200 Years of African American Art

Happy African American History Month, everyone!  (Er, at least for the next four days.)  Looking for a way to celebrate?  The Philadelphia Museum of Art currently has an exhibition on display called Represent: 200 Years of African American Art.  It highlights selections from the museum’s exceptional holdings of African American art and celebrates the publication of a catalogue examining the breadth of these noteworthy collections. From compelling stories to innovative methods, Represent explores the evolving ways in which African American artists have expressed personal, political, and racial identity.

Take a look at some of the pieces on display:

This beautiful charcoal sketch is Martin Luther King, Jr., a 1981 piece by John Woodrow Wilson.  It’s so like a Greek bust, isn’t it?  Quiet and powerful.  The shading is magnificent.

This is the Connor by L.A.M.B.  I love how the ombre on the translucent 5.25-inch wedge echoes the shading in the sketch.  I love the strong lines echo the strength in the sketch.  It’s a power shoe, all right!  Yours for $259 from Heels.com.

This gorgeous color explosion is Present Futures, a 2006 painting by Moe Brooker—who’s a local, by the way!  Known for his lyrical abstract paintings, Brooker employs a palette of bright, electric colors.

The Nala by Steve Madden has the same bright splotches, same free spirit—and a 5.25-inch heel to boot!  (The hidden 1.5-inch platform helps with the walking part.)  So beautiful for spring, right?  Find them at DSW for $60.

I think Henry Ossawa Tanner’s 1898 version of The Annunciation is the most breathtaking version I’ve ever seen.  The quietness and curiosity of Mary.  Her plain room.  The heavenly visitor, which is kind of terrifying in its simplicity.  I adore this.

The Espadrille Sandal by Tory Burch pulls out the stripes from Mary’s room, the simple warm colors, the handmade materials.  It could be on the foot of a woman in an ancient marketplace, but in fact you can get them at Nordstrom for $135.

Represent is on display through April 5.  Go!  Experience!  Enjoy!

Long Live Glitter!

If you’re on the interwebs at all you’ll have seen a thing going around this week about glitter.  Specifically, that you can now ship your enemies an envelope full of glitter, so when they open it glitter gets all over everything and they can never get it out.  It’s become so popular they’re having trouble filling orders.

I love glitter.  But I have to say, glitter once ingrained is rarely removed.  I worked at a jewelry store for awhile and some manager before my time thought it would be more jewel-y if he or she sprinkled the carpet with glitter.  It was a pretty tough, thin carpet, but let me tell you—we vacuumed that thing every night and I’m not sure the glitter will ever be completely gone.

But glitter definitely has its place—like on shoes!  Take these, for instance:

The Atlantyc is a classic pointed toe pump, but covered in gorgeous gold glitter—even up the 4.5 inch heel, too!  It’s perfect for a sophisticated party—and I’m not going to lie, I have a similar pair that I wear to work.  Because I don’t follow no rules.  Also available in navy; your choice for $100 from Steve Madden.

Okay, so if you don’t want to wear a gold glitter pump to work, these are more subtle.  The Lobster Smoking Slipper is a rounded take on the smoking slipper, with an almond toe and a quarter-inch heel, all coated in fine black glitter.  Available in nine other options (glitter and non-glitter alike); take your pick for $40 from Nine West.

The Passarello by Aldo is not a shoe to be reckoned with—just look at the chunkiness of the platform and five-inch heel.  These could be a weapon.  The glitter is an intense deep red—certainly in the Marsala family, if you’re still looking for a piece!  Yours for $80 from ASOS.

Oh my goodness, look at these!  Aaaaah!  Kate Spade and Keds got together to create the Champion Glitter.  These may be the greatest sneakers of all time.  I mean, look at the laces!  They’re ribbon!  They’ve even got the little Kate Spade spade symbol in stud form on the back.  Also available in navy, gold, black, gold with black ribbon, and multi with pink ribbon; your choice for $80 from Keds.

Glitter for your enemies…glitter for yourself…glitter for all!

