Manolo’s Shoe Blog

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

Dear Manolo,

Last week, my very frugal husband became so fed up with this interminable winter weather that he went out, without my knowing, and booked us a week long cruise to Cozumel, Mexico, leaving the second week of February. And now, I need some sandals appropriate to warm weather.

Susan

Manolo says, long ago, when the Manolo was very poor, he spent the few seasons living in the place with the very cold, very snowy winters. It was during this period of poverty, while the Manolo was forced to trudge many miles to obtain his daily crust of bread, that he grew to dislike excessive displays of winter frostiness.

Indeed, the Manolo clearly remember the moment when, caught outdoors in the storm of sleet, he vowed to exact his revenge upon Señor Jacque Frost.

“To the last,” the Manolo shouted Ahab-like to no one in particular, “The Manolo grapples with thee; from Saint-Tropez’s heart the Manolo laughs at thee; For hate’s sake, the Manolo sips his last piña colada at thee!”

Of the course, the wind did not listen, but still, the shouting was moderately therapeutic, although, certainly not as therapeutic as going to Cozumel. Nor, as therapeutic as the Valley from KORS by Michael Kors, the summery cork-heeled, platform wedge sandals available in the rainbow of colors, although the Manolo is most partial to white for the beaches of Mexico.

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

Dear Manolo,

Summer is at an end and I need a new pair of work shoes for the fall, something with a bit of a heel. Of course, I can’t afford anything too extravagant as I am but a poor working girl. Please help.

Katie

Manolo says, as always the Manolo counsels his friends to save their monies and purchase the most super fantastic work shoes possible. Nothing is as satisfying as wearing beautiful shoes of high quality into your place of employment.

Of the course, the Manolo knows that the economic times they are very difficult, indeed, in technical terms the economic conditions are as hard as the lips of the woodpecker.

Likewise, the Manolo knows what it is like to be poor, so poor that you must make your own super fantastic work shoes out of promotional key chains and drink coozies you have pilfered from your previous place of work, and laboriously worked into the surprisingly attractive pair of Ringo Starr ankle boots.

Look here is the Bayville Loafer from the Michael by Michael Kors, the handsome high-heeled patent-leather loafer available in the very deep red color that the Manolo thinks is wonderfully autumnal.

Manolo says, perhaps it is because it is fall here in the upside down part of the world, but the Manolo has been thinking about the boots these past few weeks.

Happily for many of the Manolo’s internet friends, it is spring in the northern hemisphere, which means that many of the most handsome and wonderful boots are deeply discounted in the price.

What is that you say, “But Manolo, the summer is coming and the boots, they are hot on my feets when it is hot outside!”

To which the Manolo replies, trust the Manolo, the cold, it will return quickly enough so as to make buying the boots now seem the wise decision later.

Here are three deeply discounted boots that would work well in almost any super fantastic girl’s wardrobe.

Above is the Sierra Air Tall Boot from Cole Haan, the classically stylish boot with the modern Nike technology that reputedly makes them super comfortable for the working and walking girl. Mira! They are 46% off of the usual price, the savings of more than $230 American dollars!

Here is the Danya from Taryn Rose, the handsomely practical, everyday sort of boot that can be worn almost anytime of the year. It is on the sale, 35% off of the regular price, the savings of almost $200 of the American dollars.

Finally, here from Micheal Kors is the super sexy, super sleek, Ava, the boot which is on sale for more than 50% off of the regular price, the savings of nearly $470 of the American dollars!

Manolo says, Spring, thou has sprung the new shoes from Michael Kors!

For some reason, last night, the Manolo was dreaming about the high heeled sandals in this luggage color. And so, this morning, first thing, he bethought himself to find the pair which matched the fantasma.
And, after the few minutes of searching, there they were, the Tucson from Kos by Michael Kors.

Manolo says, it is Monday and you are back at your desk, working like the dog to make the ends meet. Thankfully, you have your good job, and your good man, and the house that is mostly almost paid for, even if the recent months have not been kind to your equity.

