Year of the Horse

This Friday is Chinese New Year!  We welcome in the year of the horse (and the wood horse, to be exact).  In the spirit of the new year, I give you a selection of (what else?) riding boots.

The lines on the Toxicatn are so sleek, aren’t they?  I love how they swoop up the 16.5-inch high shaft.  There’s a quarter-inch heel and a padded footbed, so you can spend all day in these.  Also available in black and a lighter brown; find them at Nine West for $100.

Ooh, shiny.  The Xibit by LifeStride is made of faux leather polished to gleaming.  There’s elastic in the back so you can pull them right on, and they’re finished with silver hardware.  Also available in an equally shiny brown; yours for $74 from My Favorite Shoe Store.

For the wide-calf girls out there (I know your pain), here’s the Maren by LAUREN Ralph Lauren.  It has a suede shaft (15.5 inches) and leather at the foot, and in the touches around the buckles.  It has a 15.5-inch circumference as well, and comes in black as well as brown.  Find them at Zappos for $150.

Two-tone riding boots are my favorite!  And the Careinaw by Bandolino is a little unusual in that it’s two shades of brown, instead of black and brown.  I sort of love it!  The boot is made of leather, has a 1.5-inch stacked heel, and a zipper on the inside to let you in.  I love the buckles too, and the harness-type thing around the ankle.  Also available in all black, all cognac, and the traditional black and brown combo—your choice for $120 from Macy’s.

And if you also really love two-tone riding boots, get them monogrammed!

This pair of monogrammed boots has a one-inch heel and a 16-inch shaft, and you can get your initials sewn right into the brown upper part.  You can even pick your thread color and font choice—and there are twelve different font options!  Very nice.  Yours from Etsy seller Tiny Tulip for $67.

So gung hay fat choy, and welcome to the year of the horse!

Fall is Here!

This weekend we officially went from summer to autumn.  (It even feels like autumn, doesn’t it?)  And autumn means… boots!  Tall boots, short boots, boots boots boots! 

The Melissa Riding Boots by Frye is just too gorgeous.  The rich brown color, the little silver dangle, but mostly the embossed design on the outside.  Oh, I’m in love.  Also available in black but it doesn’t hold a candle to the cognac; find them at Bloomingdales for $418.

The Can’t Stand the Heat by Seychelles combines a boot with one of the hot fall trends: military.  The suede upper has loops of scalloped trim, and eight brass beads hold ties in figure eights.  A zipper up the back lets you in; find them at DSW for $100.

The Mixie Tall Dress Boots by Bandolino is such a lovely fall color, isn’t it?  And it feels so delicate: the thin straps around the ankle, the dainty studs around the top, the slender three-inch heel.  Also available in black suede and white leather, though I have to say the white leather version is a little reminiscent of 1960s go-go boots.  Yours for $169 from Macy’s.

The Theodora by MIA is the classic two-tone riding boot, with black faux leather on the bottom and brown faux leather at the top.  It has a 1.5-inch heel and buckle detailing around the back of the calf, and can be yours for $45 from 6pm.

Over the knee boots are still in, and the South Bay by Chinese Laundry fits the bill!  The leather upper goes over the knee, but there’s a little stretch panel in the back to help you fold it down below the knee if you want to wear it that way.  And it comes in three colors!  The black, a light brown, and a dark brown—all leather, and all for $100 from Nordstrom.

So grab your boots and enjoy the fall, ladies!

Black and Tan

At choir this week, a few of us were admiring a fellow soprano’s shoes, which were adorable penny loafers in black and brown.  Black and brown! we thought.  They go so well together, yet so many people shy away from mixing the two.  No more, we say!  Long live black and brown together!

Aah… the perfect boot.  The Cazadora by Bandolino has a two-tone leather upper, buckles at the ankle and at the top of the 15-inch shaft, 1.5-inch heel, and lightly cushioned footbed.  Perfect!  Also available in all black, all cognac, and all dark brown, but none has quite the specialness of the two colors together.  Find them at 6pm for $105.

So sweet!  The Carrie Lace Flat by Kelly & Katie is tan satin underneath black lace (sexy!), capped with black at the toe and topped with a bow.  It’s a steal, too, at $40—check them out at DSW.

Sky high!  The Truth or Dare by Madonna Rochella is not for the faint of heart.  That’s a five and a half inch heel and a 1.5-inch platform hiding under the leather upper.  (I love the curving of the brown leather around the back, by the way.  Nice touch.)  Yours for $130 from Zappos.

The Empire Flat by Wanted is the classic black and tan!  Shiny black patent leather is topped with a curving brown bow at the toe and brown trim around the foot opening.  Simple, but not boring!  Find them at Bakers for $40.

Strap-tastic!  The Carolyn by Cole Haas is a sexy, sophisticated black leather bootie criss-crossed by straps of brown leather and gold buckles.  The three-quarter-inch platform is brown too, though the 3.5-inch heel is black.  Find them at Nordstrom for $239 (on sale from $398!).

See?  Neutrals working together!  I love it.

Sales this weekend:
Aerosoles: 10% off all boots
Bakers: Buy one, get one 25% off
Lord & Taylor: Buy one, get one half off boots; 15% off regular price items and 20% off sale items with code BIG
Payless: Buy one, get one half off

Polka Dots

So my colleague Melanie told me she found these graphic black and gray polka dot heels at the Nine West Outlet at the Gallery at Market East, and asked for a PSF polka dots post!  Absolutely—polka dots are SO cute for spring.  While I can’t find any pics of the ones at Nine West, I did see them in person and they’re very cute.  The pattern is similar to this, actually:

The Shelley by Bandolino has a burgundy patent leather 2.25-inch heel, with burgundy patent at the toebed and piping as well.  Find them at Endless for $53.

Nine West does have a lot of other polka dotted options as well, even if I couldn’t find a photo of Melanie’s—like these:

The Crusader has a five-inch patent leather heel, one-inch platform, and bow at its peep-toe.  And look close at the bow—it’s got a patent leather buckle around it!  And the red insole is so sexy, right?  Yours for $99.

Gaaa!  Love!  The Alana by Fergalicious has a satin upper and ruffle, synthetic sole, and...I’m sorry; I got distracted by how adorable they are.  Where am I?  Oh yes.  Also available in black; find them at DSW for $30.

Oh god, now I’m just completely overwhelmed by cuteness.  The Canddee by Betsey Johnson has a polka dot fabric upper, T-strap, satin bow at the peep-toe, and lightly padded footbed.  Also available in black with white polka dots and a light pink bow, black, nude, or fuchsia satin, or leopard with a black bow—could these be any cuter?  Find them at Zappos for $99.

So nautical!  This polka-dotted wedge by DIVA Lounge has a serious tan wedge, fabric upper, slingback with silver buckle, and a bow at its peep-toe.  Also available in black and pink from Amazon for $27.

And just in case it rains (it is spring, after all):

Don’t they just make you want to sing in the rain?  (Heads up, though, if you’re planning on swinging around lampposts Singing in the Rain-style.  That ends in injuries.)  These blue beauties have one-inch block heels, eleven-inch shafts with a fourteen-inch circumference, and a buckle at the top.  Find them at Target for $33.

Aren’t polka dots happy?  Go forth and be happy!