Mystery boots

I've been mainly focusing on shoe challenge posts lately, as those seem to get read and appreciated the most, but that doesn't mean I haven't been keeping my eye out for beautiful shoes around the interwebs. These gorgeous red shoe boots caught my attention on the New Look site, but so far they haven't popped up in the store. Yet. Because you just know that once they do, I'll be on that like paper on glue!

Sabrina

Once in a while you need a palate cleanser, from all the weird and bright and OTT shoes out there. And I think these Miss Selfridge shoeboots might just be what the doctor prescribed. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm trying hard as I can not to think of Winter yet, but I can certainly imagine wearing these when the weather gets colder. Especially since I can do so for only £46.

Shoe challenge #31: Biker chique

I've decided to pull into overdrive with the shoe challenge, which means that not all outfits will be perfect from now on. Or the photos, for that matter. All that counts now is how many shoes (all of them!) get saved.

Since the weather isn't exactly co-operating to get the summer shoes out of the way, I decided on Thursday to tackle my latest addition to the boot collection, these studded shoeboots from New Look. I love their look, although I think the front is a tad too lowcut, but they killed my feet. By themselves they're pretty comfortable, but they have a seam on the inside that rubs the side of my feet in just the wrong way. I was in pain. I should've brought bandaids.

Combined with the bare legs, they were still weather-appropriate, even if the sun was shining after noon. I also threw on my new (faux) leather jacket from Zara, to fight the chilly air in the morning. I've completely fallen in love with it, I'm sure I'll wear it loads.

Dress (worn a lot for Dressember) and belt Dorothy Perkins / jacket Zara / shoes New Look

Shopping spree

Since my London shopping was kinda disappointing, I've been going crazy with the online shopping these last few days. I had counted on maybe buying a pair of Loubs, so I had a bit of a budget as well. I thought I'd give you girls a little preview of the shoes that are on their way to me.

First, I've decided to give Nasty Gal another try, since they really seem to be the online website who stocks up on those Rockette platforms I'm so hung up on. They did give me $25 credit though, after the last negative experience, so I decided to throw in a pair of these Bette crochet platforms as well, as they were already on sale and I really dig the ombre-like effect.

Next up I finally gave into the Asos Ablaze boots, in the scribble print. I'd been eyeing them for a long time ever since I saw them on this shoe girl, and they had finally come down enough in price to justify such a crazy purchase. I also scored some collateral damage (you're placing an order anyway, and suddenly these other things end up in your virtual shopping cart as well): Asos Prop courts in multi geo. With both shoes, it was the print that did me in. I'm just hoping I'll find a way to style them, as I seem to have gone nuts over prints lately.

And finally, I saw these new boots on New Look that reminded me so much of the studded boots from River Island aka "the ones that got away" (seriously, they're still selling on eBay for more than the original price), that I just had to have them. And I threw in a pair of Converse-like sneakers in a beautiful white broderie anglaise, since I'm wearing my turkoise pair a lot more than I would have thought.

How in the world am I ever going to bring the shoe challenge to a good end? (I am already way behind on my posting, I still have a couple of challenges to show you)

Shoe challenge #22: Grey+pink

No decent photos today, I'm afraid, but I blame that solely on the weather. Like it happens from time to time in good old Belgium, the sunny summery weather from last week has taken a turn towards the wet, dark and dreary. I did wear this outfit with a pair of tights by the way, both for modesty's and my body temperature's sake.
I hadn't worn this dress with pink lately, so I thought this was as good a time as any to quickly save a pair of booties. They are pretend-Louboutin (with the awesome name C'est Moi), but I took a fall a couple of months ago and I think I might have to replace them now, as they have gotten a bit beaten up. Lucky for me they were so dirt cheap, it's scandalous!

Dress Dorothy Perkins (with yellow, with red) / belt Asos / shoes eBay (seen here)

Lady mama

These are pretty awesome. If they weren't slightly over my budget at the moment, they would've already been on my feet right now. Also, I love the name. Personally, I have no idea who "Chloe" from CJG is, presumably someone British, but I do think she draws a nice shoe. Because of the black, these look so understated, while in fact the amount of detail is amazing.

I can totally see myself rocking out in these with some bright coloured tights to show through the slits, and the crystals make these very nighttime, which I like. That doesn't mean that I wouldn't dare pair them up with a white summerdress as well, because you just know that I would. If you're luckier than me and have £175 lying around that you don't have to spend on an iPod and new running shoes (the worst kind of shoes to spend money on), go here to grab a pair.

