The Yves Saint Laurent Tribute
Manolo says, for the past few months the Manolo has tried to avoid writing about the Yves Saint Laurent Tribute pumps, the peep-toe mary jane platforms with the six inch heels.
These shoes are the current “it” shoes, the hottest of the hottest, worn by the celebrities such as the J-Lo, the Becks, the Gwen Stefani, the Christina Aguilera and other hot young chickies who are in the eye of the public (often like the persistent sty).
The reason the Manolo has avoided writing about these shoes is that he does not particularly care for them, and because it is the policy of the Manolo to avoid whenever possible becoming involved in the extraordinary popular delusions and in the madness of the crowds.
However, the Manolo has now decided to write about them because there is the amusing article about them in The Mail of London.
Last night, I walked in the hallowed heels of Victoria Beckham, Jennifer Lopez, Christina Aguilera and Gwen Stefani, risking vertigo and personal injury for the sake of high fashion.
And “high” is the key word here. Having survived the experience, girls, I doff my cap to you.
The Yves Saint Laurent “Tribute” Mary Janes are this season’s must-have shoes. In London, they are sold out and there is a waiting list of 200.
On American eBay, the last resort for a desperate shoeaholic, they are changing hands for $1,295 (£648). Mercifully I managed to get hold of one of the last pairs at the YSL store in Manhattan. Next delivery isn’t until mid-May.
The shoes come in three colours: black (with a cream-coloured heel), red or purple, and two heel heights; four inches or five-and-a-half. At the front they have a one-and-a-half inch platform and a thin ankle strap.
“Oh my, they are very, very sexy,” purred Paulo, my Peruvian sales assistant, as I strutted in front of the mirror. I’m 5ft 5in, and was now nearly 5ft 11in. For $660 (£330) - a bargain by today’s designer shoe prices - my legs looked impressively long.
“You could dance all night in them,’ Paulo assured me. “The platform sole actually makes them more comfortable because it’s like your foot is only really working with a two-and-a-half inch heel height. You see?”
As the Manolo has said in the recent past, we have entered the final phase of the platform mania, and these shoes are yet more proof of the Manolo’s thesis.
April 23rd, 2007 at 8:25 am
So that means that for $1300 plus shipping The Fausta could be 7′ tall.
Hmmm.
Tower above the crowd, yet risk injury?
Let me ponder that for a moment…
April 23rd, 2007 at 9:05 am
No joke - besides the ugliness factor, which for some reason I find very big in these shoes, there is the “twist your ankle and fall down” factor, which I ALSO find very big in these shoes. And, twisting the ankle and falling down may lead to a summer spent in an orthopedic apparatus because you’ve torn all the ligaments in your foot. Not a pretty sight, I might add and frankly, one which may lead to a lifetime of less-than-superfantastic shoes. So, I agree with The Manolo and would avoid these toad-stickers at all costs.
April 23rd, 2007 at 9:59 am
MissV, she is a bit ashamed to confess that the YSL Tribute looks remarkably like the $40 stripper shoes she wears exclusively for the benefit of MisterV. Unlike the fashionable starlets, however, I would never dream of teetering out in them in public.
April 23rd, 2007 at 10:21 am
Personally, I hope this phase is over soon; they look like “expensive” stripper shoes! Yech!
April 23rd, 2007 at 10:39 am
I suppose it must indicate how much time I’ve spent in the fetish scene recently, but these shoes don’t look all that extreme to me. I saw some knock offs in a dept. store yesterday, and actually thought, “What a modest little platform.”
April 23rd, 2007 at 10:58 am
These are cheap hooker shoes; I don’t care what they cost. They look awful. Platform shoes always look sleazy and slutty.
As for this: “The platform sole actually makes them more comfortable because it’s like your foot is only really working with a two-and-a-half inch heel height.” This is pure bullshit and I assure you Paolo has not worn them, for any length of time, let alone “all night” and dancing besides.
April 23rd, 2007 at 11:32 am
Either I’m missing something or the clerk is bad at math…if she’s nearly 6 inches taller, and there’s a 1.5″ platform at the front, then her foot is “working with” FOUR inches of heel height.
(off to ponder why I felt compelled to point that out in the first place…)
April 23rd, 2007 at 12:43 pm
Being only 5″2′, I LOVE platforms and will sadly miss the trend…for now!
They’ll be back, my dears, they’ll be back!!!!!
April 23rd, 2007 at 1:23 pm
Um….yeah….that last statement….“The platform sole actually makes them more comfortable because it’s like your foot is only really working with a two-and-a-half inch heel height.”….all I can say is….LEARN MATH.
April 23rd, 2007 at 3:46 pm
These are just all kinds of wrong.
