Portrait

Some people actually did like those Acne shoes with the weirdly high vamp. I wasn't one of them. So it may come as no surprise that I'm equally appalled by this Asos attempt to do something similar. It's not done well enough to count as an actual knockoff, but similar enough to ring a bell. In my head at least.

They replaced the Thai silk by suede and mixed in some stripes, but that shape is truly gruesome. Yet Asos seemed to think we needed this shoe in not just one, but two colour ways.

Why? And more importantly: why would anyone spend €121 on such a catastrophe??!

Black+white

What's not to love? They're big, loud and you might be able to pull them off with tights once summer is over (if it will ever truly start, that is). And they will only set you back £55.

Pizzazz

Stripes. Wedges. Colour blocking. Three things that will still be big this summer. And this shoe incorporates all those wonderful qualities. If you like these, you have the choice between four colour ways: this grey-yellow combo, which is my personal favourite, as well as seafoam, tan and coral.

Very on trend, me thinks.

Filthy landlubber

I love it when a certain shoe appears in several variations. Usually designers opt for a certain shape in different colours, but sometimes they just use a very cool upper and rework it into several shapes. Iron Fist is the only brand I know that does this pretty much always. At the very minimum, they launch a ballet flat and a high heeled pump of a certain style.
And that when I noticed this gorgeous pirate-inspired/rockabilly upper, with skulls in sailor hats, moons and flowers. The first version I saw of it, was this T-barred peep toe wedge. I love it, but it's not perfect. I wouldn't kept the ankle strap and the touch of tan on the toe, but without the extra strap going up the foot. This one is £80 at New Look.

This court version with peep toe and bow is also available at New Look, and seems to be more popular and a bit cheaper (£65) than the wedges.

Those who prefer less heel might love these ballet flats from the Schuh website. At £35, they're a steal.

But the ones that I would commit mutiny for (har har!), are these chunky heeled sandals. The perfect ratio of tan and print, and they look genuinely comfortable. If only I had £75 lying around...

Orange stripes

These just scream beach and sunshine to me. Oh, how I wish! Maybe if I buy them, Summer will miraculously show up? Would be the best £25 I'd ever spent...

Meredith

I love these Charlotte Olympia wedges. They're a bit different from what I usually expect from CO, a bit more subdued maybe? Net-à-porter describes these as pin-up perfection, and while I agree with that, I think these sandals shine in their (relative) simplicity. I adore the neutral knotted canvas uppers with the bold stripe on the wedge, but what I certainly don't adore is the price tag: $945.

Princess

Schuh keeps coming up with more takes on their Princess wedge, and I'm quite fond of this neon striped/glittery version. You may think I'm crazy, but I just think I'm funky like that! I don't like the silver version nearly as much as I love this one, and I would gladly rock this design overload on my feet.

Too bad my shopping budget for April is already spent (yes, I do realize we're only the 2nd of the month), and I still want to check out H&M's Conscious collection in two weeks. Aaah, fashion dilemmas, such a first world luxury problem! In the meantime, if you have £68 to spend, you can do so here.

All-in-one

Polka dots and stripes and a cute bow on top. There can't be anything wrong with these, now can there? Moreover, the raffia platform is perfect for summer! These Babycham sandals will set you back a reasonable £50.

Coast is clear

I spotted these wedges over at Modcloth, and I would've never have guessed at first glance that they were Jessica Simpson, until my eagle eye noticed the logo on the innersole. I've never liked Jessica Simpson as a person, by which I mean as a singer or an actress, since I don't know her personally, but I have liked her shoe designs from the beginning. They're usually not the most innovative or original, but they fall within a good price range as well.
I love the tan leather with the cream coloured canvas and the stripes, but you already know by now how I feel about the placement of that ankle strap. Hello, stumpy legs! If you can see past that, you can pay $98 for them at Modcloth, or check out the navy or the orange version as well at Amazon for the same price.

Cameo Crown

Shoeperwoman Amber already posted about the high heeled version of these Britannic inspired ballet flats, but I figured these flats deserved some time in the spotlight as well. I actually like the flats a whole lot better, even without a stiletto on them. I think it's the hidden platform of the high heels that ruins the shape for me a bit.
These however, have a lot going for them: navy stripes on white, a crooked red bow and a sparkly crown on top. That's a lot for £28. Me loves me some blingbling!

Violet

Yes, these are the dreaded "flatforms". But, I think Asos showed just enough restraint on these sandals to keep them kind of cute. Would I love them better if they were completely flat and without a 5cm/2 inch flatform. Absolutely! But I do like the striped canvas uppers with the raffia sole and the double bow on top. So that's like three pros against one con.
If you can handle the flatform, they're €49, which personally I think is a tad overpriced for a simple Asos sandal. I'm currently working on a blog post about the Asos pricing lately, since I've found a bit of a grievance with them lately. If you're willing to pay that much money though, you can also go for the black polka dot or a flowery version.

20 years Louboutin

It's been twenty years since shoe god Christian Louboutin started designing his trademark red soled shoes. To celebrate, the man himself is coming out with a capsule collection of 20 shoes and 6 bags, based on his repertoire of the last two decades. No doubt all you shoe-loving girls are seeing some familiar faces, euh shapes, up there.
The capsule collection will be available to buy at an exclusive pop-up shop in Selfridges in London from 27th February, before hitting Christian Louboutin (online) stores in March. You can catch a sneak peek at Louboutins Facebook page, where you can also subscribe yourself for an exclusive invitation to the sales.

Although there are a couple of gems in there, I'm generally a bit disappointed. This turquoise beauty has stolen my heart though. The Lady Gres combines the gorgeous design of the Greissimo with the towering platforms of the Daffodil (good for a 16 cm stiletto). Smack on a vibrant colour, and obviously yours truly is sold.

Another favourite of mine is this elegant peep toe, called the Armadillo Bride, although I would've preferred a different kind of heel instead of a metal needle one, like the one on the original version sans ankle strap.

Again the massive Daffodil platform on these ankle boots, named the Daf Booty Tag, which exude an Iron Fist vibe to me. I must be that graffiti-like print, which is also the only update from the original version of the Daf Boot. But I like them . No way I'll ever be able to pay for any of these though.
What do you think about this special collection? Which ones are your favourite? Let me know in the comments!

More stripes

I feel like I've been bombarding you with stripes lately, but I blame it entirely on all those cute shoes out there. There's just something about a nautical navy and white stripe that does it for me.

Or red and white. Or, if you prefer, fuchsia/white and tan/white. The suede against the raffia and the canvas works for me, and the different textures keep these wedges from looking overly summery.

Red+turkoise

Do these shoes hurt my eyes? Yes. But do I love them? Double yes! This red version (with a dash of turkoise) is my favourite, but you can also get these gorgeous canvas wedges in black/red, green/blue and navy/yellow, whatever suits your wardrobe best.
I'm always a huge fan of mary jane styles; a strap across the foot makes most heels so much easier to walk in. Add to that the bright colours and the contrasting white trim, and I'm sold. I know I feature a lot of New Look shoes on this 'ere blog (you'd think they'd start sending my shoes by now, hint hint), but how can I not with such enticing prices? These are no exception to New Look's great-looking-shoes-for-less rule: £25!

Ahoi sailor!

I love these striped sandals, they make me long for Summer so much! The navy version is no doubt more versatile and wearable, but I just adore the candy stripes on the coral one. If you want to rock these once the temperatures go up again (not that we've seen a decent Winter here so far), you can just hand over your £30 to New Look.

Shazzam!

I love these. Sue me.

The tribal sandals are (of course) Jeffrey Campbell and you can get them at NastyGal for $158.