Manolo’s Shoe Blog

Manolo says, the Build the Outfit contest, it has returned!

And look, this time it is boots…

There is so much that one can do with these handsome and practical suede boots from the Enzo Angliolini. These are the sort of boots that could be worn by almost anyone–young or old, tough or sweet, work or casual, skirts or jeans–the Manolo can imagine hundreds of possibilities. And at the price is not outrageous.

And now the Manolo encourages you to go and build the outfit around these boots.

The rules are the same as ever. Please post your reply in Manolo’s Super Fantastic Forums.

On Saturday, the Manolo will pick the winner from among the entries and award the person who made it with the $100 gift certificate from Zappos.

Manolo says, here are the high-heeled boots from Charles David which are perfect for your Halloween Treat or Tricking. They are called by the odd name of “Butane”, presumably because they burn white hot with spooky sexiness.

The Manolo can’t decide which he likes better, the red, or the black. The black is witchey. The red, devilish.

Manolo says, it is Monday, and undoubtedly the Boss-Man is already breathing down your neck with his unreasonable demands.

What you need to put him in his place is something that is simultaneously beautiful, sexy, and powerful, something like these amazing Giuseppe Zanotti boots. These are boots that say, “do not trifle with me, Mr. Bully, for I am the person of great taste and infinite resourcefulness. Cross me at your own peril!”

Manolo says, the words “Christian Louboutin Over-the-Knee Boots” shout SEXY, but here you see Mariah Carey and Jennifer Lopez demonstrating that there is the fine line between sexy and ridiculous. Mimi simply looks ready to do the Pretty Woman stroll on Hollywood Blvd.

As for the J-Lo, all the Manolo could think about was this…

Which is clearly not what Christian Louboutin had in mind.

Manolo says, the Manolo woke up this morning in the mood for the good pair of the pirate boots, and by “good” the Mnaolo means sexy, but not overly costumey. And behold, here is the aptly named Rogue from the Via Spiga, the pirate boot that does not make the Manolo want to walk the plank.

Manolo says, the Manolo’s shoe-obsessed internet friend Wayne has sent the Manolo the link to this article about the artist named Jen Sher who produced these amusing boots for the Red Bull ‘Art of the Can’ contest.

South End artist Jenn Sherr makes jewelry and purses using decoupage, a technique of decorating a surface with paper and other flat materials and then sealing it with glue. But she had to employ another material - Red Bull energy drink cans - to enter the Red Bull Art of Can design contest. Sherr decoupaged go-go boots (two pairs, actually) with the ubiquitous label and was named one of about 40 finalists from among 2,000 entries worldwide.

[…]

Q. How did you hear about the contest?
A. My mother actually sent me a picture of a pair of shoes which was the advertisement for the Red Bull Art of Can Contest and said: “Jenn, you should try this contest.” I decided I would do go-go boots because I wanted the concept of Red Bull, which is an energy drink, and boots you can run in.

Q. How many cans and what other materials did you use?
A. You need a lot of glue and paper. And I love sparkles and glitter. There are about 40 cans.

[…]

Q. Are the boots wearable?
A. They are.

Q. Are they comfortable?
A. They are.

Q. What kind of comments do you get?
A. I don’t wear these shoes but I make shoes from paper and sell them at crafts shows. I made glamorous collage clogs with rhinestones that were $65.

Q. What would you charge for a pair of boots made from Budweiser cans?
A. Probably about $175.

Wearable shoes from cans! This reminds the Manolo of his own impoverished youth.

Manolo says, here is something dramatic and different and handsome to take your mind off of the beginning of yet another work week, the mid-calf, platform boot from Johnathan Kelsey.

Manolo says, here is the most amusing article about the Neiman Marcus 100th anniversary celebration, part of which was the giant western-themed party at the Cotton Bowl. The best part, however, is that one of the attendees was the Maestro Manolo Blahnik, kitted out completely in cowboy western style!

As the cocktail hour wore on, guests wandered between pig races, dressing goats in tutus and wigs (yes, it’s true) and posing for pictures with a longhorn steer. A few brave souls signed waivers and rode the mechanical bull. As Andrew Rosen was climbing aboard, Carmen Marc Valvo cried, “Take off your glasses! Everyone says it’s slippery. This is crazy. There’s no seat.” After Rosen took a tumble, Valvo took his turn and hung on for 25 bucks of the bull before being flung. “I’ll take it. That was fun. Now let’s go look at the pigs,” he said.

[…]

As Chris Isaak played through his repertoire — thanking Neiman’s for inviting him and his band because “we really didn’t have anyplace else to go. Well, I mean, we do have other places to go, but it’s great to be playing Neiman Marcus. We could have been playing Sears Roebuck” — guests continued to discuss business, the balmy weather and their own clothing. British jeweler Stephen Webster, who’s been on a tour of Neiman’s throughout the U.S., landed in Dallas that morning and, like many, headed directly to a Western gear store to grab his cowboy hat, boots and cowboy shirt. “It seemed like the right idea,” he said, before adding: “Although I don’t know when I’ll wear it again.”

Manolo Blahnik did the same the night before to get his getup, which he paired with his own bespoke Anderson & Shepherd double-breasted jacket. “My feet are killing me,” he moaned, pointing to his cowboy boots after doing some cha-chas on the sidelines. Why didn’t he just design his own? “No time, so I bought these at some shop in town, along with everything else. I’ve always admired John Wayne.”

But proving more than anything that the night was all about fashion, Blahnik had his own twist on the Western theme: “It’s all vintage, honey — vintage. I insisted.”

And here is the other picture of the Maestro Manolo himself, in the cowboy boots and the 20-gallon hat.

He seems to be having the most fabulous time, despite the foot pain.

Manolo says, here is the handsome toe-capped ankle boot from the Claudia Ciuti. The Manolo likes to think of this as the “Going-Out-On-The-Town Boot.” Wear it with the black tights, short skirt, and the super fantastic attitude.