That’s right, I said “Shovie” .  By that I’m just reviewing the shoe situation.

To be completely honest.  The movie was good but I was disappointed by the lack of shoes I saw throughout.  I was so excited and happy in one of the first scenes when I saw Carrie hopping into a cab with those [...]]]>

That’s right, I said “Shovie” .  By that I’m just reviewing the shoe situation.

To be completely honest.  The movie was good but I was disappointed by the lack of shoes I saw throughout.  I was so excited and happy in one of the first scenes when I saw Carrie hopping into a cab with those we’re not in NY anymore, Christian Louboutin’s. I almost fell out of my chair and I definitely started to drool.  Nevertheless, go check out the flick. But don’t be surprised if you don’t see much footwear.

Loving this stiletto sandal by Guess in White.  White is naturally such an innocent color but the zippers add an interesting twist to the equation- not to mention the almost 5 inch heel. The GUESS Women’s Defiant Platform Sandal is comfortable given how tall it is. Refuse to give in to boring style [...]]]>

Loving this stiletto sandal by Guess in White.  White is naturally such an innocent color but the zippers add an interesting twist to the equation- not to mention the almost 5 inch heel. The GUESS Women’s Defiant Platform Sandal is comfortable given how tall it is. Refuse to give in to boring style with the fierce Guess by Marciano Defiant sandals. Leather upper in a dress platform sandal style with an open toe and strappy leather vamp. Crisscrossing instep straps with metal zippers and chain detail. Full heel cup with rear zipper for an easy fit. Smooth lining and cushioned footbed. 3/4 inch platform midsole and 4 1/4 inch heel. Flat traction dress style outsole. Be sure to get it at Amazon and check out the special deals on shipping and other promotions using the codes on the page linked for this hot stiletto here and above.

So what exactly is the [...]]]> If first saw this on shoehunting.com.  This photo of  Hathaway, who I already love, and now I  love her even more now that she’s wearing my favorite childhood shoes, jellies!   That’s right the PVC plastic is back for spring again- at least with Anne Hathaway.

So what exactly is the deal with Jellies?

Jellies, you know, the shoes made of PVC plastic- in various shapes and styles sometimes infused with glitter are coming back, for like the 4th time.

Here is a little history on Jellies:

Jellies were designed after WWII when there was a shortage of leather in Europe. All the Italians were freaking out and major Italian factories were fighting against each other with golf clubs from Scotland over the last few bits of leather to make their shoes and sustain their factories.

In fact, this leather shortage was getting so bad that people were walking around barefoot….

By the way, is that guy in the back wearing a sack of potatoes on his head?

Anyway, the leather shortage was a real problem so they had to find other materials to use to create shoes…

TaDa!

PVC Plastic! = Flexible, relatively durable, and inexpensive!

And Jellies were born. They were a hit in the 80’s, came back around in the 90’s, I remember wearing them a ton as a kid and LOVED them because of the glitter- even though they sometimes gave me blisters.

They came “in” and “out” again briefly a couple spring seasons and now they are “in ” again.

So you ask…who is doing Jellies for under $100?

Kate Spade = $63 (Zappos)

Michael Kors = $63 (Zappos)

Stuart Weitzman = $99 (Zappos)

Tory Burch = $95 (Nordstrom)

How about who is doing Jellies for under 200?

Givenchy = $170 (Saks)

Cesare Paciotti = $128 (Zappos)

Jimmy Choo = $175 (Nordstrom or Saks)

Ralph Lauren Karly Jelly Sandal = $195 (endless.com)

Chloe Flat Jelly Sandal = $125 (Saks)

Those are the ones that stuck out to me but I’m sure you can find much more for less that are equally as adorable!

And last but not least my favorites with the heel by Melissa which are “Jellies” but made from 99.9% ]recycled plastic!!

She also does these cute little numbers with a heel as well….

Again, I’m a fan so get your jelly time on this spring!

xoxoxxx,

Tall Short Girl

Share and Enjoy:

]]> http://www.tallshortgirl.com/footwear-trends/anne-hathaway-in-jellies/feed/ 0 http://www.tallshortgirl.com/articles-archives/shoes-or-art/ http://www.tallshortgirl.com/articles-archives/shoes-or-art/#comments Mon, 26 Apr 2010 20:26:51 +0000 admin http://www.tallshortgirl.com/?p=1561 riginally published on Mizz Tissa’s Shoe blog, “Shoes or Art?” As footwear designers begin to experiment more and more with footwear design, what do you think will take off? I mean, would you ever wear these and curiosity strikes me, are these comfortable? I want to try them on! Read Mizz Tissa’s [...]]]> riginally published on Mizz Tissa’s Shoe blog, “Shoes or Art?” As footwear designers begin to experiment more and more with footwear design, what do you think will take off? I mean, would you ever wear these and curiosity strikes me, are these comfortable? I want to try them on! Read Mizz Tissa’s article and be sure to comment!

Happy Birthday Vivienne Westwood by julianacrispo featuring Melissa shoes

Today, legendary fashion designer and footwear designer, Vivienne Westwood turns 69 and hotter than ever.  Vivienne was a fashion school dropout at the Harrow School of Art- leaving after one term.

