Mosaic of Shoes

The next few months are going to be hard. You cannot buy almost anything until late October - early November. Spring sale will go away, and nothing but new fall stuff will pop up week after week. All you can do now is watch and wait.

So, I'm going to start getting the lists of items to watch together. If you're serious, you will start to put away a set amount of money each paycheck in anticipation of the big sales (like the day after Thanksgiving) so you can get a $2,000 fur for $700 at Saks, or, as you'll see below, $1,500 boots for $600, without batting an eye.

Here are my big shoe picks with an explaination as to why. These are the shoes that I'm watching and I'll be ecstatic if I get 1-2 pair.



All of these shoes can be found at www.saksfifthavenue.com. The highest retail is around $1,900.

First, blue Jimmy Choo open toes booties with stud detail. Because the color is fresh, the detail is subtle but rich, and they were photographed just enough to be recognized for several seasons, but not overexposed.

To the right is my personal #1. Gucci. $1,995. To the knee, low heal, tassle to the ground. They will be comfortable, they can be worn with a mini-mini dress or jeans and a sweater. They are both preppy and biker chic. I LOVE THEM.

Next - sometimes you just need a good pump and who better than Oscar de la Renta? They're beautiful and will make you feel like a real movie star.

Bottom row, left. Jimmy Choo again. Photographed again. Stupid sexy. Plus python. Just perfect.

To the right a Miu Miu riding boot. What can I say, I'm a little obsessive about this type of tall boot. Not as tricked out as the Gucci's, but will last forever. And at $950 full price, more obtainable at markdown.

Finally, Prada ruffle heel bootie. This is architectural but not too far out there for a real girl. This is a shoe that will appreciate in value over the years and be an example of what fashion is. This is my personal #2. Plus at $890 full price, they will be $356 when marked to 60% off at the end of the season, if I can find my size.

For my top two picks, I will watch online at markdown time, but I will also go to the Saks store and give an associate my business card and tell them to call me at first markdown.