Happy Thanksgiving

Howdy, Pilgrim.  Do you and your elastic waist pants need a little help getting into the Thanksgiving Spirit?  Never fear, Katie Likes Shoes is here.

So is Prada.

Pilgrim Buckle Pump (left) and Patent Leather Loafer Pumps (right)

As is Roger Vivier.

Sky Blue Suede Buckle Pump (left) and Hot Pink Leather Buckle Platforms (right)

And Tod's is here too.

Black Leather Buckle Detail Peep Toe (left) and Jodie Toffee Leather Buckle Pump (right)

Well, Santa has arrived on 34th Street, so this pilgrim better mosey along now.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Like I Need an Excuse

Camilla Skovgaard had a lovely write up in today's Wall Street Journal Online.

So of course I wore my favorite pair of shoes by said designer.

via Instagram

Coral Camilla Skovgaard saw pumps, blue Anna Molinari pants, random Ikea chair cover.

Why It's Best I Stay Off Polyvore

I like reading.  Way too much.  I also take things very literally.

Clockwise from Hat:
Deerstalker Hat, Eugenia Kim
Leather Collar Coat, Carven
Magnifying Glass, Barnes & Noble
Surreal Silver Necklace Pipe, TillyBloom via Etsy
Two-tone Patent Leather Mary Jane Spectator Pumps, Miu Miu
The Hound of the Baskervilles, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Come Watson, the game is afoot! 

Or in my case, the game is a shoe...

Simpsons Did It

I can't wait to try out this shirt from Viktor & Rolf.

I've always wanted to glide through the air like a Bolivian Tree Lizard.

Hitchcock's The Birds

Melanie never quite figured out why the birds kept following her.  The day started out so nice, she even wore her new Jean Paul Gaultier escarpin double piece shoes.

A quick jaunt in Northern California and birds just seemed to be swarming her.  The world may never know why.

CSI: The Heeljacker

My first introduction to criminology was the great McDonaldland criminal the Hamburglar.  In McDonaldland crime is often burger related, and the perpetrator, more often than not, was the Hamburglar (true story, as a kid, and perhaps during an embarrassingly long part of my teenage years, I thought David Bowie was singing "robble, robble").

Robble, robble, you've torn your dress.

It never really made sense to me that a robber would have such an oddly specific target.  I mean sure, there are burglars that target art, banks, jewelry, etc., but I've never heard of a thief that stole only van Goghs, will only rob SunTrust, and puts back any jewelry that isn't Cartier.  I mean, only burgers?  What about french fries?  The Big Mac?  Chicken Nuggets?  Obviously this sort of esoteric thievery is rare at best.

But now we have the heeljacker.  It seems that in his earlier crimes, the heeljacker would replace the heel in hopes the owner wouldn't notice.

Here we have exhibit A, the United Nude Eamz Pump where the heel has been replaced with a part of Herman Miller's classic Eames chair.

Too embarrassed by his lackadaisical security, the designer of the shoe promptly renamed it the Eamz and claimed it was in homage to the chair.  A likely story.

The heeljacker became more brazen as you can see with exhibit B, the Kei Kagami Archive Moulded Balance shoe.

With this shoe, the heeljacker is taunting us, gluing the shoe onto the base for a model airplane.

Eventually, due to a lack of creativity or perhaps just boredom with his craft, the heeljacker stopped replacing the heel, just leaving the shoe to defy gravity on its own.  We see this in exhibit C, a D'Orsay Pump from Giuseppe Zanotti.

And again with exhibit D from McQueen.

My training in Criminal Profiling comes direct from Scotland Yard (if you replace the word "Scotland" with "Back" and remove the space).  What we're looking at here is most likely a man, 45-55 years old, shorter than average, maybe 5'6"-5'8", uncomfortable with his stature, possibly in the public eye furthering his need to make women stand more at his level.

Hmm, we may have to bring him in for questioning.

More Super Hero Moonlighting

As we all know by now, in order to finance my love of shoes I moonlight as a super hero.

The days are getting longer and it's a bit nippy in the streets of Metropolis, so I require my bad assery to be more sensible, in shoes that can be worn with wool socks over my tights.  Super heroes can get chilly toes too you know!

In early autumn, when I can still get away with ankle boots so long as they have closed toes, I prefer these Vintage Effect Boots from Maison Martin Margiella Line 22.