April 23rd, 2007 at 5:13 pm
No one should wear these shoes unless they are also sporting a “Hello Sailor” tatoo and dancing on a pole.
April 24th, 2007 at 2:27 am
I’ve been looking for these everywhere to go with a minidress and some miu miu tights. The only time I could find them in the Manhattan store was two sizes up or two sizes down. I couldn’t decide between the heights, but I almost convinced myself to buy the samller pair, until I felt a throbbing sensation and my sanity caught up with me. I am officially on the waiting list until May.
April 25th, 2007 at 4:30 am
Girls! Save your money and invest in the tulip bulbs. You’ll be set for life or, at least, for every Spring.
April 27th, 2007 at 10:01 pm
I’m sorry, but Posh Spice just looks like a sad, sad travesty of a human being - the shemale Michael Jackson. As Patsy said in a classic ep of AbFab, “some day they’ll dig her up and just find bones and bits of plastic.”
Eeeechh!
May 4th, 2007 at 11:03 am
I love high heels and I am a guy. The featured shoes above are a bit much. Nothing can hold a candle to a pair of red sole Christian Loubouthi with the stacked leather heel.
May 6th, 2007 at 6:56 pm
Looks like those huge platform shoes are perfect for all those short celebs around 5f2 and under!
May 7th, 2007 at 9:49 am
I love to look at hot little chicks strutting their shortness of stature in those tall heels as they slide them down the street, the shoes really promote the dainty helpless look, personally I like the Steve Madden peep toe platforms in red patent leather with a short jeans skirt.
May 7th, 2007 at 1:07 pm
[…] Your priceless time spent waiting for YSL’s “Tribute” is too heavy a […]
May 11th, 2007 at 12:43 pm
Um…I don’t know why you are all waiting aaages for these. Luisa Via Roma is selling them for the RRP £325…nothing more…nothing less….Lol probably gonna sell out now that I’ve mentioned it… I got my black ones in 3 days in my size..from Italy, and I like in the UK. And they have the red ones too. Oh, and they are awesome… They only look like ’stripper’ shoes depending on what you wear them with…..Posh: far to much leg. Xtina: well…where do I start. J-Lo: now cover up the other two and do they look like ’stripper’ shoes? No. We should all know that pictures do nothing justice unless you see them in real life. And they are so so easy to walk in…If you really love shoes you can walk in anything…
May 17th, 2007 at 11:36 pm
These shoes are fabulous and I have been walking all over Manhattan with them without injury. I think people are just jealous because they can’t get their hands on a pair, or afford them.
June 8th, 2007 at 10:59 am
[…] Five and the half inch stiletto heels? The height of fashion! […]
June 19th, 2007 at 3:50 pm
I think all you girls who slag the shoes off as being for strippers etc are very narrow minded. I bet you all overweight and the shoes would look silly on you anyway. And if your not remember you only live once stop being so self righteous and look at your self in the mirrors sometime.
June 26th, 2007 at 3:17 pm
donde puedo comprar unas peep-toe de yves saint laurent plataforms, vivo en pamplona navarra si me podrias decir un numero de telefono o una direccion
gracias
July 2nd, 2007 at 3:47 am
I wanted to purchase these shoes at Fred Segal, the sales person was very nice until she found out that they did not have my size then she STOPPED talking to me all together??????????? Did I do something wrong……?
July 13th, 2007 at 8:44 pm
These shoes are amazing and so comfortable.Sexy and beautiful.I do not mind spending so much money for them.I love them from the first moment i saw them at YSL store .
July 24th, 2007 at 2:35 pm
girls who wear platforms are the hottest and sexiest babes around!
October 10th, 2007 at 2:16 pm
I think these shoes are fabulous and dont at all look like stripper shoes. as people say its what you wear with them. an the people who think there horrible an say they wouldnt wear them obviously lack in confidence and are stuck up.
October 15th, 2007 at 12:20 am
if your short i can see why you would want to wear a pair of platforms but what if you’re tall, you’d look like a right muppet! towering over everyone including your date, and well lets face it that never looks that great. think Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise. eugh. dont get me wrong i love shoes and have more than enough, but i would buy these. The danger of breaking my ankle and having to spend the entire summer in a cast really doesnt appeal. so spend you money on a air of shoes that wont go out of fasion in 3 months and save your poor feet :)
November 23rd, 2007 at 9:35 pm
Manolo knows pip-squeak.
He’s not the kind of person (if he is one) to take heed of.
Good night, Manolo - BORED!
March 2nd, 2008 at 8:27 pm
Wow i dont think they are slutty or sleezy at all
it all just depends on what you wear them with :)
I have atleast several pairs like them :)
i think they are cute :) thank you very much
butttt everyone has their opinion.