Stacy London x Epaulet Trainers

It started innocently enough. I was scrolling through my instagram feed. And a post from Stacy London caught my attention. She posted a picture of a pair of silver trainers by a brand called Epaulet and I was instantly obsessed. As much as I wanted the metallic silver sneakers I managed to talk myself out of them. I even ran in to the Epaulet store in Brooklyn to pick up a pair in a moment of weakness. But I realized I would probably never wear them. I LOVED them, but they really were not the most practical of shoes for me. Yes, I desperately needed some new casual sneakers, but they were just too shiny for me to ever actually reach for. And as much as I fully support spending insane amounts of money on shoes just because they look pretty, not for sneakers. I would BEHAVE!!

And then this happened. Stacy London posted this picture of a sneak peek of her new colab with the local NYC brand!

At that point I knew that I had to have them. I was fairly certain from the sneak peek that they would be the identical silver pair in a gorgeous blue leather and I thought the universe was rewarding me for passing on the less practical metallic silver pair. I think when Stacy London posted a pic of them the caption said something about using them as a mirror to apply lipstick? Something along those lines. They are THAT shiny! So blue leather? It was meant to be. Then the shoes went live. And if you know me, you know that the only colours I love more than blue are grey and purple. So to find out that these were not just blue leather, but GREY SUEDE?!! In my imaginary world Stacy London designed these kicks just for me as my great cosmic reward for being well behaved. And by the way, that silver pair I passed on? Well, there is a tiny patch of that silver on the heel just to remind me that sometimes, when you pass on something you really want, the universe rewards you with something you want even more! Even if you didn't quite know it yet!

They also come in one other high top style and are limited to a total 50 of each style.

And of course, the real life photos!

My Name Is Shayna And I Think I Have A Problem!

So yes, I am obsessed with nail polish. And makeup. And clothes. And unfortunately shoes. And just like with nail polish and makeup, I tend to have expensive taste. I wish I didn't. And while I do love me some Zara and Topshop, neither have stores where I live. That makes it kind of hard. And while I do have a tendency to lean towards the luxury over mass market, I do love me a bargain. I am all about thrift shopping. If I buy most of my pieces for under $5 a piece I don't feel guilty when I do splurge on something big! (like this amazing Ella Moss Cooper jacket I obsessed over which you can see here but ultimately passed on. Could not justify $400 Cdn on it. I found it at the goodwill, Neiman Marcus tags still attached. Oh yeah, it was $2!!).

Anyways, I am always looking for a deal. I was on ebay looking for a specific pair of shoes (Rebecca Minkoff Reed heels in blue) and came across a store called apparelsave. I did some googling, and it seemed to not have the greatest reviews on websites. But when I looked at the actual FEEDBACK, I liked what I saw. 32 THOUSAND positive reviews in the last month alone. About 200 neutral and 300 negative. Now normally 300 negative would be an automatic no. But I read the reviews. And 95% of the bad reviews were people who were charged duty on their purchases. You buy things from the USA, you have to expect duty. Basically all the negative reviews told me that I should either not order multiple pairs in one order (large price means duty) and that they were a fairly honest company (would rather have lots of negatives than cheat on customs forms). So I decided to take a risk and make an order.

But, if you know me, you also know I am totally inpatient and totally unable to order one of anything. So I did two things. The first thing I did was order the Rebecca Minkoff Reed heels. They retail for $275 and cost me $33.99. Brand new in box. But how would they ship them? Would they list them on the customs form as being $33.99 or for being $275USD? Well, it turns out they were listed as $33.99! SCORE! Means if you order one at a time we dont have to pay duty here!

Yeah, I ended up getting them in red instead of blue. As much as I LOVE LOVE LOVE the blue ones (and I really do) I did just get the multi coloured lace up sandals from Zara a few months back and thought that since I had just gotten them, I would get these in red instead! I know as you can see they are totally different, but both are kind of statement-y time shoes and both are HIGH!