Happily, this was your dream home when you bought it, and you have no intention of leaving, ever. This sentiment has only grown stronger with your recent remodeling, in which you have finally installed the granite coutertops and stainless steel appliances of your dreams. (Yes, it is true, stainless steel is this generation’s Harvest Gold.)

But, what can you do? You are the product of your desires, as mediated through the images shown in Architectural Digest and Better Homes and Gardens and MTV Cribs, plus you had the powerful hankering for appliance garages, many, many appliance garages filled with exotic tools like carrot juicers and electric grape skinners, tools that your late Granny Dee, (who you remember using kindling to start the fire in her cast-iron cook stove) would have regarded as sinful extravagances.

But, you think to yourself, such is the nature of progress. Granny Dee made the world’s best fried chicken on her wood-fired stove, and forty years later you dream of building your own backyard peasant forno, so as to make the perfect chicken pesto wood-fired pizza.

It is axiomatic that we always love the peasant culture of other peoples more than our own, no? The phrase Hog-killing time in Alabama brings nothing but mockery from the same people who speaking glowingly of the “charming authenticity” of the Spanish matanaza del cerdo, and yet both events are fueled by the same motives: cultural pride, machismo, too much alcohol, and the promise of abundant and tasty pork.

Ayyyy! Your mind has wandered!

You must come back to the matter at hand, finding handsome and stylish new shoes to celebrate this fine October day. Look! here is the Annabel Sling from Michael by Michael Kors, the reasonably priced and exceedingly stylish slingback pump.

Manolo says, it is Monday and you are back at your desk feeling woozy and discombobulated, which considering how close to death you felt all yesterday, Sunday, is the major improvement.

Indeed, you are still not entirely certain how you got back home from the country, although you suspect that your college roommate’s husband, Texas John, the strapping big investment banker with the bald spot and the bankroll and the boots, drove everyone back to the city yesterday afternoon in his BMW sedan. Which would have made sense, as he was the only functioning member of the household Sunday morning.

And to think, it all started so innocently on Saturday afternoon when your hosts suggested that everyone head over to this “little place near the county line” to have the few drinks, the little place which turned out to be the unironically named “Billy Jeff’s Arkansas Roadhouse”, which was somewhat surprising, considering this was deep in the Catskills.

“John loves the place”, Amanda said, “it reminds him of a bar in New Braunfels.”

And the next thing you know, it is midnight and you are standing on your chair trying to improvise several new dance steps to the David Allan Coe song, your balance hindered by the two bottles of Shiner Bock that you are holding (one in each hand) and from which you are alternating robust swigs.

And then the band starts up with “Whiskey River Take My Mind” which you decide is the excellent suggestion, shouting at the barmaid to bring you the shot of Jack Daniels and the shot of Jim Beam, (”because I’ve never had a threesome. Ha! Ha! Ha!”)

At which point the rest of the evening goes mercifully dim in your memory.

And now it is Monday morning, and you are on the second day of the two-day hangover, something you did not think was medically possible.

Oy, but you feel bad, and even though Amanda assures via phone you that nothing untoward happened, you vaguely recall snogging frantically in the dark corner with someone in bib overalls.

What you need now are shoes, beautiful shoes that will wash away the bitter taste of possible public humiliation; something respectable and refined and sophisticated and as un-country as you can find; something like the Calista from Michael Kors.

Ahh, that’s better.

Manolo, says here are the toasty-warm-looking knee high boots from Kors by Michael Kors that are selling at the deep discount of 40% off of the usual price, the savings of nearly $200 of the American dollars.

Even better, order them now and the Zappos will deliver them on the day after Christmas, just in time to wear to the mall for the day of returns/sales.

Manolo says, here is the Marabelle from Michael by Michael Kors, which the Manolo likes because it is has the sophisticated shape and yet retains the certain sexy edginess with the square studly decorations. Also, the Manolo is currently (for the next two weeks) all about the patent leather.

Manolo says, these understated and westerny suede boots from the Michael Kors would be perfect to wear with your flouciest skirt to go “whooping it up” with the sunburned cowboy whom you met at the feed store that had the special on the cat chow.

Even better, they are on the sale, 44% off of the usual price, the savings of almost $250 of the American dollars!