Rakku Shoe Wheel

Bored out of my mind in class yesterday I did a lot of web browsing. Lately, my shoe addiction has been out of control! This past weekend, I was at Nine West Outlet and they had an additional 50% off their clearance section. I picked up 4 pairs of shoes and 2 pairs of boots for only $65! If my sweetie was sitting there, bored out of his mind, waiting for me outside of the store I probably would have done a lot more damage. I should also mention that I bought 3 pairs of shoes from other stores that day. I know, it's a disease and I need help!

Anyhoo, back to the topic of this post. As a result of my ever growing shoe collection, I am quickly running out of space. It's bad enough that our new bedroom has not only a huge walk-in closet but also a half closet and neither of those closets hold any of my Sweetie's things. I am constantly looking for better ways to house my shoes. I keep alot of them in their original boxes and just stack them up along the walls of the closet. The shoes that I wear most frequently obviously stay out of the boxes and litter the ground. I also have a three shelf shoe rack that was supposed to hold nine pairs of shoes, but through some enginuity and shoving now holds 30 pairs (mostly flats and loafers that have been kiss-stacked...Seriously though, who would need a shoe rack that only holds nine pairs of shoes???). Although I keep looking for new storage ideas, I have yet to find one that is practical. That is not to say that I haven't found tons that have been pretty creative.

Yesterday I came across the Rakku Shoe Wheel. To me, it looks like one of those heavy industrial floor fans that you would find in a factory, but instead of a fan blade you put your shoes in there. With expandable pockets, it holds up to 30 pairs of shoes. It measures about 30" around, so it's not the most compact thing, but I will say it's one of the better shoe holders I've come across.

At $65 dollars, it's not cheap either. Let's face it, I've got close to 200 pairs of shoes. I would need at least 7 of the Shoe Wheels bringing my total to a whopping $455. On top of it, where would I fit 7 of these Wheels? I love the picture of the closet on their website. Seriously, who's closet looks like that? I would think that most women would need at least 2 Shoe Wheels to house their collections. That would not fit into the closet pictured. And by the way, where is this person's purse collection? Far from a realistic closet.

I love the design and think that the Rakku Shoe Wheel looks really cool, but like so many other shoe holders, it's not practical for me. What about you guys? How do you house your shoe collection?

Gladiator Sandals

How do you all feel about the so-called "Gladiator Sandals"? They are popping up everywhere. I swear...they seem to be on the main pages of a majority of shopping websites, all over fashion magazines, in the front windows of the shoe stores on State Street, and not to mention on many television commercials. I for one, can't stand them! Truth be told, I'm extremely picky about sandals. I am completely grossed out by feet and as such tend to be selective in the types of sandals I like.

When I see someone wearing gladiator sandals I immediately think of religion class. Yes, all those years of Catholic School have left me with images of people in the Bible walking around with gladiator sandals. The problem is, we're not in BC Jerusalem! Nor are we on the set of a movie waiting to watch a lion eat someone as some form of punishment. What's next? Will people be wearing togas to accompany their gladiator sandals?!?!?!

So that's just my opinion. I have a feeling I'm in the minority here. What do you all think?

My Ladybug Boots Have Arrived!!!

So, I placed my order atEndless.com and picked up the Western Chief Ladybug Rain Boots. When I got home yesterday I was thrilled to find them waiting for me. They came just in time too because Chicago is about to get hit with yet another Winter Storm Warning tonight. And to think I was worried that once I finally got around to getting a pair of rubber boots the snow would stop and I wouldn't need them anymore. The boots are too cute. I am so glad I went with the fun boots as opposed to the more serious pair. So far they seem pretty durable and they have a very soft flannel feel lining inside that keeps my feet nice and toasty. I'll have to post an update once the snow starts to fall later tonight and I have to go out with my Sweetie and shovel. If you saw my previous post about these and were on the fence about them, I highly recommend them. They are so cute!

Endless.com is still having a sale on rain boots. Besides the negative $5 overnight shipping, they are giving you $20 off rain wear purchases of $80 or more. Plus, you get another bonus when you place an order soon. In honor of Valetine's Day, Endless.com is giving you a free box of Godiva chocolates while supplies last. I actually got a box with the boots I ordered, which was a nice suprise since it wasn't being advertised on the website when I placed my order.