Sales this weekend:

Bakers: 20% off tall boots

Bloomingdales: 5 day weekend sale

Lord & Taylor: 20% off with savings pass or promo code SAVE

Payless: Take an extra 20% off clearance with code ZZCLEAR20

KoP Gets Even Bigger

Hold the phone…what’s this?  The King of Prussia Mall, the largest mall in the United States (you heard me, Mall of America), is expanding?  That’s right!  They’re building a connector between the Plaza and the Court, which will add 155,000 square feet to an already-enormous mall.  There will be a fancy food court…valet parking… 50 new stores and restaurants.  (Fifty?  How is that possible?)

There’s no list of new stores yet so I can’t say if there are any new shoe stores in the mix, but I do know that KoP is already a haven for shoe lovers.  You could go to Aldo…

This sweet little flat is the Zicia.  The vamp is made of ballerina-pink microfiber, capped at the pointed toe with metallic silver.  And look at the pretty silver bow at the toe too?  Could this get any more adorable?  Also available in black; on sale for $28 at Aldo.

…or Payless…

This is the Raven by Lower East Side.  While the wine suede outer isn’t quite marsala, it is in the same family.  (Mmmm…wine.)  I do love the slouchiness, and that little buckle around the back.  A zipper on the side lets you in.  Also available in black suede and black, gray, and brown faux leather; your choice for $35 at Payless.

…or Steve Madden…

The bright flowers-on-black motif on the Vincible is kind of sexy, don’t you think?  (Not to mention that 4.5 inch heel… looks taller than that.  Looks very, very tall.)  I also love the curved cut of the upper part of the vamp—it makes such a lovely shape.  Find them at Steve Madden for $100.

…or Salvatore Ferragamo…

This gorgeous sandal is made of snake print leather, delicate black lace…and feathers!  Look how nicely the feathers are arranged.  The heel is just shy of four inches, and a slender ankle strap keeps them on.  This is fun and sophisticated at the same time.  Yours for $1350 from Salvatore Ferragamo.

…or my favorite, DSW.

Oooooooh… pretty.  The Nakkita by Betsey Johnson almost looks like those iridescent butterflies, but made of teal and blue rhinestones of different sizes.  There’s a 4.75-inch heel and a half-inch platform, and a zipper up the back to let you in.  Find them at DSW for $130.

The expansion won’t be done until October 2016, but hey!  There’s still plenty of shopping to do until then!

Sales this weekend:
Aerosoles: 25% off sitewide
Call it Spring: Extra 30% off all sale
Lord & Taylor: 20% off sale and clearance with code WINTER
Macy's: Extra 10% off with code SALE
Payless: Clearance sale: up to 60% off

Fall Trend: Quilting

Those of you with keen eyes may have noticed a new trend in shoes this fall: quilting!  These cushy diamond patterns are all over right now, from handbags and coats to (of course) shoes.  Want to hop on this trend?  Of course you do!  Here are five ways to get your quilt on this fall.

The Leila by Tory Burch is a simple black wedge at first glance, but that 3.75-inch wedge is covered in quilted leather!  The little strap over the peep toe is quilted too, and adorned with Tory’s signature logo.  The vamp is unquilted, for contrast.  Yours for $295 from Zappos Couture.

This sweet little flat is made of blush faux leather, tipped at its round toe with a sleek black cap and a grosgrain bow.  I also love the black trim around the foot—that makes this shoe for me.  Also available in white with black; your choice from Forever 21 for $18.

This beautiful boot is the Raina by G. C. Shoes.  The warm brown faux leather is quilted up the front, with stretchy panels in the back to keep you comfy.  I love the swirly cut up the side, though the inside has a zipper up the 17-inch shaft so it kind of ruins the line on that side.  But hey, no one sees that side!  They only see this gorgeous side.  Find them at Century 21 for $50.

The Ecentrc by Steve Madden is a slip-on flat in quilted blue (or wine, or black) faux leather.  The 1.5-inch tall white rubber sole makes this quite sporty, doesn’t it?  And the elastic at the front gives them a little flexibility.  Yours for $69 from Lord & Taylor.

