we’re talking shoe sales in NYC, the Jimmy Choo sample sale is happening today and tomorrow at Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 W. 18th St., near Sixth Ave…I think it’s safe to say we all pretty much agree with this Tim Gunn quote…If ever an article begged for a slide show, this one does; post some pictures, Footwear News!…Liz Smith and Candace Bergen both judge men by their footwear.

This month, we have three exclusive offers on tap for Fantastic Toe members:

Foot Petals: Foot Petals is a very cool site that offers products to “those of us who have a love/hate relationship with our sexy shoes.” Meaning, we love to wear high heels, but boy do they hurt our feet sometimes! Foot Petals has tons of really innovative and useful products - including virtually invisible foot cushions, arch supports, and strappy strips - that make shoes more comfortable and stop annoying, painful issues. And, from now through August 31, because you’re a member of Fantastic Toe, you can save 15% on your Foot Petals order. Navigate to our Offers page to learn how to claim your 15% discount (you must be logged in to view offer details).

Shoe Stör: Shoe Stör clear shoe boxes are a great way to organize your shoe collection! They stack easily, and let you see which shoes are where. Shoe Stör is currently sponsoring a contest on Fantastic Toe: From now through August 8, 2008, when you add one or more pictures to your Fantastic Toe collection, you will be automatically entered to win a free 5-pack of clear shoe boxes! The more photos you upload, the more chances you have to win (each photo = one chance). We will award 2 winners through a random drawing, and we’ll notify you by email if you win.

Fantastic Toe: Don’t forget to claim your free gift when you join Fantastic Toe! To see what it is, and how to claim it, navigate to our Offers page (you must be logged in to view offer details).

This is only the beginning of the offers we will be extending to Fantastic Toe members! If you’re not a member yet, click here to join - it’s completely free, and it’s the only way to start taking advantage of these exclusive offers.