Studly

My fella suggested going to the mall because he had a gift card and needed to replace his tea kettle, so off we went to Posh Park Mall and into Nordstrom... for you know, a cursory glance at shoes.

Pittsburgh is losing it's Saks, and while their shoe department was horrible, I'm terribly saddened by this loss. It looks like Nordstrom and a few other small shops will be the only game in town for pretty shoes.

I digress. Onward pretty! I'm in love with studs always, and thought these Valentino shoes were perfect.

Valentino Rockstud Open Toen in Red shown with Asos two-toned tights

Valentino Lace Mena Wedge and Rockstud

Fit on the Rockstuds was true to size for me. I found them perfect in a 36.5 with very mild heel slippage (which may or may not have been caused by my stockings). I have to say for 140mm they seemed very comfortable. The toe box wasn't narrow at all for me, and I could see wearing them without being uncomfortable for a few hours. Available at Saks.

I did not get to try on the Lace Menas because they didn't have my size, but they were super cute and I think would be wonderful with summer dresses.

While checking out the studs, I also saw a super cute pair of Sam Edelman heels. The crossbreeding of different styles of shoes was maybe a bit much for me, but if they weren't peep toe (and exorbitantly priced for what they are), it would have been love.

I really liked the narrow metal heel, though, and will try to make it my goal in the future to track down something similar.

Sam Edelman Scarlett in Black and Gold

Fit on these seemed true to size as well. I tried these on in a 7 and the size felt right. They weren't the most comfy to walk in, because of the steep pitch and narrow heel, but would be great for a car to door night on the town. Available at Nordstrom.

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale

Yep, that time of year again. I hadn't had a chance to stop by the infamous Anniversary Sale until this weekend, but lots of great shoes up for grabs. Of course, instead of the sale shoes, I was instantly drawn to the ones that *weren't* on sale, but that's okay.

Of the two sale shoes I liked best online, I was disappointed by the "Peyton" shoe from Sam Edelman. I've really been wanting a wool heel to wear with dresses this fall/winter to replace a pair I have that's too big, but I found these just a little bit too pointy. The material and execution of these shoes were great otherwise if you are into a pointy toe.

Sam Edelman Peyton in Grey Wool

Fit on these is true-to-size (I am wearing the 7.5 in the picture and they are a bit big), and the comfort seemed very decent for the height. They are available in Grey as pictured and black patent here.

Next up is Enzo Angiolini "Mistle". The colorways available for this shoe are what really makes it, beyond the lovely corset/bow detailing in the back. I loved the purple best, but tried on the black because it was on display in my size. The taupe patent is really stunning as well.

Enzo Angiolini Mistle in Black Patent

Fit on these is true-to-size, though a bit narrow in the toe box, in my opinion. These are the 6.5 and the length was great. I think they would maybe need broken in a bit for comfort. Other colorways besides those mentioned are grey wool and leopard pony hair. They are available here.

I didn't see them in-store, but I'm also loving Cole Haan's "Air Violet" boot with lace-up detailing and a suede inset. I tried on the pump version, but they just didn't have the same cachet as the boot. I'm not sure how much wear I'd get out of suede in these winters, but they sure look gorgeous.

I didn't get to try them on since they weren't in-store, but most Cole Haan shoes run slightly small for me. I would order these in a 7.5 were I inclined to get them. The boots are available in limited sizes here.

More to come on the non-sale shoes later.

A day late and a dollar short

I had some time to kill yesterday, so I spent it checking out the shoe section at Marshall's. They had a really nice selection, and some fun styles to try on.

I remember when the Balenciaga moto boots came out, I thought they were pretty heinous. They've kind of grown on me, but not enough to shell out 5k (obviously). They didn't grow on me enough to spend $300 on the Sam Edelman knockoffs. I'm not sure if they've even grown enough on me to spend $129 at Marshall's for these spinoffs of the original knockoffs, but I have to say I rather liked them in person.

I was expecting them to be really heavy and hard to wear, but they are surprisingly light. The platform is really exaggerated, making them pretty comfy, too. Not sure I can pull these off, but they'd be fun for a night.

Sam Edelman Zoyla Studded Bootie in Black Leather

Fit is true to size, as I took a 7 in these. The pitch is not steep since the platform is nearly half the bootie, but while they were easy to walk in... I can't imagine walking miles in them. They are available at several retailers online, but for the price it's worth checking out your local discount shop.

I also loved this studded peep-toe clog from the same brand. SO cute and adorable on, but they were too difficult for me to walk in. I don't do well with clogs, or shoes that don't adhere to my ankles somewhat, so I was expecting that with these. I don't remember their price, but I believe it was similar to the Zoylas.

Sam Edelman Zachery

Fit on these was large, but narrow in the toe box. These were a size 6, but I would have needed to stretch out the toe box tremendously to make them work.