Rubber Rain Boots

How do you guys feel about rubber rain boots? About 2 years ago or so, Coach came out with a collection of rubber rain boots that I thought were kind of cute, but couldn't imagine wearing them out and about. I mean come on, I was living in downtown Chicago at the time, not the marshlands of the south. With the exception of one girl that I go to school with (who, by the way is one of those people who come from money and likes to flaunt everything), I never saw anyone wearing the Coach rain boots so it seemed that most people (at least in Chicago) had the same mind set I did.

Fast forward two years...A few weeks ago a friend and I were on our lunch break and as we waited to cross State Street we see a woman wearing rubber boots. Only they weren't Coach rubber boots nor were they Payless rubber boots. Nope, these babies were by Rubbermaid. That's right, bright yellow Rubbermaid boots that a janitor would wear while cleaning up a toilet that has overflowed. So as my friend and I tried to contain our laughter we got to talking about rubber boots. Is it a fashion statement you would want to make?

I'm still on the fence about these. After all of the snow fall we've had in the Chicagoland area this winter, it has made realize the functionality of these types of boots. Specifically, since we now have a house and a driveway that needs to be shoveled when it snows it makes me want to have a pair of these to wear while shoveling. My gym shoes keep getting soaked as do my jeans. A cute pair of rubber boots would solve this problem. But would I wear them around town? Maybe if I got a pair of sleek black ones or even a black pair with cute white polka dots, that might not be so bad. Oh what to do, what to do.

Endless.com has got a bunch of really cute rubber rain boots. With the negative $5 shipping, I was thinking of picking up a pair. The dilema I'm facing is whether I should get something really crazy and fun that would make me only wear them around the house when I'm shoveling or having to walk through my muddy back yard because it isn't sodded yet. Or whether I should pick out something that can also be used for around the town stuff. As far as the crazy pair goes, I really love this pair of Western Chief Ladybug Rain Boots. They also have a cute frog pair. Needless to say, I don't think I would be wearing these on the streets of downtown Chicago. On the other end of the spectrum, I think this pair of Chooka Seaside Dots Boots. These seem more appropriate for wearing around town.

So what do you guys think? Right now, I'm really leaning towards the Ladybug Boots just because I think they are really fun and I really don't think that I will ever be wearing any type of rubber boot around town. If there is some type of natural disaster wear I do need to wear boots, I really don't think I will even care what kind they are! Post some comments and let me know that your opinion is.

Also, if you're looking for rain boots, Endless.com is having a sale. Besides the negative $5 overnight shipping, they are giving you $20 off rain wear purchases of $80 or more. They've got rain gear for men, women, and children. Some of the children's wear is just too cute. The jackets and hats are adorable.

Great Deals At Endless.com

Have you guys hear about Endless.com yet? I came across this fabulous site a few months ago while "window shopping" for shoes online. It's a sister site to Amazon that features shoes and handbags! The best part...OVERNIGHT SHIPPING IS NEGATIVE $5!!! Yes, you read that correctly. Endless pays you $5 for shipping. So essentially any item that you purchase, take $5 off of the price! The great thing is that there is no minimum to buy in order to take advantage of the deal.

Over the summer they had a great deal on MLB and NFL slippers so I stocked up on them for Christmas presents for my family. How cute will it be for everyone to get the same slippers on Christmas morning? Anyhoo, they were on sale for $13.99; I ordered each pair separately and received $5 off each pair making them only $8.99 a pair. Wait, it gets better. So like I said this is an Amazon website so they have a low price guarantee. A week after I received my slippers the price dropped to $11.99 and Endless refunded me $2 for each pair that ordered. How great is that!!! The one con about Endless.com is that, like Amazon, their prices sometimes fluctuate. So a great pair of leater boots may be listed at $29.99 in the morning and then sckyrocket back up to $99.99 by lunch. It's not that big of a con because usually the prices fall again.

Endless.com has quickly become one of my favorite shopping sites. Their wide selection, unbelievable shipping policy, and low price guarantee obviously make it a shoe lovers favorite. Make sure you check out their sale section for great deals on great designer brands.

Fall Fashion Week Presented By Elle On HSN

Wanted to post this yesterday, but I totally forgot. This week is Fall Fashion Week on HSN presented by Elle. Lots of cute designer clothing and accessories; some at sale prices. Lines from Tina Knowles, David Rodriguez, Hanky Panky, and so many more will be featured. I was browsing around on HSN.com and found a bunch of fabulous outfits, not to mention some super cute shoes. I told myself I wasn't going to buy any more shoes until after I moved, but I may have to make an exception.