“I don’t know how a working-class girl like me could possibly make a [...]]]>

Happy Birthday Vivienne Westwood by julianacrispo featuring Melissa shoes

Today, legendary fashion designer and footwear designer, Vivienne Westwood turns 69 and hotter than ever.  Vivienne was a fashion school dropout at the Harrow School of Art- leaving after one term.

“I don’t know how a working-class girl like me could possibly make a living in the art world.” – The fashion designer once said.

We look back at those words now and laugh as she is potentially one of the most influential and iconic female designers of our time. Her style, dresses, footwear and signature aesthetic is what makes me love her footwear, feminine heels, and accessories so much.

Although she spends her spare time gardening, and practically never reads the papers or watches tv, I really hope she sees all the love she’s getting on the fashion blogs today!

Happy Birthday Vivienne! Keep up the beautiful work.

For more amazing articles and news on fashion footwear and accessories, please subscribe to TallShortGirl.com , connect with TallShortGirl on Facebook, or Follow TallShortGirl on Twitter.

We’ve seen this before. A primarily fashion forward Jeans-focused company decides to try its luck in shirts, then jewelery, then maybe footwear to gain a more sustainable competitive advantage. Take a look at Guess or Lucky. Both started with Jeans and now they do it all- no one really thinks of [...]]]>

We’ve seen this before. A primarily fashion forward Jeans-focused company decides to try its luck in shirts, then jewelery, then maybe footwear to gain a more sustainable competitive advantage. Take a look at Guess or Lucky. Both started with Jeans and now they do it all- no one really thinks of them as “just jeans” companies anymore.

Today, Joe’s Jeans went public about its $5.5 million dollar licensing deal with Burano LLC to manufacture and distribute a line of Joe’s branded women’s footwear, primarily flats, set to debut ASAP. Joe’s currently sits on the NASDAQ: JOEZ

“We believe our new line of Joe’s branded footwear will contribute to continued brand name recognition and overall growth for 2010,” Marc Crossman, president and CEO of Joe’s Jeans said in a statement. “The shoe line will reflect and embody the Joe’s customer, as a fashion-forward, casual woman with an independent streak.”

Heidi Klum, Audrina Patridge, and Katie Holmes have all been spotted wearing the brand on a couple of occasions.

The line is scheduled to ship and launch this month with a focal point on ballet flats. The line will be sold in major department stores, Joe’s Jeans stores and online with bridge prices ranging from $120-$145. Along with ballet flats, a line of wedges, flat sandals and casual heels is expected to ship later in April as well. The fall line is expected to include mostly flat boots set to deliver in July.

The tone of the line is said to carry a vintage look, feminine/casual vibe, with soft, draping leathers in rich colors and a focus on intricate detailing on the soles.

As soon as the line debuts and I can show pics I promise I will so stay tuned and if you haven’t already subscribed, please do!

<Story originally covered by author in CrispCommunity News.

There are tons of “Social Shopping” sites out there that let users discuss their experiences, desires and purchases for just about anything from fashion to camping gear.  From a shoe-lover’s perspective, I can greatly appreciate these sites because of the user reviews.  Think about it.  When your trying on an adorable pair of [...]]]>

There are tons of “Social Shopping” sites out there that let users discuss their experiences, desires and purchases for just about anything from fashion to camping gear.  From a shoe-lover’s perspective, I can greatly appreciate these sites because of the user reviews.  Think about it.  When your trying on an adorable pair of stilettos in the store, they are your best friend, but the wrong pair of high-heels can become your nightmare after a couple of hours strutting around in them.  Having someone review the shoes before I buy them and find this out can be incredibly useful to shoe loving ladies like myself!

Sites like Stylehive, Crowdstorm, and ThisNext gave users ways to make product recommendations and discuss things they’d like to have, sharing their desires and buying intentions, according to Springwise.  Then other sites came out that actually let shoppers share, show-off, and discuss the things they have actually purchased.

Sites like Teethyou.com (originally launched in China around 2007) give shopping fans a place for showing off what they’ve actually purchased.

Following them was  Blippy which  allows users to automatically share their credit card purchases, the amount and in some cases the item.  Then, their friends can comment and see what their friends are buying.  Personally, I think that is kind of creepy and just one more way to say, “Steel my credit card, please!” One benefit to this type of service, however, is being able to see what others are paying for the same thing, that way you always know if your getting ripped off or if you getting a killer deal.  Just imagine going to a store and seeing a hot pair of shoes retailing at $250 and then logging into your smartphone app to see that someone else just bought the same pair of shoes online for $150? I can see the value in that as it adds tremendous transparency to the purchasing process by facilitating reviews and comparisons.

One of the newest kids on the block, Justbought.it adds geolocation and an augmented reality twist.   Like everything else, the site lets users take photos of their purchases on their smartphones, share them with friends through Facebook and Twitter and comment on the purchases others have made.  The twist and area in which they differentiate is two-fold:

1.   Google Maps integration that allows users to find local friends and deals and see what/where people are buying on a map.