The Lanikove by Bebe is just so sexy, isn’t it?  The sleek, quilted vamp ends in a peep toe over a 1.5-inch partially hidden platform, with a 5.5-inch stiletto anchoring the other end.  These are man-killers… up-to-the-minute trendy man-killers.  Fantastic!  Pick up a pair for $90 from Heels.com.

I really like this trend.  Hopefully you’ve seen something you like too!

Sales this weekend:

Sorry ladies, I’m traveling (again).  But I’ll be back next week with all the deals!

Happy Easter!

Easter was always one of my favorite holidays as a kid.  Egg hunts and baskets aside, I was always in a fluffy dress of some kind, a kid-sized hat, and fancy shoes.  It’s a wonderful feeling, isn’t it?

You can still experience that feeling in a pair of these springy shoes!  And you’re a grown-up now, so really you can wear them all the time if you want.  And you can eat Easter candy for breakfast too.  Like a champ.

The Kasino by Christian Siriano is simplicity itself: a bright pink pointed-toe pump.  But the best part is the inside—see the pink and white diamond print?  So fun!!  It’s like a secret only you’ll know.  Also available in black and silver; your choice for $18 at Payless.

These pretty little flats are patterned with vibrantly drawn blue flowers.  The fabric outer is lined on the inside with leather, and the look is finished with a half-inch heel and quarter-inch platform.  Also available with pink flowers; take your pick for $118 from Brooks Brothers.

Eee, so girly!  The Iberis by Kate Spade is just spring embodied, with its yellow floral print and poofy bow.  The 3.5-inch wedge heel is a great space to showcase the bright blossoms, and the ankle strap adds sturdiness.  Pick them up at Lord & Taylor for $328.

The Bailey by Mojo Moxy is the perfect shade of springy green!  And the detailing—the scalloped edges, the teardrop cutouts, the ribbon tie, the little peep-toe, the charming shape of the four-inch heel.  (Also, the sole is shiny purple.  THE SOLE IS SHINY PURPLE, PEOPLE.)  Everywhere you look is something new to love.  Also available in nude or black, but neither compares to the blue.  Your choice for $50 from DSW.

This is Easter with an edge.  The Cythiaa is springy enough with its bright floral pattern, but the bootie shape and black lacing toughen it up a bit.  (Not everything needs to be of ducky-level fluffiness to qualify for Easter!)  The four-inch heel is topped with a zipper so you don’t actually have to bother with the laces.  Find them at Steve Madden for $110.

So happy Easter everyone, and happy belated Passover to my Jewish shoe fairies!

Sales this weekend:
Aerosoles: VIPs take an extra 20% off everything
Bakers: 25% off everything on the website
Call it Spring: Extra 20% off everything with code HOPTOIT
Lord & Taylor: 20% off everything with promo code FRIENDS
Macy's: 20% off one pair, 25% off two pairs, and 30% off three or more pairs with code GREAT
Nine West: Buy one, get one half off
Payless: Easter sale-- up to 40% off

Philadelphia Flower Show

I know, I know; it feels like spring will never come.  That we will be forever stuck in a polar vortex of ice and misery.  That Mother Nature has picked us as her particular whipping boy this year.

To that, the Philadelphia Flower Show says: screw you, Mother Nature!  We’ll just bring spring ourselves!

This year’s theme is ARTiculture, and the PFS has partnered with over a dozen art museums both near and far to give us a burst of spring in the style of Picasso, Dalí, Monet, and more.  Keep the theme going with some artsy posies on your toesies!

Bold brush strokes, bright colors… the Floral Print Stilettos by Show Story looks like Van Gogh to me!  Blues and pinks and yellows—it makes me feel happy just to look at it.  It has a serious heel, but the platform is nearly two inches so it won’t feel as tall as it looks.  Also available in a blue/purple combo; your choice for $34 from Amazon.

The Lilico by Sophia Webster is very Roy Lichtenstein-esque, isn’t it?  The polka dots, the bright colors, the graphic flowers… too perfect!  There are even stripes up the four-inch heel—I just adore these.  If you agree, “pick” up a pair (ha ha! like picking flowers) at Saks for $595.

