These Boots Are Made For Spendin'

($690, maisonmartinmargiela.com)

I've deemed these cut-out silver-heeled Maison Martin Margiela leather boots worthy of my $690! Congrats! 

Blue Boots Are The New Black Boots

The other morning on the train to work, I had a little epiphany. No, not that the train smelled like piss -- oh, believe me though, it certainly did. I realized that this spring, or whenever I can finally stop wearing my winter boots every day like I have for the past financial quarter or whatever, I'm going to be investing in a pair of blue boots and wear them where and when I'd usually wear black boots. It's all about getting the blue right, though. I'm thinking navy, but then I saw these Jeffrey Cambpell "Lita" boots. True blue.

($155, Jeffrey Campbell, Bonadrag.com)

Why Buy: Cougar Snow Boots

($200, CougarBoots.com)

Welcome back to Why Buy, people! Why Buy is where we try something awesome and tell you why you should buy it. Today's thing you should DEFINITELY buy is a pair of Cougar Boots. (Disclosure: I was sent a pair to review by the kindly people at Matchstick).

Okay, you know that sigh of relief you either think in your head or actually audibly emit when you collapse into a comfy couch (Side note: Is there ANYTHING better than a comfy couch to come home to? Well, besides a comfy bed. But the comfy couch is your first stop before a comfy bed. You really need both. As usual, it appears I have digressed greatly)? Well that is EXACTLY what happened, both literally and figuratively, when I stepped into my new pair of Cougar Ringo Star boots when I unboxed them.

I got my Ringo Star boots in black, and they're nylon (with suede trim) and lined with what must be heaven-sent baby lamb's wool but is actually synthetic fur that just FEELS like baby lamb's wool. These things are like wearing a warm blanket. Oh, and since they're Canadian, they're built to withstand serious chill, severe weather, and they say "house," it sounds like "moose." (Just joking on that last part, but I WISH these boots talked.)

More selling points! They lace all the way up to just below my knee, and you can fold them down so they make this great faux-fur cuff effect. And they're quietly rugged (like a fancy lumberjack), and I'd even go so far as to say that you could wear them as "cute boots" and not just snow boots. Or both! Julie Christie as Lara in "Dr. Zhivago" would've worn these as they would've matched her babushka perfectly. Sigh... Russia.

Cougar also makes tons of rain boots, like these Regal rain boots, which are a cool take on motorcycle boots:

... as well as this particularly intriguing, though not necessarily Russian, pair I also like.

($124, Cougar Boots, Zappos.com)

Urban Outfitters MADE Me Buy These Black Boots! + PROMO CODES!

DAMN, you Urban Outfitters. You led me right back into temptation again, didn't you? Knowing full well that I'm nearly powerless to you. Especially when you dangle a promo code in front of my nose.

While shopping for THIS awesome gift for my husband (I don't wanna post it directly because he reads this from time to time), I kinda had to get myself a reward of some sort for finding him such an AWESOME present.  Enter, these black leather hiking boots!

($88, Ecote, UrbanOutfitters.com)

I love the wooden stacked heel and the metal D-rings. Hopefully they'll deliver in the cuteness category once I receive them.

($39.99, Cooperative, UrbanOutfitters.com)

I also fully support these really sweet Sherpa-lined Cooperative black boots with a stacked heel. They're on sale!

AND promo code "HEREYOUGO" saves you $25 on $100 and more. GET IT!

The 3 Best Shoes I Bought This Year

This was a pretty good year for the economy, for iPad owners, and for me, because I bought some puhretty sweet shoes. Here are three of the best pairs of shoes I purchased this year. (In case you were wondering.)

1.) Ce Ce Chin Sloan Black Lace Pump

The kind people at Shoeaficionado.com, which is like Gilt Groupe but strictly for shoes, sent me a gift certificate for a free pair, and I got these Ce Ce Chin -- she's the designer behind 80%20 -- black lace overlay pumps with a beaded heel inspired by vintage perfume bottles.

Here's a better image of the heel's detail:

I wear them with black skinny jeans or my black Diane Von Furstenberg wrap dress.

2.)  Matiko Leila Studded Loafers

($119.50, Matiko, Solestruck.com)

I got these Matiko studded loafers back in July at Solestruck, which has a really excellent collection of boutique brands at affordable prices. They're obviously um, "inspired" by Christian Louboutins. I love them, but within just a few months, some of the studs fell off, and by this point the heels are starting to get small holes in them, though mainly because I guess I walk like somewhat of a total freak. They're deep within the winter of their lives, but for $100, they were well worth it. 

