Archive for the ‘Slides’ Category

Wooden-heeled shoes are very popular this season and come in many attractive styles. There is no better artist when that artist is Mother Nature. The natural beauty of the earthy wood grain paired with quality leather uppers on a beautifully designed shoe will add style and a timeless quality to your look.

Popular design features of wooden heeled shoes include beautiful sculpted and cutout wedges, clog-style studs and other hardware on sandals, sexy leather cutouts, and stunning shoe designs that will easily take you through Summer and into early Fall in style.

Such unique shoe designs that we are seeing this season often make it difficult to classify a shoe as a sandal, a wedge, or a clog. They resemble classic styles but have a completely modern spin. So, whether you shun the classic clog or love the throwback style, you’re sure to find a style that will suit your tastes!

As a follow up to our recent post on classic contemporary clogs, here are our top 10 picks for wooden heeled shoes that don’t exactly fit the classic clog design.

The alluring Elie Tahari Sage Clogs (shown below) are cage style sandals with a beautiful wooden heel and platform.   Bold and stylish, these sandals will certainly stand out in a crowd!

Check out these utterly fabulous and sexy Frye Dara Honeycomb Slingback Sandals (shown below).  It’s all in the details as you can see! I love the studs details on the leather upper and the woven leather that surrounds the wooden platform.

So chic are these Jimmy Choo ‘Urban’ Sandals (shown below) with their rich suede leather and golden studs atop a gorgeous earthy wooden heel and platform.

You’ll be right on trend in these Clog Sandals from Marc by Marc Jacobs (shown below).  I love the gorgeous leather and the tie front. The chunky heel and platform is well-balanced by the simple, yet flattering, 2 piece styling on the leather upper.

These edgy MIA Limited Edition ‘Adelphie’ Wedge Sandals (shown below) are styled with antiqued studs atop a sassy wooden wedge heel.

The MICHAEL Michael Kors ‘Sycamore’ Wedge Sandals (shown below) are styled with wide leather straps are tunneled through the sculpted wooden heel of a chic platform sandal fitted with an adjustable buckle.

So unique and stylish are these Rachel Comey Badger Twist Platform Sandals (shown below).  I love the lines on this sandal!  The unique leather straps and ankle wrap on the upper and the earthy solid wood heel and platform just seem to come together perfectly. They are a bit pricey but the quality is superior and the style is timeless making this a worthy investment.

These Ralph Lauren Collection Timila Sandals (shown below) have classic styling with studs and a braided leather rope around the ankle. The wooden, tapered high heel is offset by a generous platform for comfort, and the burnished leather upper are studded with gold.

The See by Chloe Wodden Wedge Sandals (shown below) is without a doubt my favorite of this selection. I love the modern, yet earthy design of these shoes and they will easily take you from Summer into Fall.

These Stuart Weitzman Apron Clog Sandals (shown below) came out early this Spring and are great transition shoes for Fall.  If you are having trouble finding your size in this popular sandals, check out this online retailer.

For Earth Day, I’d like to recognize some great shoe brands that have shown that you don’t have to sacrifice style if you want to wear shoes that are eco-friendly and socially-responsible. In the past, “eco-friendly” shoes have gotten a reputation of being plain and rather boring. Today, however, the growing awareness of the need for environmentally friendly footwear has also led to wider variety of designs and styles to choose from in recently years.

Here are just a few notable eco-friendly shoe brands that have impressive designs.

OlsenHaus

OlsenHaus is a 100% vegan shoe brand, which means they use no leather, fur, wool or silk. Shoe materials include ultra suede, organic cotton, canvas, nylon, velvet, linen, and cork. The use of these kinds of material contribute to far less pollution and, since they do not use leather, they utilize only a fraction of the energy it takes to process or tan leather. Their shoes are made in Central America where there factories are monitored for fair trade practices, fair wages and proper facilities. Visit their website for more information on their philosophy and practices for making eco-friendly shoes.

olsenHaus Berlin Mary Jane Pump

olsenHaus Journey Flat

olsenHaus Destiny Flat

Cri de Couer

Certified carbon-neutral and cruelty-free, Cri de Coeur is changing the face of the fashion footwear market. Their shoes are made by hand as much as possible, and are uniquely crafted for durability using 100% vegan materials and sustainable processes. With each purchase, they sponsor a tree to be planted to help with reforestation efforts around the world. Cri de Coeur’s mission is to strive for ethical and sustainable practices in everything they do, without sacrificing style or wearability.

Cri de Coeur Stella Zip Sandal

Cri de Coeur Lizzy T-Strap

Cri de Coeur Elegance Sandal

Beyond Skin

Beyond Skin is an English ethical footwear label operating in an environmentally friendly manner that is non-exploitative to humans and animals. Cruelty- and sweatshop-free, Beyond Skin is produced in Spain, promoting ethically sound and energy-efficient working practices that prove fashion and ethics can go hand-in-hand. All packaging and promotional material is either recycled or from a sustainable source and printed using vegetable-based inks, and a percentage of Beyond Skin profits go to a selection of ethical charities. The collection encapsulates glamour and taste, while remaining true to the Beyond Skin philosophy which is to create gorgeous, ethical footwear for discerning style-led women.

