Manolo's Shoe Blog

JUL
2013 29

The FitFlop

Manolo says, many of the Manolo’s internet friends have been asking him about the supposedly very popular brand of the thong sandals. “Manolo what do you think of the FitFlop?” To which the Manolo replies: “Wah? The Flipflot?” “No, Manolo, the FitFlop.” “The FlitFlop?” “No, no, no,” says the friend of the Manolo, “The Fit, F-I-T, Flop. It’s a type of flip flop sandal that tones you up as you walk on them.” “Do not most shoes have this miraculous property,” answers the Manolo, “you walk the long distances in them and as the result you achieve the higher level…

OCT
2012 02

Zanotti, Morrissey and the (almost) death of a cobbler

After our recent Is It A Shoe contest, I feel perhaps we’ve given Guiseppe Zanotti the fuzzy end of the proverbial lollipop. True, he is guilty of the spiky horse hoof shoe, not to mention these: (these are all from several seasons ago, and yes, the dollar sign shoes would’ve set you back a cool grand) Yes, he does tend to err slightly on the Russian Mafia Call Girl side of things from time to time but he’s also capable of walking that fine edge of playful elegance just as well as his fellow countrymen Dolce and Gabbana. Some of…

JUN
2012 19

Jodie Marsh Scares the Normal People

Manolo says, speaking of the sort of peoples whose stage name might easily be Mercedes Luv, the Manolo presents to you the English media personality Jodie Marsh. (Imagine Tila Tequila without the talent.) And now, just by looking at the above picture, the Manolo encourages you to imagine what sort of shoes this person might wear to accentuate this outfit… The answer is below the fold…

MAY
2011 23

Botas Picuadas

Manolo says, many of the Manolo’s internet friends have been emailing him, asking him to comment on the article in the Daily Mail concerning the Mexican botas picuadas, the crazy pointy-toed boots worn by the peoples from the San Luis Potosi. To which the Manolo answers, he has already considered this topic in depth, two months ago. Here are the links: Botas Exóticas: Pointy-Toes, Poulaines, and Male Display Botas del Baile Tribal Botas Exóticas: Mexican Vaquero Elves! Botas Exoticas: The Leningrad Cowboys However, to recap, here is the Manolo’s opinion: the key to understanding the trend of the botas picuadas…

APR
2011 04

Botas Exoticas: The Leningrad Cowboys

Manolo says, the Manolo’s internet friend, the Yum Yum, has pointed to high-spirited Finnish rock band known as the Leningrad Cowboys, who for the past twenty years have been wearing the pointy hair and the pointier shoes. In 1993, they even did the concert with the Red Army Chorus, of which the video below is the amusing artifact. To the Manolo, the pointy-toes and pompadours of the Leningrad Cowboys have more in common with the Japanese Rockabilly dancers as the obvious appropriation and exaggeration of the American rock iconography, while the sudden appearance of the botas exoticas of the baile…

APR
2011 04

Botas Exóticas: Mexican Vaquero Elves!

Manolo says, from the Vice Magazine’s VBS.TV comes this amusing mini-documentary about the Mexican botas exóticas with the pointy-pointy toes. In this episode of Behind the Seams we head to the dusty city of Matehuala, Mexico in search of the pointiest long-toed cowboy boots ever made. Over the past year, the botas vaqueras exóticas phenomenon has overrun the rodeo dance floors and clubs of this area and even spreading North into Texas, Tennessee, Oklahoma, and any place where big groups of immigrant Mexicans have taken root. We made our way to Desierto Light, one of the clubs in this area…

MAR
2011 28

FN Shoe Star, Episode 9

Manolo says, and now the ninth episode of the FN Shoe Star is available for your viewing enjoyment. In this episode, the remaining five contestants are asked to produce the…. rocker-soled toning shoes?!? Why should the peoples who run the FN Shoe Star stop there? Why not give each of the contestants the used steel-belted radial tire and ask them to make the Crocs knock offs? In the first of the places, the Manolo is not convinced that simply walking around in the magic ugly shoes with the strange soles will make you fitter. (Although, now that the Manolo thinks…

MAR
2011 15

Botas del Baile Tribal

Manolo says, according to the Univision the pointy toed boots have begun to appear in Dallas! Here below, for your edification, are the photos of the evolutionary stages that preceded the current fluorescence. First the diversity of the color and the lengthening of the silhouette… Then the toes achieve the exaggerated state and begin to turn up…

MAR
2011 15

Botas Exóticas: Pointy-Toes, Poulaines, and Male Display

Manolo says, from the Vice Magazine comes news of the hot fashion trend emanating from the rural backwaters of northern Mexico. Last month we went to the dusty city of Matehuala, Mexico, in the northern state of San Luís Potosí on the high plateau of the Huasteca Potosina, in search of the pointiest long-toed cowboy boots ever made. Over the past year, the botas vaqueras exóticas phenomenon has overrun the rodeo dance floors and clubs of this area, much to the dissatisfaction of Mexicans who critique the fashions of their countrymen on hotly trafficked style blogs. […] Participants in these…

JAN
2011 12

Fresh Horror: The Jefferson Slip-On from Native Shoes

Plus Equals Manolo says, because as everyone knows, if you mix the ounce of sewage with the bottle of fine wine, you have the most tastiest cocktail ever! P.S. The tip of the hat to Manolo’s internet friend the Nancy.

NOV
2010 30

The Grey Ant Teva Stiletto; When Genetic Experiments Go Awry

Manolo says, The Teva-letto, it lives! Here is the description from the people who have unleashed this monstrosity… Teva, leader in the sport sandal industry is known for their innovation of performance products and advanced technologies in the footwear industry teamed up with Grey Ant, the two collide to bring you the best of both worlds. If the Manolo might paraphrase: “Hey! You got peanut butter in my chocolate-covered-lutefisk!” “But, Manolo, these sandals, they are so comfortable, I hardly notice that the demons that lives in the heels have compelled me to murder my family and bury their corpses in…

NOV
2010 12

Nooooooo!!!!! “Crocs Comeback in the Making”

Manolo says, it lives! The footwear company based in Niwot, Colo., is fighting its way back since being declared “dead” in press reports last year. After enjoying great success as its shoes flew off shelves and investors snapped up its stock—the company raised more than $200 million in its 2006 stock offering—Crocs stumbled during the recession. Consumers and investors considered the clog—and the company’s stock—a fad that had faded. Now, Crocs is trying to fashion a comeback. It’s rolling out new, higher-priced shoes that include flip-flops and high heels. Those styles are highlighted in ads. Its traditional clog? It has…