Ooh, watercolor impressionism!  The Stecy by Steve Madden is a simple sandal, but it’s all about the fabric here: a delicate floral in pinks and oranges and blues.  It’s on the strap at the toes, the slender ankle strap, and around the 3.75-inch heel…beautiful!

*Happy sigh*  Well, I feel a little better now.  Take that, winter!  The Flower Show is the harbinger of the spring, and you can’t keep it away for much longer!

The Flower Show runs through Sunday, so hurry over and get a taste of spring before it's gone!  Tickets are $27.

Shakespeare @ 450

This April, William Shakespeare turns 450 years old.  (Or he would, I guess, if he was still alive.)  This is a big birthday for a big playwright, and the Free Library is celebrating properly with a year’s worth of events.  Movies, crafts, reading groups, Shakespearean insults, live performances… there’s so much to do!  To honor the bard, I present shoes inspired by some of his most enduring ladies.

Juliet: lovesick teen defying her family’s feud in Romeo and Juliet.

The (what else?) Juliet by Breckelles is a simple round-toe ballet flat (helpful for escaping!) covered in rhinestones (helpful for balls!).  Also available in a very sunny yellow, but only if you’re a 6 or 6.5.  Yours for $24 from Amazon.

Cleopatra: queen of Egypt, lover of Antony, and, er, snake handler in Antony and Cleopatra. 

The Fuell is a gold sandal fit for a queen, made out of faux snakeskin.  (Take that, asps!)  The snake covers the toe straps, T strap, ankle straps (two!), and 5.5-inch heel—the 1.5-inch platform is covered in a more subtle light gold snake.  Also available in all black; your choice for $110 from Steve Madden.

Viola: shipwreck survivor, page, and cross-dresser in Twelfth Night.

So they might still guess you’re a woman in these, but the Delancy by Sperry Top Sider is definitely menswear-inspired!  This classic oxford is made of tan leather with panels of gold glitter—simple and special at the same time.  Also available in solid tan, rose, or light green, or zebra!  And the zebra has touches of red, which are really cool.  Find them at 6pm for $22.  (Down from $110!  $110!  Go buy these!)

And my favorite, Lady Macbeth: schemer, sleepwalker, and wife of Macbeth.

I hate to tell you, Lady Macbeth: these spots aren’t coming out.  This round-toe pump has a four-inch heel, half-inch hidden platform, and round toe.  They would be downright adorable, if it wasn’t for the blood!  Also available as blood-on-white; find them at Costumes4Less for $37.

Whoever your favorite is, I bet they’ll make an appearance at the Free Library this year.  Happy birthday, Bill Shakespeare!

Winter Olympics!

Cue the Olympic theme!  Doo, doo, doo doo, doo doo…

I will have you know that I just sat through all four minutes of the Olympics theme song.  I feel the sudden urge to luge, in slow motion, with flags waving.

AAH!  THE OLYMPICS ARE HERE!  I love the Olympics.  I love the world coming together; I love all the random sports (looking at you, biathlon!); I love that Jamaica has a bobsled team this year, in a case of life imitating art imitating life.  (If you consider Cool Runnings art.  Which I do.)

Sorry.  Got a little carried away there.

But tonight is the opening ceremony for the winter Olympics, which ironically is being held in a subtropical city.  That’s right: we’re holding a winter Olympics in a city with palm trees.  It’s like having the winter Olympics in Orlando.  So here are some shoes you might enjoy while enjoying the Olympics in Sochi!

The Vanya by Earthies is a ballet flat in a beautiful orange, blue, green, and white floral print.  This one is fabric, but the other color choices are leather: black, copper, gold, or pewter.  They’re all kind of boring, actually—but not the print!  (Can I also say I enjoy how the name sounds Russian?  Vanya!)  Yours for $160 from Zappos.

Ooh, birds of paradise!  The Cara by Luichiny is a bold platform heel with a tropical-on-black print at the peep-toe.  The two-inch platform and five-inch heel are both covered in shiny patent leather, and the ankle strap too—and that is a statement strap!  Find them at DSW for $50.