 

3.) Haus Of Price Seashell Booties

($245, Haus Of Price, StantonJames.com)

Yes, indeed I did spend over $100 on black booties covered in seashells. I got these Haus Of Price handmade booties from StantonJames, which I WISH had a location in New York, by the way, and they are absolutely my everything. When I unboxed them, it was like unboxing a thrill, and not even my husband's "were those an arts and crafts project made by residents of a nursing home" inquest was enough to dissuade my instant love. They're SUPER comfortable, and my only complaint is that some of the shells got crushed, but that's the price you pay for wearing shoes covered in real shells. It's a risk worth taking. Anyway, my Haus Of Price booties mean the world to me, they are my everything. Essentially, they're the bootie version of my favorite Toni Braxton song.

Welcome To New York City, Dr. Martens!

 

New York City just got a little '90s-er, because Dr. Martens, which just turned 50 years young (really, he looks AMAZING for 50) FINALLY opened a Doc shop in Soho. It's not only the first in New York, but it's the first on the East Coast. Can you even? I was invited to check out the store the other week, and let me tell you, 1992 me was FREAKING OUT. And so was 2010 me.

The brand-new Dr. Martens shop is cozy and inviting and smartly adorned in the signature black and yellow of the very first pair of Docs I ever owned 18 years ago (shudder) and wore to a Violent Femmes show PRAYING they'd get all scuffed up and even-cooler looking.


Check out some of my favorite Dr. Martens from the Spring/ Summer 2011 collection and some photos I snapped of my favorite Docs. The animal print Docs are musts, and the patent leather teal floral embossed Darcies need to find their way into my closet IMMEDIATELY.

($130, DMUSAStore.com)

Dr. Martens New York

148 Spring Street
10012  

Feelin' It: Dolce Vita for Target

A weekend trip to New Jersey means a trip to Target, which is cause for celebration enough. Add in Labor Day weekend, and suddenly it's back-to-school shopping (without the school): double yay! Then, the cherry on top: a designer collab I'd completely forgotten about and, to be frank, kind of written off. I saw the pics for the Dolce Vita for Target collection a few weeks back but wasn't really into them, even though I'm a fan of Dolce Vita shoes and have a bunch of them. Somehow, in person, the boots didn't seem quite so pirate-y, and the flats were a little more special.


Lace-up boots, $34.99. I'm not usually one for lace-up boots, but I decided I could try to be one. Like my fearless coblogger! Also these have a handy diagonal zipper up the side that means you only have to fix the laces to your liking once (they're still functional). And the faux leather is of pretty high quality. Beware, this shoe for some reason runs at LEAST a full size large; I got a 7 when I usually wear an 8.



Studded ballet flats, $29.99. The major selling points for these are the tiny understated studs and the square ballet shoe–like toe. These run a tad small; I should probably have gotten a half-size up, as I now see the reviews are telling me. Why can't they standardize the sizing? Cute, though. Sold!

Some other back-to-school finds:


Mossimo boyfriend cardigan, $20. Leggings, boots, done.



Mossimo lace inset cardigan, $22.99. Cardigans are pretty much a staple of my fall wardrobe, so. Why not?

Anyone else feeling the DV for Targs?

Furry Moon Boots? Check!

Longtime readers know I'm always jonesing for moon-booty winter-footwear options. This winter, there were no such agonizing (or there will be less agonizing), because I have purchased this year's model. Behold:



Vintage Pajar fur boots, $28 from Goodwill's online auction site. Actually I'm just assuming they are vintage, but I'm positive they are going to rock my socks.

Shopgoodwill.com: worth poking around!

Buying, Mulling, Denying

Feeling just a TAD out of control with the purchasing lately. Like, I really DID need a new pair of black boots for the season. But...did I need two? Probably not, but they were relatively cheap, and so I will not indulge the little guilt monster that whispers maybe I should return one. However, I am instituting a waiting period on any other footwear purchases, and I'm even going to deny myself certain wants. I am so mature!

BUYING:

First I bought these Steven by Steve Madden "Intyce" boots, $129. I actually have two other pairs of boots in this style, with the very slight wedge heel and the buckle(s) on the side, but I love them and wear them all the time, and I think they work for a shit ton of outfits. AND they were only $96 with Piperlime's 25% off coupon (down to tk% off today, then poof!).

And then, a little birdie dissed them for being flat, and I started looking around for a cool heeled pair, and LO! Camper makes a boot in the Rachael style, of which I already have two sandals!

Camper "Rachael" boot, $145.65. Just can't get enough of that heel, I guess. UPDATE: Returned. Too skinny for my calves. *sadface*


MULLING:

Forever 21 "Ashton" T-strap clogs, $29.80. Saw these on a girl shot for Racked street-style thing, and damn, I just think they're hot. Obviously they're not going to be high-quality shoes. But worth the risk of them falling apart? UPDATE: BOUGHT! AWESOME! COMPLIMENTS! YES!


DENYING:

Vintage pony-hair moccasins, $64. I'm not getting these. Thought about it, but just don't think I can rock them as they were meant to be rocked. I do think they are superawesome though. One of you get them! (Tamar??)

I Found The Ugliest Shoes MAYBE EVER!