Dressember - the 21th

Yeay! I'm showing you a dress you've actually not seen before. And I know that for a fact, since I've never worn it before, even though I bought it last Winter in the sales. The dress was marked down to €25 (from €200!) and initially both me and my BFF had our eye on it. But the label read 44 (UK16) and neither one of us is that size, not even close.
At the end of our tour through the shop both my BFF and our other friend had stuff to try on, and I had nothing. I hoovered around the dressing rooms... I wandered back towards the dress... And since it didn't seem that big, I decided it wouldn't hurt to give it a try. And it fit me. Like. A glove. I'm going to ask my mum to take in the straps, but apart from that, it fits perfectly, even lenghtwise (even though I'm pretty short).

I tried to keep it simple with some grey booties, just to tone down the dress a bit. Today's challenge for Dressember was to wear a wedding dress (don't have one, for obvious reasons) or something equally inappropriate, and without my (sparkly!) cardigan this dress is quite boobalicious. It reminds my of something a forties bombshell with victory rolls in her hair would wear, and I did get comments about me being overdressed. That being overdressed according to my standards, which is quite a feat, because I'm usually not exactly the jeans and sweater type of girl anyway.

I love the bustier detail on the bodice and the underskirt is quite heavy, which gives this dress some serious swoosh. Which obviously I had to do the entire day.

Dress: Space - cardigan: New Look - shoes: Asos.

Dressember - the 5th

Another silly photo for Dressember, but it was the only one that wasn't blurry. As it was early in the morning before work, again my hair was still wet. I decided to break out my new red Kurt Geiger booties and combined them with my amazing Karen Millen coat. I paired the skirt with a blue top to match some of the stripes, but put a black cardy on top for warmth. And just so you get an idea why I love this coat this much:

It's like a little skirt!! And I love the zipper detail. You can actually unzip the bottom part and make a short jacket, but I just prefer it like this. But preferably with all buttons closed, oops.

Coat: Karen Millen - skirt: Liquorish - top: WE - cardigan: H&M - shoes: Kurt Geiger.

Dance the night away

Now that I've finally booked my New Year's trip (Belgrade, Serbia here we come!!), I'm getting more and more excited about looking for a proper outfit. Since girls in Serbia are (in my imagination at least) very thin, blonde and heavily made up, I have two options: either I go with it, or I just stick to my own style and hope people there will interpret it as 'exotic'. I probably won't buy a new outfit (dresses enough in my wardrobe, some still unworn even), but I'm always on the lookout for a great glittery party shoe! Especially since I still haven't found those misplaced sequin peep toes (also never worn, since I simply haven't seen them since the big move). My Kurt Geiger Jasmins are awesome, but a bit too 'Dorothy of Oz' to work on New Year's. (I will probably wear them again for Christmas though, I'm such a sucker for a good cliché) To make a long story short, I thought I'd share some of the favourites on my shortlist with you.

These look comfortable enough to get you through the entire night of dancing and drinking, without suffering too much. I would go for these if I was wearing a bright outfit, since I'm not a big fan of bright clothes paired with black shoes anymore. Would look great with anything red, pink, orange, yellow or green. £65 at Schuh.

Again a quite sturdy heel, this time in demure black glitter. I'd pair them with anything metallic or leopard print. £62 at Topshop.

The perfect shoe for a little black dress. Wear with a matching clutch and shiny jewellery. £62 at Topshop.

After months of visiting the Schuh website just to look at these, they are still my favourites of the bunch and the rightful frontrunners. Again, the heel combined with the platform is sturdy enough to be comfortable and they are not too over the top, so I think I would get a lot of wear out of them even after the holidays. Chances are these will be on my feet while I'm dancing my way into 2012! £65 at Schuh.

An eye catcher, these are. Wow! These have diamond embellishments rather than glitter and might be more elegant because of it, but I would be scared of accidentally scraping off the jewels while I'm walking or dancing or hitting my feet (which I do all the time). £85 at Miss Selfridge.

Very elegant and subtle. Wear with a pencil skirt to your office party. £225 at Kurt Geiger.

I love love love these. No glitter or diamonds, but with the different metallics still very festive me thinks. I love the shape, but the peep toe isn't a plus for the winter holidays. Especially because these don't seem to work with dark tights (because of the 'lightness' of the shoe). They might work on another occasion though, so I will keep these in mind... £75 at Schuh.

These look like a good backup to have around, in case your party shoes don't turn out to be as comfortable as you wished. Very high chance these will end up in my collection as well, especially for that price. £16 at New Look.

A very strong contender, they go neck to neck with the purple ones. The product shots aren't much, but they are simply stunning on a foot. These wouldn't be the most sensible choice though: although it's true the wedge will be more comfortable, you won't exactly wear them to work or to dinner. Or would I...

A slightly less obvious choice, but perfectly suited for everyone who's afraid their little piggies will freeze off in the cold winter nights. Would work well with miniskirts or skinnies. £30 at New Look.

Aaaaaah, Christian Louboutin. If I would suddenly walk up tomorrow a little richer, these would definitely be my party shoes of choice. They look like they came straight out of the firey pits of hell. Fierce, aren't they? $1695 at Neiman Marcus.

