Shoewawa

Anusha's soft gold leather floral ballet flats

One of my favourite things to do when I'm travelling is to potter about the little boutique stores that inevitably line the main streets of towns throughout Britain and Ireland.  Boutiques - whether moderately priced or designer-oriented - have a charming sensibility about them, created by shelves filled with lovely trinkets and treasures that provide a quirky atmosphere rarely captured by larger stores.

Imagine my delight, then, when I inadvertently stumbled upon Anusha - a proclaimed online 'boudoir-style boutique' - with a range of enchanting accessories catering to the vintage pin-up girl within!  While browsing their accessories section, I discovered (and subsequently fell in love with) these ultra-feminine gold leather ballet flats (£77), hand-sewn with floral detailing.  They would be perfect for adding a touch of Spring to a wintery outfit, or to add a little frivolous fun to a floaty party dress.

Nina's red patent 'Maddy' wedges

Nina - they're a little bit like Gina, but with an 'N'. Well, OK, not really - although Nina do have rather a nice line in designer inspired shoes (particularly those of the strappy, sparkly variety, hence the comparison to Gina), although thankfully without the designer-inspired prices. These red wedges may not be particularly designer-like, but they are very much on trend this winter with their t-bar strap, patent leather and non-clumpy wedge heel. They're $79.95, with free shipping within the US. Lucky US...

Miu Miu jeweled glitter slingbacks

There's just no denying that Miu Miu have been doing a sterling job with their shoes recently, is there? There's also no denying that, as Gemma says, the "sparkly shoes" look is starting to feel just a little bit tired already, but as these have more of a subtle shimmer than an "in your face" glitter effect, I'm still loving them. Miu Miu have stuck firmly to their current design ethos of "Stick jewels on everything. People like jewels," with these, which are £255 from Net-a-Porter.

Dorothy Perkins' fur boot slipper

After Erin wrote about these cute knitted cat face slippers, I was all inspired to go out and find something cute and cosy for my feet. Whilst on my hunt I came across these beasts from Dorothy Perkins. Quick someone alert the RSPCA, there is a footless yeti lying injured somewhere. Why? Just why?

Miss Selfridge gunmetal glitter shoes

It's not even December yet, and I'm already getting bored of seeing sparkly party shoes. Perhaps it's because the glittery sandal / pump hasn't really disappeared at all this year that it seems so overdone before the festive season has even started? In normal circumstances, these cute glittery heels from Miss Selfridge (a bargain £45) would have me ranting and raving about magpies and glitter and all things girlie... but I just can't get up the enthusiasm any more. Perhaps I'm getting old?

Christian Dior Aqua Ribbed Leather 'Tallulah' Sandals

Sometimes when I find a shoe, a certain word jumps out at me and that's all I can think about. In this case, the word is "regal". There's some real understated brilliance at work on these Christian Dior mules that makes me think of a royal gathering where all the women are dripping in at least $2million worth of diamonds. I'm not one of those women, but if I bought these, I'd feel a step closer! They're simply beautiful, and priced at a discounted $368 at Bluefly.

Terra Plana Ecological Shoes

More and more companies are waking up to the idea that not only do we want our shoes to be gorgeous, we want them to have less impact on our planet too. Terra Plana (sister company of United Nude) aims to be 'the most innovative and sustainable designer shoe brand in the world'. So, modest aspirations there then!

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Emilio Pucci Pink Multi Slide

When Emilio Pucci gets it wrong, it's like there's been an unfortunate acid explosion at the fabric factory. Just when I swear off Pucci for life, they then go and produce something so intricate and feminine that I have to readjust my views once more. These pink metallic slides have the usual print madness, but they're finished with a lovely bit of diamante decoration that makes them lovely. They're currently reduced from $580 to $290, so if they tickle your fancy, get in there fast.

Look who's been shopping at Dune!

Lisa Butcher from What Not To Wear and Britain's Next Top Model clearly likes her flats. She was recently spotted in Dune buying Korr, £50 and Klix, £40. In fact, the high street store has been doing pretty well from the 'slebs recently. Bianca 'Love Island' Gascoigne is a big fan, and even Hollywood stars are converts...

Continue reading "Look who's been shopping at Dune!"

Get Her Look - Avril Lavigne's Report 'Guarda' T-bars

It seems that the girls here at Shoewawa aren't the only fans of '40s-styled footwear, with platform t-bars dotting the red carpet recently on starlets like Ashlee Simpson, Selma Blair and Kate Bosworth.  The particular pair that we're showcasing for you today is called 'Guarda' - part of Report's Signature line - and was recently spotted on Avril Lavigne.