But, again, I can not order just one pair. So I also ordered the Via Spiga Ife pumps with white toe for $28.99 instead of the retail of $225. And a pair of Pour La Victoire Belz sandals that I had been dying to get from shopbop but didn't want to pay $275 ($370 Canadian). Oh yeah, I paid $37.99!!! I also got a pair of Nanette Lapore Sweet Revenge Pumps for $32.99 instead of $330. Coach Daylan purple suede sandals with gold trim? Not for $260 but for $29.99 they also went in my cart. And then I accidentally somehow ended up buying these Dolce Vita Burgundy sandals for $9.99 by mistake? Not at all a bad deal since they retail for $98 but they are 4.5 inch and 3.5-4 is my limit for comfort. But they are cute and I can see myself wearing them for short periods. So yes, if you were keeping track, that was 5 more pairs. But again, I wasn't sure how they would be listed on the customs form, and the retail was $1200. After shipping I paid $150 for those 5 pairs and had them shipped directly to my post office box in the USA. Ok, in case my mother or father happens to read this, THEIR post office box. But thats never stopped me before from using it.

Yeah, how did that happen? Does it help justify things that I had a $75USD paypal gift card that payed for more than half of this?

I didn't think so. But yeah. Now the store itself, would I recommend shopping here? YES! 1000X over yes! The shipping was fast. Shipped within a day, arrived ahead of schedule, both the pair coming to Canada and the ones shipped to the USA. Canadian shipping is $14.99 for the first pair and though it doesnt say so, each additional pair is either $8.99 or $6.99 or something like that. American shipping was $8.99 for the first pair and $3.99 for each additional pair. The store has TONS AND TONS AND TONS of shoes, and both used, new and flawed ones. I immediately limited my search to brand new in box options. And the pairs were all as described. Some were floor models and had a bit of scuffs or marks on the bottom. But all completely as described in each listing. And those that SHOULD come with dust bags did come with dust bags. Overall, I am over the moon and very happy. Here are the shoe pictures below of the other 5 pairs.

I LOVE the chain detail on these Pour Le Victoire ones and now REALLY want them in blue! So comfortable! Will possibly have to make another order.......

I swear, I have no idea how or why I ordered these! But they are super cute! Just not comfy!

These Coach ones are amazing. Kind of remind me of YSL Tributes. Not sure why since they are not at all similar. But they still do. And while these look more on the blue side, they are a royal purple. And not at all blue.

I am a pretty consistent size 8.5 US or 39 Euro but these 8.5 ones are a tad tight. I will have to try to stretch them out. If ordering Nanette Lapore shoes, I highly recommend half sizing up!

An amazing purpley-silvery-grey colour with white grains!

Now the biggest problem Where on earth to put them all!! So a trip to Ikea was in order.  A Billy Bookcase and 5 extra shelves solved that problem! And all of the shoes now fit! With a bit of room to spare!

Jelly Shoes?! REALLY?

I remember wanting a pair of jelly shoes sooooo much when I was 12 or 13 years old. They were the "in" thing and I was so excited when my parents FINALLY got me a pair. I have no idea how quickly they did or didnt jump on the trend and get me a pair, but I know I was dying for them and it felt like forever until I got them. And while I have no idea where MOST of shoes or beloved clothing went that I had when I was a kid (a pink dress I loved that my grandparents brought me back from a trip to Paris stands out in my head which is ironic since I hate pink and never DID like pink) these jelly shoes I know EXACTLY where they went. An ill fated swim at a 3 week sleep away camp was the downfall of my beloved jelly shoes. I was wearing them in the water and one fell off in the lake. Since plastic doesn't biodegrade I can safely assume that it is still in the bottom of that lake.

