Welcome to Shoe Review Number 3! Click here if you missed Shoe Review #1, Shoe Review #2

Before we begin our review let me tell you a little bit about Manuel “Manolo” Blahnik Rodríguez CBE, you might recognize his shoe as the ‘Sex In the City’ shoe.

“……It will never sell in London,” Manolo Blahnik sighs, cradling the silk-and-fur mule. “You know. The British. Animal rights. No foxhunting. No shooting birds. It is crazy.” He huffs. Looks hurt. “They won’t buy this shoe, but—they’ll eat rabbits and poor little animals like that.” There is a giggle like the splash of water in a fountain.

Politically correct or not, there is an irresistible urge to pet this shoe; put it on a leash; take it to bed. It is a Manolo Blahnik high heel, and for more than 30 years, Blahnik has designed shoes that are the accessory to a fairy tale: Shoes made of rhinestones, feathers, sequins, buttons, bows, beads, grommets, rings, chains, ribbons, silk brocade, bits of coral, lace, fur (from farm-raised animals, he adds), alligator, ostrich—everything, perhaps, but woven unicorn forelock.

The story has been told before, “but”—he shrugs—”it is the only story I have.” After studying art and literature in Geneva, Blahnik fell in with the fashion crowd in New York and met Diana Vreeland, the legendary editor of Vogue. Vreeland looked at his sketches. Do accessories—pretty little things, she said airily. And so he has. A “Manolo” is the Sex and the City shoe (in one episode Carrie realized she could have made a down payment on a New York apartment for what she spent on shoes), a generic term for a high heel, and the inspiration for Madonna’s remark that his shoes are as good as sex, and “last longer.”

Ferragamo insisted style was not enough; shoes must be comfortable. And Blahnik? What about complaints that his shoes are torture? “I haven’t heard that,” he responds. “Women tell me they love my shoes. Some never take them off.” But isn’t a shoe really a corset for the foot? “Yes. But a corset you adore.”

Now lets see what our reviewers have to say about these shoes….

Rachel Shoes

These sandals are my go to shoe if the weather permits.
They may not be to practicable this I will admit
However they are comfortable and go with a lot of clothes,
I can run in them, shop in them, or strike a Lotus pose.

Review by: Blue Suede Devil

Ahhhh, flip flops. Some people call them thongs, but I’m staying with flip flops because KB doesn’t run the kind of website that features thongs. Even if she did, she’d do it under another name and we’d never know it.

To a trained eye like mine, even the simple flip flop reveals much.

This pair belongs to a woman. Shoe manufacturers learned long ago that strap systems like we see here do not work for men. I would be overwhelmed by the complexity of these straps. Men are drawn to the simplicity of the “thing between the toes” method of keeping flip flops on.

The woman who owns these shoes is proud of her feet. They aren’t big hairy ones, and she does not struggle with Digger The Dermatophyte. If she did, I would probably be reviewing her Keds because flip flops would be off the table for her. She may wear Keds, but it is by choice, not necessity.

The shoes are presented to us on a colorful, beach sunset inspired background. This could indicate that she understands the beachy image her footgear projects and that she is down with going to the beach. “Call me” she says, “I’ll put on my complex flip flops and meet you near the lifeguard stand.”

But I am concerned that this background may be a place mat. Why would she put her shoes on the table? That’s just not acceptable, even from someone who doesn’t have hairy feet.

*Want to know more about The Blue Suede Devil? Click over and say HI on his blog Blurt.

Reviewed by: Sally Sass

Sun! Fun! Summer! Beaches!  These shoes beg for the warm humid breezes of the Caribbean.  I imagine the wearer to be a low maintenance kind of girl who likes to relax in her hammock strung between two palm trees right outside of her grass hut.  This beach loving girl can walk miles in the surf working up an appetite for a cold beer and fish tacos at the nearest food truck.  All I’d like to add is watch out for the riptide!

Reviewed By: Shooed Away

This will no doubt come as a shock, but I have a really weird way of looking for a relationship.  I seem to only be attracted to people when there is no possibility of a happy ending-  Of any kind, for you filthy minded people.  It’s like a strange magnet that pulls towards the impossible relationship.  Example?  Camera Diaz is a lovely woman.  Very beautiful, but I’d rather spend a night talking with Rachel Maddow than five to seven awkward minutes of sex with Cameron Diaz.  Maddow is more attractive somehow.  But guess what!  She’s taken.

These shoes remind me of that person.  A person I would really like, a hippie type, open minded, very smart, but it’s not happening.  I can just see myself at a restaurant, order a nice thick steak and greasy fries as she tells me she only eats organic foods.  Our relationship is doomed, but these shoes are a beacon of hope to the dark, cruel world.  Rock on, and I’ll be looking for you on the news coverage of the “legalize pot” rally.