($35.69, Wild Rose, Cutesygirl.com)

I was JUST talking to a friend about how online shopping addictions have become truly problematic. And then THIS landed in my inbox. HALLELUJAH! I'M CURED! These freak-nasty boots are like methadone to my shopping addiction.

I Bought It: Ugg Clog Boots

Welp, it happened. I succumbed to clogs. Uh, and Uggs. In one fell swoop. I had time to kill before a hair appointment yesterday, so I wandered into a shoe store I'd never been in on Smith Street in Brooklyn. And, flush with fall fever, I purchased these clog boots:




UGG Lynnea clog boots in espresso suede, $180. I agonized over the color for a while, and determined that since I have no chocolate-colored boots, I should get them in chocolate, and plus, the brown were just speaking to me. I really freakin' love these boots!

But, I have a QUESTION: I now see they come in black leather, too, which they didn't have in the store.


Should I return them and get the black leather ones from Zappos? More versatile? More practical weather-wise? Or too ubiquitous a color in my closet? Weigh in, please!

Can We Allow This: One-Of-A-KInd Belted, Wackadoo Boots By Luxury Jones

($380, Luxury Jones, Needsupply.com)

I like boots, luxury, and vintage accessories. And I also like creativity! Do I want all three of those things all at the same time? Ehhh? Probably not. You?

Doc Martens Fall 2010 Gold Flocked Floral Boots

($120, Dr Martens, Dmusastore.com)

I asked myself WHY would I want gold, glittery, flocked Doc Martens boots. But then I asked myself the more revelant question: why WOULDN'T I want flocked floral Doc Martens, hmm? They're perfect for fall mornings when you wake up late, don't really feel like "getting dressed" and just throw them on with black leggings and a solid black dress. One of those "your shoes ARE your outfit" outfits.

Look, I know they're wackadoo and look like a couch your parents probably have in the basement no one ever goes into anymore, but while my head is saying "no," my heart is saying "let's go." Oh yeah, get 20% off Doc Martens with promo code FALL2010 through 9/15/2010. You're WELCOME.

Two Pairs Of Shoes By Which I Cannot Abide

I consider myself a fairly tolerant, accepting person. However there are a few things I cannot abide by. One of those things? These Cindy Says Keegan heels...

($142, Cindy Says, Endless.com)

I mean, they're platforms. Covered in pony hair. And feathers. And studs. And some kind of gem thing. They have whipstitching. And they lace up. And they have a fabric welt. The only thing they don't have is even the most remote shred of decency. And don't even get me started on the tan and orange version.


Hard to say which is more offensive. They both have their own separate list of bullet pointed atrocities.

Meanwhile, these Doc Martens for Opening Ceremony Darcie boots?...

($300, Doc Martens, Opening Ceremony)

True, I DO have the black version of these Darcie Docs. And I LOVE these gold flocked Docs. But while I do LOVE animal print, this is proof that animal print can be used for both good AND evil. There's just something '70s-in-the-bad-way about the print. It looks like a fabric batik wall hanging that my mom mounted on a hula hoop and hung on the wall of our basement rec room back in 1982. True story.

+ On a related note: Hello Kitty Doc Martens

Hello, Hello Kitty Doc Martens

Doc Martens and Hello Kitty are throwing a joint birthday party, and you know that rarely works out the way you want it to. One person will invite more friends, but more of the other person's friends will end up showing up, and then it's awkward when everyone doesn't like mesh well, and you don't even end up having fun because since everyone isn't just magically gel-ing, you have to introduce everyone and it kind of ends up feeling lame, and the drinks were too expensive, and you really didn't want to have your party in the Upper East Side anyway. That's definitely the last year you're doing that.

The point is, joint birthdays rarely work, but these Hello Kitty Doc Martens are pretty effing precious. But, like most licensed apparel, should ONLY be worn if you were born after 1994. And/or spend all of your free time on LiveJournal.

($165, Doc Martens, Dmusastore.com)

($135, Doc Martens, Dmstoreusa.com)

+ Related stuff: HILARIOUS '90s Tumblr.

Booted Up For Fall

If I had a spare $3,000 conveniently (and discreetly) located in the safety box of my bosom, I would snatch up each of these absolutely gorgeous booties for Fall. Since I don't I'll just have to be content ogling them from my computer screen.....
All styles available at shopbop.com (+Free Shipping both ways)









From the top: Proenza Schouler, Thakoon, Sergio Rossi, Camilla Skovgaard, Giuseppe Zanotti, Giuseppe Zanotti, Belle by Sigerson Morrison, Modern Vintage Shoes

I Can Has Hasbeen Candy-Colored Boots?

(Apprx $397 USD, Hasbeen, Swedishhasbeens.com)

Um, WHAT could be sweeter than lace-up leather boots the color of candy dots? I want Hasbeens (a resurrected '70s staple) in EVERY color. INCLUDING, but not limited to... beige:

($339, Hasbeens, Endless.com)

And Endless has a sick selection of Hasbeens. Love this camel-colored boot.