But that was my first and last foray into the concept of jelly shoes. And yet it seems now, more than 20 years later I am all of a sudden seeing them EVERYWHERE again. Maybe they have been around all this time and I have just had blinders on, but I have never noticed them before. And now all of a sudden, I see them wherever I turn. It almost seems counter intuitive that all these high end designers are coming out with them. And while $200-$350USD for plastic jelly shoes seems INSANE, its also kind of a great way to get a little piece of luxury at a manageable price point.

These Salvatore Ferragamo Preita Jelly Bow d'Orsay Flats retail for $240 and I will be honest. The only reason I do not have them on the way to me right now is I can not find the blue or the teal ones in my size! OBSESSED WITH THESE!!

While these Rockstud PVC Thong Sandals from Valentino do nothing for me and have me wondering what the appeal of them is,

THESE Valentino Rockstud Ankle-Wrap Jelly Sandals I am kind of digging!

Both Rockstud jellys come in at the $295 price point and while A LOT for plastic jelly shoes, its manageable for many. But the ones that finally hooked me and got me were these Givenchy Chain Jelly Flat Sandals. I just saw them and could NOT walk away. At $295 they are an insane price point for what they are, but also quite reasonable...... right? Yeah, yeah..... I know! But they come in Nude, Black and Fuchsia and I finally caved and ordered the black version of them. I wanted the nude ones but they don't seem to exist in my size and in a store that will ship them to me without raping me on the customs, duty and handling fees. $295USD is insane enough! Thats FOUR HUNDRED dollars! Not paying an additional hundred dollars in taxes, duty and importing fees!! But anyways, the shoes I have been obsessing about since I saw them:

Would you spend crazy amounts to get JELLY shoes? Even if not, are there any jelly shoes you are really feeling? I know there are some cute Kate Spade ones out there also! What are your thoughts on jelly shoes?

Cole Haan Women's Gilmore MJ Mary Jane Flat

OOPS! I bought another pair of shoes! But I swear I had no choice! These are soooo cute and comfortable, and they were on sale at TJ Maxx for only $20 (regular $139) last weekend! With the final clearance going on now (yellow tag sale in the USA, yellow highlighter on items here in Canada) there are some amazing sales to be had! Have you found anything great recently at TJ Max, Marshalls, Winners or TK Max? All are the same company/store!  Please leave a comment letting me know!

Purple patent leather and purple suede in a flat? How could I NOT?

Louboutin Polish - ??!!?!?!?!!

I have really not discussed the Louboutin polish that is everywhere simply because it is everywhere. We all know it exists, its $50, none of us NEED it, and yet...........

Anyways, I just learned the design of the bottle is supposed to mimic their Ballerina Ultima a shoe with the highest heel Louboutin has ever designed. I don't necessarily see the similarities other than long and thin, but I have to ask

WHO IN THE HELL COULD EVER WEAR THESE SHOES????????????????

Are you freaking kidding me? Other than a ballerina who has to be able to walk en pointe, who the hell?? I get that fashion is not always about comfort (though if the shoe is painful to wear, count me out) but this is just beyond comprehension for me!!

Would you wear these in ANY situation? Id say "give me a break" but I am pretty sure if I wore these I would give myself MULTIPLE breaks!!!!

Another Shoe Haul

So earlier today I posted an INSANE shoe haul. This is the polar opposite of that haul. As mentioned in previous posts I put in a ton of hours each summer at a local festival in the city. And for those two weeks I live in denim and tshirts. I was sick and tired of wearing ballet flats or other of my black work shoes and wanted some cute, casual runners.

And right in the exchange district of downtown, in the centre of the action is a Giant Tiger. Not somewhere I normally shop for anything. But I ran in, and somehow ran out with 4 pair of shoes. The blue/green/purple satin runners were the pricey ones ringing in at a whopping $8! The other three pair were a budget friendly $6!

As mentioned, these are a satin shoe. They seem fun and a nice little pop of colour!

These embroidered canvas shoes I have worn a lot already. I got them in both coral and mint green because, well, seriously. $6?! How could you NOT?