The designer, Harel Waldman, styled the satin lovelies after 'forties era pin-up girls', and they do capture the look rather well.  Wear them with a knee-length pencil skirt for some '40s glamour, or with skinny jeans for a more '80s style.  If you love them, they'll set you back $178.95 at Zappos.

L.K Bennett Stella Peep Toe

Peep toes are not the most practical footwear at this time of year, when the potential for frost bite  looms in the air, but how could you say no to these L.K Bennett Stella Peep Toes? Rich luxurious colours, in velvet and soft metallics, your search for a party shoe could end here. Don't worry about the cold, just remember opaque tights are your friend. The shoes are £110, but unfortunately you cannot buy direct from their website. Never mind, any excuse to hit the shops!

Lulu Guinness Laurel Peep Toe Court Shoe

I am not normally a fan of black shoes and own about 2 pairs in total, however I would make an exception for these Lulu Guinness Laurel Peep Toes (first mentioned here in September and still gorgeous now). The coned heel, the (faux) snake skin, bow detail on the back all make for a very good-looking shoe. You could wear this shoe for day and night (and at £195 you would have to).

Topshop's skull print flats

Now, I have to perfectly honest here with the shock admission that the whole skull print thing is one of those trends that I just don't "get". Plenty of people do, though (or should that be "plenty of people did?" It's a print that's been around for a while now.) so, in the interests of objectivity, here's Topshop's interpretation of the trend - these £25 skull print ballet flats with textile uppers which say Topshop are fully machine washable, so when they start looking a little grubby you can just sling them in the washing machine.

Giuseppe Zanotti Jeweled Leather d'Orsay Pumps

Giuseppe Zanotti wants me homeless. He keeps producing all these beautiful shoes, so he must be encouraging me to spend my rent money on his shoes instead of... well, rent. So I'll be homeless, but so stylish. It's either that or he's just a really good designer with no personal grudge against a blogger. Either way, these metallic jewelled sandals are absolutely beautiful and the rent-stealing isn't too bad, as they're priced at $595.

Poetic Licence teal over the knee boots

You know, it's not often a pair of shoes (or boots, in this case), leaves me lost for words, but these are so lovely that they pretty much speak for themselves. The teal leather, the fabulous high heels, the cute little buckle (which helps make your ankles look slim, say ASOS, and who doesn't want to make their ankles look slim, I ask you?)... gorgeous.  This style of boot can sometimes look over the top rather than simply over the knee, but turn the tops down and any resemblance to Puss in Boots will be minimised. Unfortunately, your bank balance will be minimised too if you buy these - they're £140 at ASOS - but they'll be worth every penny, I'm sure.

Stuart Weitzman Pipebracelet Cognac Tartaruga Patents

Writing for this blog, I see a lot of shoes. And that's great, it really is, even if some of the price tags make me cry. And I write a lot of nice things about shoes, too. Then occasionally, I find a shoe that I fall so deeply in love with I consider divorcing my husband so I can declare eternal dedication to said shoe. These cognac courts from Stuart Wietzman are such a shoe. They're a refined beauty, with the interesting detail hiding just under the surface. And the price isn't too bad - $275, so no tears tonight here.

Limited Collection Velvet Lace-Up Boots

I absolutely love the look of lace up boots, even if they are a bit "last season". And these from Marks & Spencers have definitely captured my heart and my imagination. The heel, the dusky smokey grey, the beautiful bow finish - what more could a girl want? And for £75, who could resist?

Dune Gwyneth Pump

With all this talk of finding the perfect party shoe, you are going to need a comfy pair to see you through this search, and you can't go wrong with a pair of classic flats in a bright colour. Well you can, but not with this Dune Gwyneth Pump (£35). It is suede, so get out that protector spray, but do not fear for those of you not so keen on suede - it also comes in leather.

BCBGirls Lassye pump

For those of us poor, lonely stateside souls working on the biggest shopping day in America, here is a bit of post-Thanksgiving sale shopping online. I love these BCBGirls pumps for the holidays, but unlike lots of the shoes that scream Christmas, they could also be put to good use throughout the year. They also come in mahogany/bronze, but I think the black/silver really pops. They're down to $69.95 at Zappos, and unlike other holiday ware, they'll still slip right on after a big meal like yesterday's.

Topshop's brown pull-on calf boots

  If, like me, you have the kind of legs that knee-length boots just don't fit, choosing calf-length instead can be a good alternative to shelling out for some made-to-measure numbers from Duo. (This is particularly true for shorter women, who can look a bit swamped in knee-highs that don't fit, but who can get away with some lovely calf-lengths instead). These brown boots from Topshop have an interesting fan-like shape to the back and a small enough heel to let you walk in them without too much difficulty. They're £75.