Walk of fame
COME Friday, anyone can take a stroll in Paris Hilton’s shoes, when her line of signature footwear makes its official debut. But the perma-tanned personality is only the latest celebrity to throw her shoe into the ring: In a phenomenon that’s sweeping shoe departments, it seems everyone from Carlos Santana to Natalie Portman has a line of foot candy. We strapped on five high-heeled styles from five celebrity lines to see what the fuss is about. We expected comfort, quality and style with each step. And, of course, we really wanted to know if each collection captured the essence of its maker -- or just seemed like a way to kill time between photo shoots.
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Catwalk quotient
For spring, JustSweet is offering shoe fetishists a plethora of sandals and stilettos in patent orange, magenta and electric blue -- not too far from the vibrant hues Christian Louboutin will debut once the weather turns warm.
Simpson seems to have raided the shoe department at Saks for inspiration. Platform espadrilles channel last year’s Louboutins, while buckle-front flats look a whole lot like a style offered by Miu Miu. And maybe that’s not a bad thing. Left to her own devices, Simpson created the ugliest shoe we’ve ever seen: the Nasia pointed-toe suede mule.
With the exception of simple styles such as the Rush wedge, the majority of flats, boots, pumps and sandals are heavy on the flash and come off as tacky instead of trendy.
While fans of Miss Hilton will likely eat up the bubbly styles offered in her collection, the Hamptons platform wedge and green Glitzy Cheetah (both $79) probably wouldn’t fare well on a best dressed list.
The limited-edition, vegan-friendly collection features timeless Pixie satin ballet flats ($175) and classic Paloma dress sandals ($245) -- shoes any fashion maven worth her weight in Manolos would be happy to wear.
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A mile in their shoes
Our pair of strappy Akira sandals ($79) allowed us to strut around the office in ease, even though our lack of pedicure left us humiliated in front of colleagues. We didn’t want to put on the painful, more expensive pair of pumps that we wore to work after stepping out in JLo’s shoes.
We have always wondered what it would feel like to be a stripper, and when we slipped on a pair of Jacie platforms ($92.50) for a charity event, we got our chance. The steep 4 1/2 -inch heel caused us to wobble and teeter every which way. Miraculously, we made it home sans injury or pain.
The strappy Battle sandals ($98) that we road tested weren’t very pedestrian friendly. They not only lacked cushy padding, but a metal grommet also dug into our toe and created unbearable conditions after just 30 minutes.
The square toe of the Vogue pump ($94.50, below) squeezed our piggies a bit too tight. They started squealing after roughly 40 minutes of doing laundry and preparing dinner at home.
We were sent only a single Petra satin sandal ($235), so we hobbled around on the carpeting in our office. The right foot gave a big-toe up to the mid-size heel and generous cushioning. We wouldn’t mind taking these babies home.
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Shoddy versus Sturdy
Sturdy. Although the soles are the only parts of the shoes that are actually made of leather, they feel generally well-made. We doubt that any heels will be lost fleeing the paparazzi.
Sturdy. Unworn and out of the box, the mirror-finish soles had some dents and deformities. But overall, the man-made materials stayed strong through a Noah’s Ark-style downpour -- a major feat.
Shoddy. No, they didn’t fall apart. But a warped sole and unfinished heel made us feel like we had paid a visit to the shoe aisle at Kmart -- genius at $15, unacceptable at nearly $100.
Shoddy. Raquel gladiator sandals ($79) looked plain cheap. Threads poked through, metal rivets were thin and the back zipper could have used some WD-40.
Sturdy. This line is in a higher price bracket than the others and, boy, does it show. The collection is leather-free, but the man-made materials feel luxurious. Even the sole feels nice!
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Paparazzi ready?
It’s no question that the diva knows how to dress: Her fashion icon status was solidified with one infamous green dress and a few pieces of strategically placed tape. Jennifer’s collection of foot candy infuses classic styles with the Latin luxe of her wardrobe. We have a celebrity winner!
Jess is said to be heavily involved with each style that shows up on her fans’ feet. That may be, but we can’t see the buxom blond stepping out in polka-dotted Fina platforms or perforated Haulina pumps any time soon.
While we doubt that the music man hits the red carpet in 3 1/2-inch stilettos (not that there’s anything wrong with that), the collection does have a rock-fueled edge, with loud colors and prints, metal accents, laces and cutouts.
Sure, considering they’ve already been snapped. The satin Vogue pump is an identical twin to the Te Casan style that “Gossip Girl” star Blake Lively wore on a talk show in October. The New York Post wrote about them. So did People. Guess Paris can read after all.
Natalie Portman is one leading lady who rarely disappoints on the red carpet, and she’ll get more raves for her Te Casan footwear. The graceful and mature styles would fit in at a black-tie gala without a drop of embarrassment along the way.