The Lucianna is by UGG, believe it or not!  It’s nowhere close to a winter boot, and it’s adorable.  It has a print ankle strap (the toe is the same print), raffia-covered 1.5-inch platform and 4.25-inch wedge, and can I say how much I like the solid purple at the ankle?  Very nice.  Also available in a lovely orange and blue combo; your choice for $86 from 6pm.

Ooh, spring has sprung!  Or it has in the Marlenee by Steve Madden, anyway.  Just look at the beautiful pink and yellow print—I’m also digging the wide ankle strap.  It toughens the look up.  It has a 4.5-inch heel and no platform to speak of so be careful where you go in these, but you can’t deny they’re beautiful.  If you agree, they can be found at Macy’s for $100.

So enjoy the next two weeks, and keep dreaming, Orlando: some day you too could hold a Winter Olympics!

Sales this weekend:
Aerosoles: Take an extra 20% off boots
Bloomingdales: $50 off $200-$299; $100 off $300-$499; $150 off $500+
Bus Stop Boutique: Saturday through Valentine's Day, 15% off when you shop with your sweetheart and post a pic to Instagram with hashtag #busstopboutique
Lord & Taylor: 20% off regular, sale, and clearance with code BIG
Macy's: Extra 10% off with code RED
Payless: Buy one, get one half off
Steve Madden: Extra 35% off all clearance with code BONUS35

One Day in Pompeii

I remember when I first learned about the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius.  It was fourth grade, I think, and I was completely fascinated from the get-go.  When a guest visited the classroom and asked what we were learning, I gave a whole rundown of Pompeii, Herculaneum, dates, times, the whole shebang.  The guest replied with a slightly bewildered, “Wow.”  When I visited Pompeii on a high school summer trip, I think I literally skipped through the city, I was so happy to actually be there.  My friends thought I was suffering from heatstroke.

I am a nerd.

But you can see why I’m excited about the One Day in Pompeii exhibit at the Franklin Institute!  It’s got wall frescos and sculptures that adorned the homes, jewelry that adorned the people, and er, some of the people.  Some of the plaster casts even showed what that people were wearing.  I don’t know if shoes are included, but those Pompeians may have worn something like these on their last days.

The Break My Heart by Gentle Souls has a nubuck leather upper… straps and straps of golden nubuck!  (Or yellow, blue, gray, silver, black, or a second gold.  That’s right: if this gold is not quite right, there’s a second gold.)  It’s lined in soft deerskin and laces up the front… simple and beautiful.  Yours for $195 from Online Shoes.

The Plato-S by Steve Madden is a little tougher-looking than the first, what with the varying studs and the three buckles.  You don’t actually have to use the buckles since there’s a zipper, but zippers aren’t historically accurate.  Use the buckles if you want to feel like an ancient Italian.  Also available in brown; your choice for $80 from Zappos.

Aah, simplicity itself.  The Braided Gladiator Sandal by Fashion Lab is only a few strands of braided faux leather, but it would look so chic with, oh, pretty much any summer skirt or dress ever made.  A zipper up the back lets you in, and they’re also available in black or gold.  They’re all different prices, but the silver is $19 at Dr. Jays.

The Lightning Gladiator by Coconuts has all these interesting loops on its leather upper… the more I stare at it, the dizzier I get!  Also available in black or silver; your choice for $60 from DSW.

One Day in Pompeii runs through April 27—and it’s open 'til 9 PM Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays!  I do love that.  Evening admission alone is $18, but daytime admission is $27.50 (though you do get the rest of the museum in that as well).

That Tingly Feeling

I hope one of your New Year’s resolutions is to keep your feet happy and healthy in 2014 (all the better to enjoy your shoes!).  We all know that high heels can throw us out of whack, but did you know the wrong pair can pinch nerves in your feet?

(I should remind you here that I’m not a doctor.  I’m a Shoe Fairy.  Take that as you may.)

