Also, There Were Some Really Pretty Shoes

First of all, this:




is a bit of overkill.

Seriously, when a shoe looks like this...



...you really don't need to sex it up for me. This is the sort of promotional technique one might want to save for things that you actually need to be talked into -- dentistry, for example, or getting your taxes done. That being said, it's not the worst way to encounter a shoe.

There were two or three other such, um, displays at the Manolos & Martinis event at Neiman Marcus last night. The beefcake & shoes were more easily available than the martinis (which were pink, by the way, and garnished with fruit of some sort, leading me to believe they weren't actually martinis). There was one cater-waiter who would periodically dash into the shoe department from I couldn't quite tell where (it looked as if he were coming from somewhere among the perfume counters -- perhaps the factices are actually filled with flavored vodka instead of colored water, which would make it a lot more fun to be a fragrance SA) with three glasses on a tray, which were invariably snapped up before he got anywhere near me. Just as well -- it's dangerous for me to drink around the shoes, and I don't usually have good luck with pink things in martini glasses. (I crossed them off the list after a truly disastrous cosmopolitan in a bar near Picadilly Circus in London two years ago.)

So, probably for the best I wasn't drinking when I ran into these...


... 'cause I wobbled a little in my Dodos when I saw them, even stone-cold sober. Oh, my goodness. Those are right up Style Spy's alley, aren't they? Black and white snakeskin, red leather heels and trim, and that gorgeous little red silk ribbon tassel... say it with me, now: swooooon!!! Also, those red ones with the pickstitching behind them aren't too shabby, either.

Speaking of snake, look at these:


Black and white watersnake. Good googly-moogly. The snakeskin of these boots is so thin & flexible I actually thought it was fabric at first. Stunning.

Behold the perfect slingbacks:



In red patent, of course with their black kidskin cousins behind them.

Sooooooo sexy:


Gunmetal gray leather in a highly polished metallic finish -- these things are so gorgeous. I don't even wear gray or silver (ever) but I wanted these shoes. There's been a lot of this "liquid metal" finish on shoes & bags the last season or so, and this is absolutely the best version I've seen. It tends to actually be too bright and shiny in regular silver or gold -- this pewter color was elegant and exciting at the same time.

These gorgeous things...



are aubergine patent. I had to put one on to get a photo of it (my red sandal was lurking jealously in the background) because they're so strappy and complicated that you can't really tell what's going on until you get a foot in them. (They're so strappy and complicated that it took me a good five minutes to figure out how to get them on my foot. But I'm sure if I owned them I'd work out a more efficient technique.)

And that brings us back to these:



which are one of this season's versions of Blahnik's perennial favorite, the jeweled d'Orsay pump, the shoes made famous in an episode of "Sex and the City." (And the prices have come up considerably since Carrie had hers stolen at a baby shower. Ah, the good old days.) The fabric is a metallic brocade that is figured like a reptile skin. I've been thinking that I'd really like a pair of these shoes -- they're classics that would go with pretty much any evening outfit I'll ever own for the rest of my life, and special enough that even a borderline ensemble will be turned into something wonderful just by being associated with them (sort of like some men I've dated). I think I'd like to hold out for the gold leather ones (fabric shoes make me nervous generally -- I'm one of those people who frequently kicks her heels together when walking, so the fabric gets scarred up), but if you're looking for a gorgeous classic with a twist, these are the ticket.

There were lots more pretty shoes there, Neiman Marcus carries an extensive selection of Manolo Blahniks (even at our teeny store in Austin) and these offerings are there for a trunk show. (The trunk show means that you have to order the shoes from the store -- they have display stock, but once you've fallen in love they have to order the shoes in your size.) If you want to see the pretties for yourself, stop in and ask for Ted -- he'll very sweetly help you out. And thanks to the kind folks there for allowing me to take photos -- customer service is really above and beyond at Neiman's.

Have a great weekend everyone! Wear your prettiest shoes for a while, even if it's just around the house. I promise, it'll make everything more fun.

Photos: Style Spy