Beyond Skin Marina Slingback Sandal

Beyond Skin San Jose Sandal

Beyond Skin Bob T-Strap Pump

El Naturalista

The brand El Naturalista (The Naturalist) originates from La Roja, Spain- an area reknowned for their artisan shoemakers. They know their trade, their quality and how to strike a healthy balance between traditional and modern shoes. Their products are universal, adaptable, and nature-inspired.

El Naturalista Rana Thar Sandal

El Naturalista N402 Wedge Sandal

El Naturalista N435 Sandal

Lastly, I’d just like to mention one other brand- Naya- that I recently wrote about. Eco-friendly Naya shoes are the the latest line of shoes from the Brown Shoe company. Their collection offers a very affordable selection of eco-friendly footwear made with sustainable materials, nickel free buckles and chrome-free leather, ranging around $100-150.

Looking for a new pair of sandals to complete your Summer shoe collection or would just like something new to wear?  Now is a great time to get some fantastic deals on Summer sandals!   Some of the best deals can be found at 6pm.com.   Here are just a few of the great deals.

Shown here in bronze, the Madeline Cheri sandal is also available in brown.  Get these strappy sandals on sale for $29.33.

These cute wedge cut out sandals by Nine West are also available in taupe.  The Nine West Twisted sandal is on sale for $37.95.

These platform sandals are available in bronze (shown here), black, white, or purple.  Get the NaNa Wozard sandal on sale for $41.40.

These sandals by Lumiani can be dressed up or down.  I have these shoes and love the off white color.   Get the Lumiani  Celeste sandal on sale for for $36.23.

Shown here in bronze, these flat t-strap sandals by Ros Hommerson also come in black, white or bone leather or with a cork upper.  Get these  Ros Hommerson Elizabeth sandals for $33.93

6pm.com has deals that are up to 75% of retail. Click below to find more deals on Summer sandals and more!

Shoes with cut out details in the heels are a trend that has been gaining popularity over the last few years.  These cut out designs can be seen in many shoe collections, from high-end designer shoes to their lower-end counterparts.  This season, there are some interesting variations among the cut out wedge designs we are seeing and they range from the extreme statement to the contemporary modern styles.

Below, Giuseppe Zanotti, puts a large cut out in the platform that spans the entire length of the shoe which gives quite a dramatic effect that appears to defy gravity.   Other designers, such as Italian designer, Enio Silla, of Le Silla has designed a shoe with a traditional stiletto heel and a cut out in the platformed front of the sole.

With clear acrylic leather-lined upper and a such a large cut out in the platform of this sandal, this sandal by Giussepe Zanotti gives the illusion of walking on air.

You can get this Giuseppi Zanotti sandal at Endless Shoes or Zappos

There are 2 things that I like about Charles David Shoes….their amazing fashion forward designs and their affordable prices.

The Charles David Jester feature strappy patent leather in pearlized brown or black, gold tone studded accents, and an approximately 4 inch heel and 3/4 inch platform.The Charles David Jester Wedge Sandal is available at Endless Shoes,  

When I think of Calvin Klein, I think of clean, classic, and chic designs.   The Calvin Klein Yabb has all this as well as an ultra modern silhouette that can be seen in the side view below.

This sandal features snake-embossed leather upper with elastic straps at the ankle.  Also available in brown elastic/cream snake-embossed leather.

The  Calvin Klein – Yabb Wedge Sandal is available at Zappos or at Endless Shoes

In addition to a sleek cut out design, these sandals feature lovely contrast stitching and polished grommets.  Striking in this orange leather, this sandal by Charles David is also available in black, white, dark brown, or camel.

The Charles David – Gynnie Sandal is available at Zappos or at  Endless Shoes.

Here is a another great design from Charles David.  The contrast of the white croc-embossed leather with the lacquered cut out wedge heel emphasizes the clean and sophisticated style of this sandal.   If you do not already have white sandals, the Charles David Jojo is a great option.  Also available in dark brown or turquoise.   The  Charles David – Jojo Wedge is available at Zappos and Piperlime shoes

This shoe embodies the chic minimalistic style that Calvin Klein is known for.  Here the design focus is in the sleek curves and silhouette of the platform with a teardrop shaped cut out.  The upper is made of calfskin leather and elastic banding at front and back of heel.  The  Calvin Klein Yiri Sandal is available at Zappos.

The Calvin Klein Yarah is a simple sleek design tailored for a sophisticated style.  The port red patent leather upper is so rich, a standout color perfect for Summer.  Also available in white or black patent.   The Calvin Klein Yarah Slide is available at Endless shoes and at Zappos.

These cut out wedge sandals by Frye are fun and flirty in this, not too bright and not too pale, yellow leather upper.  The t-strap is embellished with metal beads.  Also available in dark brown or papaya leather.   The  Frye Annabelle T-Strap Sandal is available at Endless shoes and at Zappos.

This t-strap design from Jessica Bennett features ivory, dark and light brown leather straps and cupped heel with adjustable ankle strap.  The whimsical cut outs across the platform are unique and are sure to get attention!

The Jessica Bennett Kione T-Strap Platform Wedge is available at Endless shoes and at Shoe Buy.

Romantic Soles manages to provide the style as well as unbeatable comfort in these textured croco-embossed print leather sandals.   Also available in black or purple croco embossed leather.   The Romantic Soles Pumpkin Sandals are available at Zappos.