They're unexpected and perfect on slow crime days when I'm doing other super hero-y duties, like cutting the ceremonial ribbon at the grand re-opening of the Metropolis Library (I maintain that I did not "unnecessarily level" the building during a fight with my arch nemesis, in fact it was quite a necessary leveling to keep the people safe from the fashion crimes of Matthew Lesko).

When I was still a super hero intern, doing things like sewing appliques onto capes and making strong super hero coffee, I didn't have the funds for a lot of super-fantastic foot wear.  Thankfully, places like DSW offer some great fast fashion options.  Now, they may not last me through my super hero sequel, but these boots from Michael Antonio Baker were my perfect entry-level boots for $64.95.

I prefer the patriotic blue color, but they also come in red and black.  And for $64.95 it's worth a few evenings of eating super Ramen noodles to buy all 3.

You know, sometimes, when I'm chasing down various villains, I can't help but think my heels slow me down a bit.  I mean sure, they look cool and they match my utility belt, but sometimes when my feet hurt, I'm cranky, and I'm dangerously close to saying "let the citizens defend themselves," I know it's time to break out a pair of comfortable wedges.

Lucky for me these Patent Leather Wedge Boots from Marc Jacobs make a very effective "good guy" statement.

The off white color is a little trickier to pair with my cape, but the comfort alone is worth a little extra time staring into my super closet (oh, you'd like a super closet too, get some inspiration here).

I remember once at a Super Hero Convention I attended at the Gotham City Airport Hilton, Wonder Woman was lamenting the lack of wider width boots for her more Amazonian stature.  You would think a woman as in to fashion as Wonder Woman (I mean she even wears super accessories), would know about Duoboots, but I suppose she's been spending too much time reading SkyMall in her invisible airplane to do much online shopping.

I recommended these great Belice Boots in red and she immediately measured her calves and ordered a pair.

Now, I know I mentioned last time that on occasion I venture into the dark side of villainy.  I know it's the wrong thing to do but the economy just isn't what it used to be and the good will of the citizens I protect simply does not pay my shoe bills.  So, during those times that I need to line my pockets with more than well wishes, I wear these Ronfifi lace corset boots from Christian Louboutin.

What can I say?  When I'm good, I'm very, very good.  But when I'm bad, I'm horrid.

Missing the Point Entirely

First point of business. Puppy is doing well. She has a "tattoo" on her side to help guide the cone for her radiation treatments that looks quite a bit like a Windows PC logo. Considering my household is an Apple house I'm thinking we're not compatible. Ah well. Also, Bill Gates, if you read this, radiation treatment for dogs is pricey and we're providing free advertising for Windows.  Just sayin...

But that's not the point today. Today's point is that, we're missing it.

My blog is not really the place where I want to discuss politics. I may have a degree in Poli Sci but that mostly serves to make my office wall look more official. Considering there is a plush The Cheat doll sitting under the diploma nullifies the official look a bit, but hey, I am what I am.

All this is to say that I'm not about to discuss politics though I may hint upon it.

If I were a fashion label, magazine, or "authority" (my authority extends to my dogs who choose to recognize it at their convenience) I would NOT be publishing articles or advertisements about what to wear at Occupy Wall Street.

The first article I saw in which a reporter asked a demonstrator what they were planning to wear to Occupy I passed off as a fluke.  A bad question that maybe had some greater impact but was lost in the editing of the article.  I was wrong.

Don Ryan/AP from Occupy Portland

Unlike me, the homeless guy in the blanket has concerns greater than whether that girl is wearing knock-off Uggs.

Agree with the demonstrators at Occupy Wall Street (or Occupy any city) or not their cause is one of economic injustice.  And to bring fashion into it, to try to sell to your customers the dress they need to look fashionable while expressing their outrage at corporate greed is missing the point entirely.

It's embarrassing.  I'm embarrassed reading it.  I'm so embarrassed that I can't bring myself to buy wares from company using Occupy Wall Street as a promotional event.  It's hard, in economic times of uncertainty, to even want to wear or be associated with an item that can be considered luxury (and I don't think someone should feel guilty if they are wearing a pair of pricey Manolo Blahniks, I'm just saying I can understand why they would), it's unthinkable to wear an item that sought to cash in on this movement as though it were a trend.  And that some consumers are okay to treat it like a trend?

Can you imagine if in the 60s the concern was, "Yes, but what was Phil Ochs *wearing* while he sang?"

I didn't hear "And I won't be buying $1,000 scarves when I'm gone."  But maybe I'm just not listening close enough.

Tomorrow will be a return to frivolous eye candy.  Because there is nothing wrong with it!