Wednesday, December 16, 2009

34th Street Shopping Challenge: Black Boots

Tricia Lewis, our Fashion Herald blogger, is out on maternity leave. Following is a post from her co-worker Catherine who is filling is as guest blogger.

It's time for a (dum-dum-dum-dummm) 34th Street Shopping Challenge! I want a pair of black boots to get me through the super cold days this winter, and I had just one hour to find them. Stipulations: low heel or flats, no laces, no bows, no more than $80. Bonus points if they're mid-calf or shorter or if they're under $50. Yes, I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm both picky and cheap.

Store 1: Daffy's
Wow, Lindsey was right. This place is full of boots. The size 7-7.5 section was especially large. I found two pairs that I could have walked away in. I'm a big fan of the ones on the right.

Boots with small side buckle, $45.99 (retail at $89)
Slightly Western-feeling boots, $35.99 (retail at $79)

Store 2: Aerosoles
There's no reason cute boots can't be comfortable, right? I wasn't allowed to take pictures in a few of the stores I visited. I promised I wouldn't try to make imitations, but they just wouldn't budge. They can't keep me from using website pics, though! Bwahaha.

Speartint mini-wedge boots, $49.99 (sale, regularly $69)
Risotto knee-high flats, $79.99 (sale, regularly $120)

Store 3: Aldo
Aldo has dozens of styles of boots in store, but a lot of them have embellishments like extra straps. I did, however, still manage to find a few pairs of "simple" boots. I'm the warm person in our office with a fan on in the winter, so I think my feet would be on fire with the plush lining of the Dodds, but I'm all for the Buttitta.

Dodds plush-lined ankle boots, $49.98 (sale, regularly $75)
Buttitta cuffed boots, $80

Store 4: Shoe Mania
I've never been in Shoe Mania before. I'm a little bit of a crowd-phobe, and I think the "mania" in the name has kept me away in the past. I decided to try it after seeing a 50% off (everything!) sign in the window. Yes, I broke my own rule. The second pair is $125. But look at them. Cute!

Suede flats, $40 (sale, regularly $80)
Tall Diesel boots, $125 (sale, regularly $250)

Update: It is my sad duty to inform you that since I visited Shoe Mania last Tuesday, it has closed. No wonder everything was 50% off; strange they didn't mention the closing. Luckily, there's no shortage of shoe outlets in the area. Try Famous Footwear (250 W. 34th St.), Payless (110 W. 34th St. & 484 8th Ave.), Skechers (140 W. 34th St.) and Steve Madden (41 W. 34th St.), plus JCPenney (Manhattan Mall) and Macy's (34th St. & Broadway).

Store 5: Bakers
Bakers became a must-hit store on my list after Vita reported a few weeks ago that boots are on sale pretty often. I just visited the Bakers website and all online purchases are 15% off today only. You might want to stop by the store to try on first.

Sheldon tall suede flats, $69.99 (sale, regularly $89.95)
Capri two-button flats, $69.99 (sale, regularly $129.95)

I found ten pairs of boots in an hour and I only broke one rule. I'm convinced: you really can find anything on 34th Street. I have to confess that after looking at dozens of pairs, I didn't end up buying anything. I do, however, have a pretty good idea of where I'll be going when I'm ready to spend more time trying them on!

Aerosoles, 36 W. 34th Street
Aldo, 27 W. 34th Street
Bakers, 385 5th Avenue
Daffy's, 1311 Broadway
Shoe Mania, 11 W. 34th Street (closed as of 12/15/09)

5 comments :

Anonymous said...

What a bummer that Shoe Mania closed - those Diesels are amazing.

Tricia said...

Favorite line of yours I've been meaning to use forever: Picky and cheap! I think it's still on a post-it on my desk :)

Anonymous said...

I think the goal of this piece was admirable, but I looked up a few of these books and they weren't real leather...Many pairs of faux leather boots range from $50-$100.

Guest Blogger said...

Anonymous - you're right. I was looking for black boots, without preference toward leather or synthetic. I've had trouble finding boots in the past that meet the rest of my criteria (flat or low, simple, no bows, no laces), and I was pleased to find so many on this trip.

Jane White said...

we sell cheap

christian louboutin shoes
,such as louboutin boots,louboutin sandals,louboutin pumps,louboutin evening,louboutin wedges and so on,all at good design and

free shipping.