This has happened to me, to deputy shoe fairy Cayce, and I’m sure to some of you.  You’re at a party, dancing the night away for hours in gorgeous high heels—maybe like these!

The Spycee by Steve Madden clocks in at five inches tall (with a one-inch platform).  Five inches of rhinestones, that is!  And five straps up the front to boot.  Normally I’m not a fan of aurora borealis crystals, but I sort of love this.  I can’t even imagine what they’d look like on a dance floor.  Yours for $75 from Macy’s.

But after a few hours in your fabulous heels, maybe when you go home and take them off, you realize your toes are all tingly, like they’re asleep.  When I was in my heels for twelve hours at my brother’s wedding, I found that the three small toes on my left foot were numb.  And they stayed numb for several days.

The culprit?  A pinched nerve.  This happens most often when your toes don’t have enough room, the heels are too tall, or both.  Those beautiful Steve Maddens look like prime culprits for both.  Also called a neuroma, there are many symptoms:

• Feeling numb or tingling.
• Feeling pain in the foot, which can radiate outward from the source.
• Twitching or feeling weak.
• Feeling like the foot falls asleep, or feeling like pins and needles.
• Swelling or redness.

Most of those symptoms will go away in a couple of days, if you wear shoes that give your toes enough room.  If it doesn’t go away after that, there are a few other options if you see a medical professional:

• Special padding at the ball of the foot may change the abnormal foot function and relieve the symptoms caused by the neuroma.
• Anti-inflammatory drugs and cortisone injections can be prescribed to ease acute pain and inflammation.
• Custom shoe inserts made by your podiatrist may be useful reducing symptoms and preventing the worsening of the condition.
• If all else fails, surgery which removes the inflamed and enlarged nerve can usually be conducted on an outpatient basis, with a recovery time that is often just a few weeks.

But a way to avoid all this is just sticking to lower heels on those occasions when you need to be in heels for a very long period of time.  That’s two inches or less.  Like these!

The Gabriel by Isaac Mizrahi has a 1.5-inch heel—in gold!  Look, it’s shiny metallic gold.  There’s a touch of the metallic at the back of the ankle, too, and the trim around the foot opening, but the rest is glitter!  Hooray for glitter.  The gold is $130, but the pewter version is $100—but it doesn’t have all the special touches of the gold.  Check them both out at Zappos and decide for yourself.

So take of your toesies and have many years of happy heels ahead of you!

New Year's Eve

It’s New Year’s Eve!  The very last day of 2013.  I hope there’s a party on your schedule for tonight!  Even if there’s not, you have to close the year in party shoes!

YOU JUST DO.  IT’S A RULE.  WEAR THEM WITH PAJAMAS IF YOU MUST.

So!   Let’s get you some party shoes then!

Who says shorter heels can’t be fun?  The Camille by Coach is a pointed toe D’Orsay with suede at the toe and glitter at the heel!  (That’s a 3.25-inch heel, by the way.)  The wine color is so elegant, isn’t it?  Pick up a pair at Bloomingdales for $198.

I love the lines on the E0028 by E! Live From the Red Carpet.  The interplay of the gray and the black, swooping around your foot, leaving cutouts (I especially love the tiny cutouts up by the heel!).  That’s a 4.5-inch heel, by the way, but there’s a three-quarter-inch platform to help out.  Yours for $88 from Macy’s.

Ooh, beads!  The Akira by ABS by Allen Schwartz is a beautiful peacock color, too—unexpected among the blacks and reds of the holiday.  The heel is 4.5 inches, and there’s an inch-high platform underneath the peep toe.  But the bow and the dangling beads—those make this pair special.  Also available in white if you’re going for a snow queen vibe; your choice for $100 from DSW.

Ooh, groovy.  The Madame by Steve Madden has features that, granted, could have gone horribly wrong in the hands of the wrong designer.  But here, the chunky clear heel and shiny gold upper feel more mod than unfortunate 70s throwback.  These would be especially nice with pants, I think!  Also available in black, but they’re not nearly as fun as the gold.  Find them at Zappos for $78.

All set?  Happy New Year!