Manolo’s Shoe Blog

Manolo says, the Manolo’s friend Linda Grant has recently purchased these Dolce & Gabbana shoes (in black patent), which sadly, have not withstood the test of (short) time and London streets.

I mentioned last week that I had bought a pair of Dolce & Gabbana shoes. I wore them for the first time on Thursday. When I got home the leather on the soles was pitted and worn away. I was going to take them back to Harvey Nichols for a refund but first went into my excellent local shoe repairers for an opinion. They told me that the shoes were not designed to be worn before having rubber soles put on them if you were going to wear them in the street, rather than carpet […]

To put the rubber half soles on the designer shoes, or to not put the rubber half soles on the designer shoes, that is the question.

While it is true that many cobblers and manufacturers recommend the professional attachment of the thin rubber half soles to the bottom of the designer shoes which are to be worn in the streets, to do so seems as if a) one is being defrauded by the manufacturer and b) one is destroying the integrity of the beautiful object.

The problem is that the shoes we most prize for their beauty and elegance are most often those which are exceedingly delicate, and are not designed for daily wear on the wet and muddy streets of the big city. Worse, the ultimate impracticality of the beautiful shoe is sometimes part of its charm, even if it does not seem fair that $600 shoes should display signs of wear so quickly.

So, what is the solution? Certainly, premium designers and manufacturers must only use the highest quality leather (something the Dolce and the Gabbana have clearly not done in this case, and more shame to them for it).

But even with the best and most durable leathers, the problem of design intrudes, as we wish our most precious shoes to be exquisite, light as the feather, and possessed of thin soles and delicate features, all things which run counter to our desire for durability, and the laws of nature.

And this is how it shall ever be, sturdiness and delicacy in eternal conflict, for as long as we maintain our justifiable love of natural materials.

Manolo says, the Manolo commends to you these marvelous white and navy peep-toe pumps from the Dolce and the Gabbana. Are they not beautiful?

What’s that you say, “But Manolo, it is not yet the summer time. I cannot possibly wear the white shoes before the Day of Memorializing.”

Ha! The Manolo scoffs as such fashion timidity.

Are you not the confident, super fantastic, adult person, one who is fully capable of charting her own way in the world? Indeed, you are fashionable woman, hear you roar!

Do not worry what the petty arbiters of outmoded fashion standards say, this is the beautiful shoe, one that can be worn anytime the weather warms. Remember the Manolo’s motto: If the shoe looks good, wear it!

Manolo says, this sandal from the Dolce and the Gabbana is sort of item that rides the very thin line between utterly tacky and completely stunning, and for that reason the Manolo loves it! For as we know, the true fashion is found on the border between the classic and the trashy.

Manolo says, here are the beautiful Dolce and the Gabbana golden peep toe pumps, perfect for the most festive of holiday events not involving Santa-intoxicated children and mountains of tattered wrapping paper.

Manolo says, it is Friday, and what better way to celebrate being the Disco Queen of Suburbia than with the exuberantly purple, metallic, platform peep toes from the Dolce and the Gabbana?

Manolo says, the Manolo is of two minds about the shoes. On the one of the hands, they are compelling and baroque, on the other they are slightly ridiculous.

However, despite this confusion, the Manolo does know that if the Kylie Minoque wishes to wear these shoes, she needs to pair them with something simple and elegant, something not as underwear-flashing busy-trashy.

Manolo says, surprisingly, the metallics are still in, but this year, it is the silver that is hottest, and you could not do much better than this silverly slingback from the Dolce and the Gabbana.

Manolo says, here from the Dolce and the Gabbana, is the perfect Rodeo Drive Sunday Summer shoe.

Manolo says, yes the man of weather he has predicted more snow, but you do not care, for you are kept warm by the knowledge that soon you shall be wearing the beautiful new shoes from the Dolce and the Gabbana.