Good To Know: The last pair of Judy Garland’s famous ruby slippers from “The Wizard of Oz”  sold at Christie’s auction house to a private owner for a whopping $612,000.

Suzanne Shoes

Flowery boots, you make me want sing
every time I wear you it feels like Spring.
I love these flowery boots, so very much
They show the world I’m sharp and totally in touch!

Review By: Madama Les Chaussures

Flowered Doc Martens are NEVER a mistake! Many people are tempted but few can commit to the fabulousness of these shoes.The floral pattern would indicate a traditionalist but these shoes are built for a rock-star. These shoes were not made to follow the trends but to step up and set them. Not to be taken too seriously the owner of these shoes like to laugh loud and hard and will stomp those who take themselves too seriously.

Review By: Lillian Choo 

Really? Just another shoe in this girl’s closet? Did not even have time to wear it this winter what with all her other choices? This floral will only go with select outfits, right? And what if the toe gets scuffed? The floral print might smudge and then how on earth would one go about fixing that? By the way, this is in no way what Doc Martens were originally meant to be or do or look like. What does that say about the wearer? Trendy? Willing to pay up for some very impractical floral-is-the-new-black docs? Doesn’t mind being SEEN–because you can’t exactly sneak around in those flowery high-tops, can you? All of that being said…I’d wear these. But they would be my everyday shoe, over jeans, under jeans, black skirt, black pants, green pants, pink pants…in fact, what size even are these? Because I am willing to take them off your hands since they are so perfectly unworn, un-broken-in, and ready for action.

Reviewed By: Ferdinand

I saw an ad for flowered Doc’s the other day. It said, “Old enough to know better, but still too young to care.” I can see these boots strolling on just about everything, including the necks of the loved ones. You know how people get to a certain age and start driving at random speeds, stopping at random times, and pulling into traffic without looking? That’s what these shoes say to me. I understand that you might not like it, I just don’t care. At all.
But look! Flowers . . .

Good To Know:  Dr Martens – The legend began in Germany (Munich) in 1945. Dr Klaus Maertens injured his foot in a freak sking accident. To make walking easier, he designed a shoe with an air cushioned sole. Not only did his invention solve his problem, they started selling well in Germany. The r.Giggs group, located in Woolaston, Northampton, England loved the design and decided to manufacture under the more anglo name of “Dr Martens” – they produced their first work boot on 14th April 1960. 

Antoinette Shoes

School teacher, school teacher, what’s that I see?
Your beautiful black shoes are looking lovely!
Standing so tall, you have such class
Teacher, teacher, may I have a hall pass?

Reviewed By: T.O. Talley Instep

Now those are some goody two shoes!  And I say our entry here is demonstrable proof of a good soul.  Well-heeled indeed, this lady puts her best foot forward — just a nice lift on a very sensible (a sady maligned word) pump, this lady is down to earth and down to business, and can perhaps get a little arch if provoked. And I like the matching buckle and heel trim!  I do take iss-shoe with the fit though and I hope I won’t be socked for saying she may want to hoof it over to a podiatrist and make sure her little piggies can make it all the way home (to where there is perhaps a foot massage and glass of wine waiting).

Reviewed By: Marséll Carlo

An easy way to jazz up any outfit is to add these silvered buckle gems. I have a feeling that the owner of these shoes is just the same. If you want to make sure a party sings; invite this lady. If you want to spice up the conversation get this girl involved. If you need a new perspective ask this gal the question. This person adds to every situation in a new and creative way every time.

Reviewed By: Choosey

Steve Martin is one of my favorite comics.  He once wrote a book that I think was about these shoes.  They just look awfully painful to me.

The book was entitled “Cruel Shoes”.  The premise of the story is that the woman had tried nearly every pair of shoes in the shop and the vindictive salesman said “Well, that’s it, except . . . . no you would want those.”

This of course made the woman demand to have them.  After cramming and stuffing her feet into the sharp edged, too small shoes that could have only been designed in a dungeon sometime during the Spanish Inquisition she said through her tears, “I take them.”

Of course, I am paraphrasing the story, buy the book if you’re interested.  And by the way, enjoy your cruel shoes.

Good To Know: Six-inch-high heels were worn by the upper classes in seventeenth-century Europe. Two servants, one on either side, were needed to hold the person wearing the high heels up. 

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This concludes our third Shoe Review.Thank you Rachel, Suzanne and Antoinette for submitting your shoes for review, and a big shout out to our super shoe reviewers. Don’t forget to leave your comments for a chance to be included in our drawing for a Zappos gift card. I bet you are a shoe in!

I hope you are having as much FUN as I am!

Odd Loves Company!