And these are my favourite. The bright emerald green, the woven details, and the fact that they feel like slippers on all combine to make them such a win!

So for under $30, I got some fun casual summer shoes to wear!

EPIC (At Least For Me) Shoe Haul

Now today is going to consist of two posts. One shoe haul with shoes a 12 year old could afford out of her allowance, and this one, that I kind of think I deserve to be committed for. Let me start by saying I DON'T spend money on shoes. The ONLY quality shoes I own are the 3 pair of Italian wedges I bought a few years ago at Winners ($250 shoes for under $20 a pair) but otherwise, I am a $30 a pair of shoes kind of girl. I just destroy shoes. $20 or $200 a pair, I destroy them just as quickly.

But I have been VERY good with the wedges and figured its time to grow up! I have NO heels and aside from the mentioned wedges, no real dressy shoes. A pair of Marc Jacobs sparkly black heels that I thrifted are the only pair I have when its not summer.

Now let me explain why this haul came about. I had bought this pair of shoes a few months ago for my brothers wedding. I am NOT a heels girl, and as a bridesmaid, I knew the day would be long and I would need to wear my shoes for 8-10 hours.

They were a splurge at just over $200, but I had no nude shoes, and it was a special occasion. My mom did not like the idea of my wearing flats to the wedding and my dad told me to compromise and buy a pair of heels for the photos and ceremony and then change into the flats. So I went shopping. On the very trip that I went on I fell in LOVE with a pair of heels. But they were $375 before taxes. EEK! I have spent the last 12 weeks trying to find something similar that were NOT that price. So I went first into Browns shoes. I had seen a pair of Michael Kors heels on clearance for $150 and they were very similar.

Turns out they were VERY uncomfortable. NO way I was wearing them for 5 minutes let alone any longer. And yet somehow, this happened:

I did however see these:

NOT the nude shoes I need for the wedding, but I am wearing a black and white dress on the Saturday night and wanted to wear my mini mac from Rebecca Minkoff. These shoes are the exact same shade of blue and were on clearance from $200 down to $59.99. And if you bought a pair of shoes, all other clearance shoes were 25% off. So these ended up being $44.99!

And then I did it. I bought the shoes I should not have.

OUCH!

So I ended up getting two pair of shoes worth $575 for $420. It sounds a LITTLE better but really not much. But they are SOOOOOOOOO comfortable. And in theory, my middle brother will only get married once. Right?

And then I went to The Bay. I still needed a cute pair of flats for the rehearsal dinner.  And I did not find any. But all the shoes at The Bay were half off the clearance price. And since I was apparently having a shoe day, I got two more pair of shoes.

First was a pair of Coach wedges. These came in both this blush colour and black. I ended up going for the black.

Yes, $168 down to $52.92. Thats more than 66% off!

Now I recently had an event to go to and had the perfect dress. But I ended up wearing these shoes:

I bought them in both colours at Winners a few years back for about $20 a pair. And they are gorgeous for ballet flats.

Both are snakeskin, retailed for around $160 and have one other thing in common. They are SO uncomfortable I end up with sores so bad I am often bleeding after I wear them. Literally. But until now they were really my only options. Not to be worn for more than 2 hours at a time without my being near tears.

I had been told that I should wear red heels with that dress. Would have been great had I owned red heels. I now do.

$165 and they were $45 since they had a tiny mark on them I got an EXTRA 15% off. But the best part is the mark came right off with a soft wipe!

Now the only issue is that I STILL don't have the flats to wear to the rehearsal dinner! But at least I feel like my wardrobe now has a few pair of heels that I can wear when needed. I didn't realize until this blog post that all 4 were patent leather, and the truth is that I usually prefer anything OTHER than patent. But that is the nature of clearance. And the red, black and blue heels at least I think are fairly classic styles that I can wear for years to come. Now being all peep toe, they are not ideal for winter, but the truth is, what do you expect from a summer clearance? Hopefully next season I can get as lucky and get some more winter-ish options!