2.  Augmented reality version soon to be launched on the Android that lets users walk into a store and see what others on the site have already purchased.

The company’s strategy is to forge partnerships with online retailers to enable tweets on the site whenever consumers buy something.  Mashable compares the site to StockTwits in that Justbouth.it attempts to establish a community around something people are already using- Twitter.

The big barrier to entry they must face is getting users on board and excited about using it.  Before they can really grow their user base and exploit the value of geo-coded tweets and the augmented reality they need to get the Android and Blackberry version up!  Currently they only have an iPhone app.   Further, it helps that you can sign up for an account using either your Facebook or Twitter account to start socially shopping.  If your interested in seeing if it’s useful for you, the site provides “5 reasons” for people to sign up.

Despite the fact that I’m still a crackberry user, I’ll be signing up anyway just to see what the buzz is about.

Alaz, Ozgur. “Sharing the Spoils of Shopping.” Web Log post. Springwise. 9 Nov. 2007. Web. <http://springwise.com/media_publishing/sharing_the_spoils_of_shopping/>.

Greene, John. “More Shopping & Sharing from Estonia.” Web Log post. Springwise. 1 Feb. 2010. Web. <http://springwise.com/lifestyle_leisure/whoisrichme/>.

Ostrow, Adam. “JustBought.It Turns Twitter Into a World of Mobile Shoppers.” Mashable. 31 July 2009. Web. <http://mashable.com/2009/07/31/justboughtit/>.

Rigaut, Benoit. “Http://springwise.com/financial_services/blippy/.” Web Log post. Springwise. 20 Jan. 2010. Web. <http://springwise.com/financial_services/blippy/>

Weblog post. Springwise. 29 Mar. 2010. Web. <http://www.springwise.com/retail/justboughtit/>.

1.  Elephant Poop Platforms.  MizzTissa posted about these shoes about a week ago- read the post here she has an awesome footwear blog.

2.  Starfish Shoes…so hot right now.

3.  Fishy [...]]]> These guys made it on my list. Check ‘em out.  Strangest shoes I have ever seen and trust me, I’ve seen a lot of strange shoes.

1.  Elephant Poop Platforms.  MizzTissa posted about these shoes about a week ago- read the post here she has an awesome footwear blog.

2.  Starfish Shoes…so hot right now.

3.  Fishy Beer shoes.  Is that a beer bottle as the heel? Something tells me this was rendered, my fish don’t smile like that.

4.  Um…another definition of boat shoes I assume?

5.  I don’t even know anymore. ..

6.  AHH! Scary Shoes…

Congratulations to Geox founder and Chairman Mario Polegato for being named Innovator of the Year this Wednesday at the CNBC European Business Leaders Awards.  Judges cited him for having “broken new ground in developing a ‘fashionable brand with new technology. ‘”

Geox offers men’s, women’s and children’s footwear lines with a focus on breathable materialization.   Polegato [...]]]>

Congratulations to Geox founder and Chairman Mario Polegato for being named Innovator of the Year this Wednesday at the CNBC European Business Leaders Awards.  Judges cited him for having “broken new ground in developing a ‘fashionable brand with new technology. ‘”

Geox offers men’s, women’s and children’s footwear lines with a focus on breathable materialization.   Polegato founded the company in 1995 and named it Geox, a mixture of the Greek word “geo” for earth and “x” a letter element symbolizing technology.

Polegato was originally groomed to take over the family wine-making business.  Fate took a turn while on a break jogging in Reno at a wine industry conference.  His feet got hot from the exertion and he had the idea to cut a couple holes i the soles for his shoes with a Swiss Army Knife.  Then, he developed the idea into a viable product with the help of a small leather goods business his family owned.

He went on to multiple unsuccessful attempts at pitching his invention to several established footwear manufacturers.  They weren’t into it (this happens a lot, I know from experience..).  Nevertheless, he didn’t give up and after passing the market testing phase for his line of children’s footwear, Polegato began large-scale production of shoes under the Geox name. The same year he improved the original patent and extended into men’s and women’s footwear.

Today Geox is heavily invested in innovation.  At their R&D facilities, 15 engineers, chemists, and physicists are employed in research on perspiration and human  generated heat-movement patterns (according to Wikipedia).

Geox’s headquarters are in Italy, with factories in Romania, China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Brazil, Slovenia, India, Macau, and South Korea.  Read more about the story in Footwear News.

The interesting thing about this story is how close it hits to home and how simple a concept it was that allowed Polegato to transform an idea into a prospering business and a brand standing for innovation and comfort. The other interesting thing is that this award went to someone in the footwear industry- not someone in technology or alternative energy or something like that- It went to footwear. The bottom line is that there is still so much improvement to be made to this industry that has been around since hunter gatherers were…

This story not only hits close to home for me but for anyone with the simplest idea to improve an age old product. It took Polegato years and resilience past tons of rejection to get to this recognition and this point. The day he received the award not only marked a day for Polegato’s career but for the footwear industry as a whole. Congrats Polegato, Italy, and Geox for all their hard work!

Just goes to show, there is still much to be improved upon in footwear. Stay tuned!