Manolo’s Shoe Blog

Manolo says, Ayyyy!! Angelina Jolie is developing the dreaded Kidman Chrome Dome!

Manolo says, here is the Manolo’s latest column for the Express of the Washington Post.

Dear Manolo,

In late August I’m attending an outdoor wedding in upstate New York. I’ve settled on a summery sort of wrap dress in a light blue color. What would you recommend in the way of footwear?

Rachel

Manolo says, the few years back the Manolo attended the late summer wedding in the Catskills. It was the wonderful celebration of love and family and friends.

Unfortunately, the weather was unseasonably hot and humid, and so even though the ceremony proceeded flawlessly, it was nonetheless difficult for the Manolo to fully enjoy the festivities, what with the quantities of sweat running off his brow and puddling up in his shoes.

And this is the problem with even the best planned of outdoor weddings. There are things which even the most attentive of bridezillas cannot control: packs of barking dogs, clouds of blood-thirsty mosquitoes, lightening strikes that set off car alarms, small aircraft towing banners advertising malt liquor, and freakishly muggy weather that leaves the guests wilted and spent, and causes the caterer to run out of cold beer before the first dance.

Look, here are the marvelous Stoneybrook from Stuart Weitzman, the low-heeled strappy sandal that will keep you cool during even the hottest of ceremonies.

Manolo says, compare and contrast the following two shoes from Giuseppe Zanotti.

Manolo says, when the Manolo’s shoe-obsessed friend Wayne pointed out these two Giuseppe Zanotti shoes to the Manolo, the Manolo’s initial reaction was to laud the first for it’s combination of classical beauty and sublime construction, while deploring the second for its irrational science-fictiony exuberance.

And yet…the longer the Manolo considers the second shoe, the more he has reconciled himself to its over-the-topness. Indeed, the Manolo now believes that the right rock-n-roll girl could make this shoe work for her in the right conditions with the exact right attitude and outfit. Everyone else should select the first, which is undeniably beautiful.

Of the course, the real question is how can two such very different shoes, which share almost nothing in the way of aesthetic vision, be produced by the same designer?

The answer is, that they are not. There are clearly two different designers at work in the Zanotti atelier.

Manolo says, the Manolo suspects Fantasy by Britney Spears.

Manolo says, the Manolo never ceases to be amazed by the shoe-spotting ability of the Manolo’s sharp-eyed internet friends.

For the example, yesterday, while preparing for the Whose Shoes Wednesday the Manolo mistakenly included this fragmentary photograph in his collection of the Lady Gaga shoes.

This is not Lady Gaga, something the Manolo in his haste to prepare the post had missed.

And yet, even though it was the single image among nearly the score, this did not prevent the Manolo’s readers from identifying to whom they belonged.

The first to do so, was the Manolo’s internet friend Jo.

Nicole Scherzinger, I think?

Followed by the more complete identification made by the sharp-eyed sharpy, Rachel Marie

Those are Pussycat Doll paws-who else wears tartan parachute pantaloons with knee high boxer boots? It is Nicole Scherzinger! She redeems herself with her other footwear choice, though. I heart you, Manolo! Kisses

And then, here is Long Island, calling the Manolo out this morning.

I love you Manolo but I think you throw a ringer photo in with this lot. I believe that photo of the young lady in plaid wearing lace-up boots is Nicole Scherzinger. However it possible that both could wear the same equally outrageous combination.

And naturally, these readers of the Manolo were exactly correct.

It was the Nicole Scherzinger!

Manolo asked, whose shoes?

Manolo answers, it is the trying-too-hard-to-be-moderately-outrageous Lady GaGa!

Congratulations to the Manolo’s internet friend Sean who was the first to correctly identify this week’s personage of note.

Manolo asks, whose shoes?

Manolo says, the Manolo is worried about the person who has purchased this eBay item.

Manolo says, Mr. Henry on the go.

For the past two weeks Mr. Henry has been on the road and in the swamp. He has eaten blueberries in Maine, black raspberries in Massachusetts, corn in upstate New York, and fried soft shell crab in Florida.

Needless to say, you must go read the whole thing.