Which pair is your favourite? And what will you be wearing on your feet for New Year's?

Up to 60% off on Carvela and KG

Amazon is having up to 60% off today on selected Carvela and Kurt Geiger. Personally, these pretty babies are calling out for me. Luckily (?) there aren't any left in my size, or it would have been hard to resist. My personal experience with all KG shoes have been that they already run slightly large, or I would have been tempted to order a size up, but I would probably drown in a size 6. Too bad, but maybe this can be your lucky day and you can snatch these away for £39!

Shoe challenge #80: With a touch of neon

I've had such a busy week that I've resorted to quickly taking these outfit photos with... a mirror. They weren't great, but at least you can make out what I'm wearing. I starting by pairing up the booties with the skirt, which has the exact same shade of antracite gray in it. To add a pop of colour, I wore my neon yellow tights, which helped for the chilly weather as well.

The shoe boots were one of my last purchases in the Asos sales and I couldn't be happier with them! They are comfortable, versatile and soooo pretty! I love the black leather piping on the gray felt and the subtile details. So worth their €35.

Skirt (eBay), top (Zara), tights (Camden market) and shoes (Asos).

Iris Van Herpen x United Nude: revisited

 

I must admit honestly that when I first saw these shoes by Dutch designer Iris Van Herpen (in collaboration with United Nude, who have brought us the Eamz pump) I wasn't very enthusiastic about her esthetic. Not only do they closely resemble McQueen's Armadillo boots in spirit, they're just as ugly as well. (of course Gaga loves them) These however, I loved at first sight, even if I'm not quite sure why. I especially adore the black leather version with the little chains, but I'd happily wear the white pair with the laces as well.

That said, I am crazy about (most of) her clothing designs for haute couture week in Paris (video of the runway, see the shoes in action!). One of my friends worked on one of the pieces with her, it was actually 3D printed, so cool! Now, anyone have €850 to spare for those shoes?

Just in: grey felt

A quick peek of my new booties from the Asos sale. At the very last moment I picked them over the leopard ones, even though they were not available in my size. I figured that as I would wear them in colder periods of the year (with tights or socks) I could for once handle a size 6. It was with a little bit of nerves that I tried them on, but they fit perfect! The size 5 would've probably been too small for me, as it turns out.
If you're a size 7/40 you're lucky, because you can still get them here. They're absolutely stunning in real life. (they do have a patent black heel, which isn't very clear from the photos)

Shoe challenge #38: Neon fashion

Top and cardigan (Zara), belt and tights (some
random shop), skirt (Vera Moda) and
booties (Miss KG)

Words can't describe how crazy I am about these booties. But, I knew that already when I bought them, I had been eyeing them for months after all. What I did not expect, was how everyone else really seems to like them as well. Even my mum and the boyfriend, my two toughest critics. And the best thing about them, apart from all the compliments and the looks on the streets? They. Go. With. Everything.
These must be one of most versatile shoes I own. They match pretty much everything in my wardrobe. They can toughen up a look (I bet they would look great with my creme lacy miniskirt or a cute girly dress), or they can give more edge to an already edgy look.
I wasn't feeling great yesterday (just another manic Monday, after a manic weekend), so I decided to cheer myself up by wearing some bright bright colours. I wore this outfit before, but with these shoes, which was even more crazy, but I really felt comfortable in it yesterday. Still feel comfortable today actually, because I'm wearing the exact same thing again, except with a clean top. But sssht! Don't tell anyone I sometimes wear the same outfit twice in a row, the Internet musn't find out!!

Kurt Geiger, my new hero

In my family we're not really into the habit of giving Christmas presents. We're not a big family anyway (we don't do big Christmasses with uncles, aunts, cousins and grandparents) and usually my brother and I just get money from our parents to spend on whichever thing we have been craving. Mostly because my mother has the habit of freely interpreting any kind of gift lists you hand over to her. Even if you write her down the exact title of a book or cd, or even colour and size with measurements on top, you'll always end up getting something different  than what you intended on getting. But she means well. So she refuses to buy presents, which works out pretty well for all of us.
To no surprise, I ended up spending my Christmas money on shoes. My dad's contribution covered both the Senso Wilma boots and the Jessica Simpson hippie sandals, and on top you can look at the rest of the money well spent. I had my eye on both these styles for a while now, and ended up buying both as soon as they dropped in price.
Both pairs are incredibly gorgeous, but I'm very disappointed to learn that I'm right in between sizes when it comes to Kurt Geiger shoes. The Babylon booties are Miss KG and a size 4 and turned out to be a bit snug, but pretty okay. The Jasmines, that are really the more elegant versions of what Dorothy wore in the Wizard of Oz, are KG and a size 5, which is definitely a bit big on me, and I haven't even worn them in yet!
I can't wait to wear all my new shoes, but the recent snow (which has now evolved into muddy slush on the pavements and roads) makes me a bit hesitant to take such pretties out for a test drive where they might get ruined. Patience is a virtue...

