I have a confession to make. Are you ready? Are you sitting down? Wait, you’re not going to tell anyone, are you? Because if you can’t keep it to yourself, I won’t tell you. You promise? Ok. I stole these shoes. No, really, I did. Well, ok, not the actual shoes. Not that I wouldn’t be tempted! No, what I mean is, one of my Twitter peeps recently wrote about these shoes on her blog, and she often does, she got me wanting them. I now have visions of L.A.M.B. shoes dancing in my head. After reading her post about them, and developing a rather healthy obsession with them, I decided to see if I could find any lower-cost alternatives. Because, you know, that’s what I do here. While we’re confessing stuff, I’ll tell you this too—the alternatives aren’t as kickass as the originals, but they’re pretty darn close. But before we get to them, let’s take a look at the L.A.M.B. Juva Platform Pump.
Let’s just admire it for a moment, shall we? I know, it’s gorgeous, right? I’ve always had a thing for houndstooth, but there is nothing in my closet with that pattern because what I find is usually pretty old lady looking. Another 30 years or so, and I can wear all the houndstooth I want. Yay, something to look forward to in my old age! But this is what’s so cool about Gwen Stefani and her L.A.M.B. line. She takes stuff that you wouldn’t normally find in something contemporary, and gives it a new twist making it new and cool. And get this. At first glance, the upper looks like leather, right? But if you look closer, it’s actually calf hair with a small leather panel at the back of the hidden platform, and a leather heel. Where they found a houndstooth checked calf, I’ll never know, but it looks awesome! The lining is also leather, as is the insole and the logo-embossed sole. The square toe gives you some wiggle room, which you’ll appreciate atop this 4.5-inch heel. The .75-inch platform takes some of the height off that, though. And while I couldn’t find them for the great price DWJ did, I did find them on sale! They’re usually $349, but you can get them for just $244.29 right now at Endless.com. Now, as long as DWJ doesn’t break my ankle for taking inspiration from her post, I may just have to at least go try these babies on!
Budget Saving Alternatives
Ok, you all know I get huffy about the stupid names designers and companies come up with for their shoes, handbags, and other accessories. This one just takes the cake. Only, it’s not the name of the shoe itself. That’s ok. In this case, it’s the name of the company. This Waldorf pump is made by oh…DEER! No, I’m not making that up. Despite the fact that it seems to be appropriate for this time of year (deer…get it?), it’s the dumbest name for a company I’ve ever heard. What were they smoking or drinking at that meeting when they decided this was a good company name? And where can I get some, because if that’s the effect, it must’ve been some good stuff! Anyway, aside from the stupid name, this is actually a pretty great shoe. If you see it from far away, it looks sort of like a traditional houndstooth pattern, right? But upon closer inspection, you’ll see that the upper isn’t fabric, and the pattern is made up of thousands of tiny sequins. These are static, unlike some other shoes we’ve seen before that change color because of the way they’re sewn on. But you wouldn’t want this pattern to change anyway. The pump features a four-inch heel and a man made sole. And they’re also on sale! Normally $146.99, they’re only $88.19 at heels.com.
What better compliment to a pair of L.A.M.B. shoes than a pair by Harajuku Lovers? This Arlanda Mary Jane Pump combines a few unique elements. There’s the geometric pattern on the upper, the solid toe cap, heel back, and heel, and then the Mary Jane strap in a seemingly contrasting color, but it works. In fact, if your skin is light enough, the strap might sort of blend in, leaving the pump to stand out on its own. The upper is a combination of fabric and leather, while the sole is all leather. The Arlanda will give your legs a lift with its 4.5-inch heel, but the 1-inch platform will set that off nicely. And guess what? This shoe is on sale too! It’s a Christmas miracle! It usually goes for $99.95, but you can indulge for only $65.90 at Endless.com.
Related Posts
Sponsors
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I love those shoes and alternatives don’t compare! Have you seen the boots version? The second time I died. Seriously.
THERE ARE BOOTS?! Holy crap, what are you doing to me, woman?! No, I’m with you, the alternatives don’t come close but hey, I had to give it a shot.
Once I saw them on DWJ aka Theaofa’s blog, I knew I had to have them. I’m gonna be on a hunger strike and may be without electricity for a week, but my feet will look oh so fly. I must have these shoes.
Yeah, once I saw them on DWJ’s blog, I knew I had to try to find budget alternatives. Sometimes it works, like with these Badgley Mischkas. But in this instance, they just don’t compare! I do like what they did with the sequins on that Waldorf, though. It fits with this season’s sequin trend.