Sweaty Summer Feet

Although flip-flops are all the rage, I for one cannot stand to wear them. The lack of support that they offer my feet and legs is just all bad. I also have flat feet (the arch in my foot is practically non-existent) so the lack of padding also irritates my feet. So during the summer months I love to wear clog/mule-like gym shoes. The only problem is that since I'm not wearing socks with them, when it is really hot out my feet tend to get all sweaty and it feels like my shoes are moments away from slipping off of my feet. Enter Summer Soles. Created 5 years ago by Shannon McLinden, a Texan who was tired of her sweaty feet causing her shoes to "smack" around, Summer Soles are peel and stick liners that absorb your sweat and allow your feet to breathe. They come in a bunch of fun prints as well as solid colors. The great thing is that these peel and stick liners do not leave any residue, so there's no need to worry that they'll leave a sticky mess on your favorite Jimmy Choos or Manolos.

While at SummerSoles.com, check out their other product, Heart Stoppers. These cute heart shaped non-slip shoe pads go on the bottom of your shoes to give you more grip and release you from the fear of falling flat on your face while out and about. I can't even tell you how many times I have put on new heels for some kind of event only to find myself slipping and sliding all over the place. Oftentimes I am forced to scuff the bottoms of my shoes on the sidewalk. I know, it's horrible to do that and it makes the bottoms of my shoes look horrible. Let me just tell you, I have stocked up on these babies and am happy to say I will not be submitting my beautiful shoes to the horrors of scuffing anymore!

Payless Shoe Souce Makeover

Okay, in the past 10 years I have only been in a Payless ShoeSource once. A friend of mine who refuses to pay more than $20 for a pair of shoes (I know, I can't believe it either!) dragged me in kicking and screaming. I can remember feeling my skin crawl as I looked at how horribly uncomfortable and not well made the shoes were. On top of it, the designs were the worse things I have ever seen. Still trying to recover from using Star Jones as their spokesperson, Payless is doing a complete 360 and trying to appeal to shoe fashionistas.

Can you believe that Payless was on the runways of New York Fashion Week?!?! 2 lines, Abaete for Payless and Lela Rose for Payless were introduced. The bad news, neither lines will be available until the Fall. The good news, both lines are fabulous! The Lela Rose line is packed with different textures and materials. I cannot wait for this line because there are tons of looks that will work wonderfully with a business suit; which is something I'm going to wearing more often in the coming years. The Abaete line screams fashionista. Platforms, metallics, and funky designs are packed into this line. No word on pricing for either of these lines yet, but they can't be too expensive because it still is Payless after all. You can find tons of information on both lines on the Payless ShoeSource website now.

I was also greeted with a new ad from Payless when I opened my latest copy of Cosmo. This one suprised me too. American Eagle shoes available exclusively at Payless?!?! I must admit, the line is full of cute, weekend wear shoes. This line does deserve a look over. Now, I haven't seen this line in person so I don't know if that means they are going to look chinsy in person or if they are comfortable or not. I am going to try and stop in a Payless soon and I'll report back on what I find. If anyone else has already done so, feel free to post some comments on your thoughts about the new Payless.

60-80% Off At Carson's

For those of you in the Chicagoland area, Carson Pirie Scott on State Street has reduced the prices on everything in their "Store Closing Sale." Everything is now 60-80% off! I stopped by there yesterday and was amazed at how much stuff they had left...especially in the shoe department! I was able to pick up 2 pairs of Nine West heels for $60! The Nine West "Freda" Pointed-Toe Pump are classic pointed-toe heels that go with anything. Pointed-toe shoes make legs look longer and leaner too! Who wouldn't want that? The other pair was a similar pointed toe heel but was a sling back in black patent leather. Absolutely gorgeous! I have actually been eyeing these 2 pairs for quite awhile. I may have to go back either today or tomorrow after my classes because there is just sooooo much stuff to go through and I didn't have enough time to go through it all yesterday. If you're going to be downtown and around State Street, you must stop at Carson's! They also have tons of jewelry available. Diamond accent necklaces were as cheap as $4.00! That's absolute crazyness!