Fail.

Really?

source: Marie Claire

Is it possible for fashion to borrow elements from a non-Western culture without obscuring that culture's identity? There is a difference in my mind between a designer incorporating a traditionally "ethnic" concepts (like beading for example) in his or her clothing and just copying something outright, stripping it of any cultural significance and say, placing it on the heel of a thousand dollar pair of pumps for some fashionista to hobble around on while not smiling.

Where that line is drawn is a trickier matter. Does it depend on how much the item costs or its function? I don't know for sure. I'm sure that I've bought ethnic "looking" things here and there without really stopping to think of who made it but there's just something about $1,400 pair of Dior shoes with graven images of mini-Africans that just seems to cross the line. Maybe I'm supposed to see something stylish and multi-culti when I look at these shoes, but in reality it just left me shaking my head in disbelief.

Pour La Victoire

Sandals season. Ugh.

As much as I am looking forward to warmer weather and trading in gray Seattle skies for something clear and blue, I hate dealing with my crocodile feet in the summer. There is simply not enough cocoa butter in the world to keep the ash at bay on my dogs.

I've decided that I need a new pair of gladiator sandals but I keep putting it off because I don't want to deal with the injustice of showing the shoe salespeople at Nordstrom the crusty fire-walkers called my feet so online shopping has become my method of choice. This even though I have terrible luck buying shoes this way. Last month I bought two pairs of the sandals Pierre Hardy designed for the Gap only to be disappointed with how they looked in person and last year I bought four pair of Steve Madden flats only to have them arrive and discover that just because something is marked size 10 medium does not mean that it will fit.

I spotted this gray and cream faux reptile pair at Endless.com and fell in love on the spot. They're made by Pour La Victoire, which is a Brazilian shoe maker with a "French" twist. They arrived today (free overnight shipping!) and I couldn't be more pleased. They are pretty, comfortable and stylish and they come nicely package in a pretty pink box. They're just so darn cute that I had to share them with you.

Now if I could just find my Ped-Egg...

Sheila's Heels

When my family and I lived in Luxembourg, we subscribed had a SKY satellite dish so we could watch British TV. The Sheila's Wheels auto insurance for women commercial was on constant rotation so I still have their catchy but incredibly annoying jingle on permanent rotation in my head.

Anyway, in response to a study which showed that up to 80% of women drive while wearing "inappropriate" footwear, Shiela's Wheels has developed convertible driving shoes so that women don't have to choose between style and safety.

Jacky Brown, spokesperson for Sheilas’ Wheels, said: “Our Sheila Driving Heel design could provide safety-conscious female motorists with the ultimate driving shoe - allowing women to wear a safe flat shoe whilst driving, and a fashionable heel once they are out of the car.”

Personally, I'd rather wear JP Tod's pebble-soled driving moccasin but then, I gave up being a high heel girl awhile ago. I think these shoes are a little less than cute but I do like the idea. If they could get a tube of lipstick to fit into that heel they might be onto something.

The Other Fall Shoe

Pumps with cone, stacked, and tree trunk sized heels are a nice alternative for the woman who either: can't manage more than a teeter or a hobble in razor thin stilettos, is sick to death of ballet flats (the horror!), or hates the lace-up Oxford pumps that are literally everywhere this fall.

It seems like every other page in September's Vogue features has a thick heeled pump in an advertisement or editorial.

The season's must-have appears to be Prada's offering. I love the multi-hued Sfumato Mary Jane from the sleek ankle strap to the heel -- which looks like the lovechild of a Japanese brush stroke and the rear talon of some fashionable bird of prey.

Alas, I still haven't given up on my flats. But if I could, I would buy that shoe just to use it as a centerpiece on the coffee table. The price is $550 at Bergdorf.