The Bargain Babe is back, and she’s into shoes right now. Who doesn’t love shoes? Boys. That’s who. Boys don’t love shoes, and the best way to get them to tune out and leave you alone is to pretend to blather about shoes. They go away super fast.
Today we’re looking at Manolo’s.
I despise Sex & The City. I really do. And I was all ready to hate Manolo’s on principle because of the product placement (which I also hate) on SATC. But then I took one look at them. One look. That’s all it takes.
Observe:
Now, if you’re not ready to quit your life and marry this shoe, there is something very wrong with you.
There is one problem, though: It retails at Barney’s for $945.
Now, maybe you’re the kind of person that thinks that $945 for a shoe like this is totally reasonable.
I, however, have never spent that kind of cash on a shoe. I own designer shoes, yes, but I buy them at sample sales. Because if I paid even half-price for shoes like that, I wouldn’t be able to look myself in the mirror in the morning. They’re so expensive. And I’m pretty leery of expensive things. Not because I’m cheap, but because I’m money-conscious and part of me will always be like, okay, no shoe should ever cost a grand. I’m sorry, but no. Hoomster doesn’t play that.
Besides, if I bought shoes that expensive, I’d feel too guilty to wear them. If I stepped on something unsavory, I’d just want to shoot myself in the face. And if I came across one of my many homeless friends during my daily strolls in Chicago’s Loop, I’d do the thing where you hold your newspaper REALLY high up over your face and keep walking and pretend you didn’t see them. Basically, I’d probably want to take those super expensive shoes and build a custom display case and put them up in my house somewhere.
And that’s just straight crazy.
So let’s find some alternatives that WON’T make me look, sound, act, or think like a crazy person.
Oh, TopShop. You’ve saved my butt a million times. And of course by that I mean you haven’t really saved my butt, because I would never get that dramatic about shoes, or anything, really, but I like to pretend we have that relationship where I can pretend I’m being all dramatic about something and you realize I’m pretending and just play along, because you really get me, Top Shop.
You really get these Manolo’s, too, Top Shop, and for that I am grateful. The design is much the same, but with a hidden platform and a toe that’s not as pointed. It’s a fabulous alternative at just a fraction of the cost.
These shoes come in at about $600 less than the original on sale price. They’re still too expensive for my tastes, but maybe they fit yours. We’ve still got the clean boot shape with the pointed toe, but they’re a little taller, and the heel is shorter and stacked, making them easier to get around in.
Nine West is another great pick. You can’t get a real sense of what the shoe looks like because the image script on this product page was HORRIBLE and I couldn’t hack it, so whatever. But it’s got the pointy toe, clean line up the front of the shoe, the buckle and a smaller heel. Not a bad alternative at all.
I’d worry, though, that since this definitely has a longer toe, it’d make your feet look big, as is the case with any shoe that has an elongated toe. But then again, elongated styles like this also elongate the leg. Win some, lose some.
Last but not least, Forever 21. This boot retains the general idea of the Manolos, but with some functional differences. The toe is rounded, making it more comfortable, generally speaking. There’s a bit of a platform, the heel is stacked (again, added comfort) and there are three buckles.
Still, it’s not a bad alternative. It’s not as sleek as the original, but it’s still pretty similar. Kinda.
And there we have it!