Shoe challenge #31: Shearling and lace and fur, oh my!

Cardigan and tights (H&M),
belt (Asos), skirt (Yumi)
and shoes (New Look)

Okay, true, you can't actually see the fur in this photo. It was on my coat. But the fact I managed to combine three 'hot trends' in one outfit today, deserves a little recognition. Anyway, here's my confession: after this painful disaster last week, these sheerling shoe boots have pretty much grown attached to my feet. I have worn these shoes every single day to work. Since last Thursday. And I've worn them out to the pub as well. Yes people, just take a minute to let that sink in. My colleagues are getting worried about me. Maybe the Winter blues are getting to me, who knows.

But they are so pretty. And they do well in times of snow. Or rain. They look good with trousers. And with skirts. And still I waited to show them to you until I got my new lace princessy skirt in the mail a few days ago. I've seen this kind of skirt on a lot of bloggers lately, so I'm being a bit of a fake, but I just love combining such a romantic piece with tougher items. Like these shoes.

I'm going against my instinct here, by wearing dark tights with a light skirt, but I love how this creme colour looks like those old curtains that yellow a bit with age. Only problem is that I only know how to work this with browns and pinks. I'm still looking for that perfect way to combine it with some bright colour. I'm thinking maybe some hot pink tights or something like that. Any other ideas?

Shoe challenge #18: Secretary booties go to work

Top (no idea), dress (Cassis),
tights (Veritas) and shoes (Ebay,
from somewhere in China)

I wasn't sure about this outfit when I wore it earlier this week. But I did get a few compliments, so even if I think I could've styled it better, at least it's another pair of shoes done for the shoe challenge. The thing is, I wasn't happy with these shoes when they arrived. And that's an understatement. But I even got some compliments about those as well. Maybe they look slightly less cheap-ass when they're on my feet. Especially my best friend, who has yet to learn to appreciate my usual crazy taste in shoes, liked these. I believe her exact words were "much better than those cherry ones". Do I need say more? Didn't think so.

The secretary booties at their arrival

I already bought a mustardy yellow longsleeved top to go under this dress (which I got from my mum just last week). I used to go to a uniformed school and had to wear a grey pleaded skirt with either navy or white. All day, every day. And this combination really reminds me of that period. It took me exactly eight years to start wearing navy or any kind of blue again, so at least I'll be doing it my way next time. So, with yellow. And maybe some boots. But not the grey ones.
At the moment I'm not completely sure if I'll get much wear out of these. I only wore them for two days and already lost one of the heel tips. Grmbl.

Shoe challenge #11: And a cute little rocket dog

Top (WE), dress (H&M), tights (no idea)
and shoes (Rocket Dog)

I had a photoshoot today. That sounds more glamourous than it was; in fact we just needed some pictures to go with one of my articles and I had to pretend I was having breakfast. Anyway, the photographer asked for a blue outfit and blue is what he got. Lots of blues, to be exact.
These booties are a weird shade of purple/midnight blue. I was actually quite surprised to see how well they co-ordinate with the darkest shade of blue in my dress. Which, I must add, one of my favourites. My best male (!) friend picked this out for me in the shop and forced me to try it on. And he was right. It does look better in real life than in the picture though. The pattern actually consists of butterfly-like shapes in four different kinds of blue, white and black.

These actually have a subtle fishbone motive on them

So I love the dress, love the shoes. What do I get compliments on? The tights. Go figure.

Every day should be shoe Christmas

I usually have my online purchases delivered at the office. For practical reasons, of course. By now, my colleagues know me and my shoe addiction well enough to actually bring me my packages when they arrive. Today was no different. I wasn't even in my own office, when one of my colleagues brought my package over. Within a minute everyone else was standing around me as I was opening my boxes. It was like Christmas. Oh, I wish it could be Christmas like that every day... Too bad my bank account couldn't handle it!

Bargain of the century

It were my Rocket Dog booties and the red peeptoes from Asos that arrived. The booties are everything I hoped for and more. They are a bit snug, and I hope I'll be able to wear socks in them once it gets colder, but they are the most gorgeous midnight blue. The picture (taken with flash) does not do them justice. And to think that they were the very last pair left makes me like them even more.

I feel a Ruby Shoesday coming up!

These were my extras when I ordered the booties. You know the drill: you're buying one pair of shoes, and then you remember those other shoes you've been eyeing and you just can't resist the urge. And if you're buying shoes anyway...
They were finally priced down all the way to 20 euros, so I couldn't not buy them. Just look at that peeptoe. The platform. The straps. The slingback. And of course that gorgeous vibrant red. Shoeporn alert! And... Tomorrow just happens to be Tuesday...