The Shoe Expert&#039;s Blog

Bella Swan’s Bridal Shoes: What Do You Think? (news.instyle.com)

YSL “Winning” vs. Christian Louboutin in the Case of the Red Soled Shoes!

11 Aug 2011 7 Comments

by The Shoe Expert in Fashion, Shoes Tags: Christian Louboutin, designer shoes, expensive shoes, heels, high heels, hot shoes, Red Carpet shoes, Shoe, shoe lover, shoe trends, Yves Saint Laurent

christian louboutin black patent clichy photo

Image via Wikipedia

This just in: Christian Louboutin‘s request for an injunction to stop sales of red-soled shoes made by Yves Saint Laurent has been denied by U.S. Federal judge, Judge Victor Marrero, who said that Louboutin wasn’t able to prove that its red soles deserve trademark protection.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the judge stated “Because in the fashion industry colour serves ornamental and aesthetic functions vital to robust competition, the court finds that Louboutin is unlikely to be able to prove that its red outsole brand is entitled to trademark protection.”

With the injunction denied, it looks unlikely that Louboutin will win its case against YSL, since it too relies on the association of the red sole only with Louboutin.

Note: YSL claims that the YSL red- soled shoes in question have been selling since 2004.

So what do you think? Do you think you can trademark a color and prevent other designers from using it? Do you think Christian Louboutin should win? Or do you agree with the judge??? Inquiring minds want to know…

Judge Doubts Christian Louboutin’s ‘Red Sole’ Claims (businesslawdaily.net)
Louboutin Vs YSL… (januarysublime.com)
U.S. Federal Judge Denies Christian Louboutin Red Sole Injunction (foxnews.com)
Christian Louboutin Can’t Stop the Inevitable Flood of Red-Soled Shoes [Fashion] (gawker.com)
Art Law Meets Trademark Law in Christian Louboutin v Yves Saint Laurent (copyrightlitigation.blogspot.com)
Louboutin Loses Bid to Bar Saint Laurent Red-Sole Shoe Sales (businessweek.com)
YSL VS Christian Louboutin: The Saga Continues As One Luxury Label Tries To Sue Another (thegloss.com)
FASHION NEWS: Louboutin vs YSL Court Case (rubysview.com)
Louboutin could lose red-sole monopoly (cbc.ca)
Luxury Makers Battle Over Red-Soled Shoe (online.wsj.com)

Red Carpet Shoe Dilemma…

07 Aug 2011 Leave a Comment

by The Shoe Expert in Fashion, Shoes Tags: boots, comfortable shoes, designer shoes, Dr. Michele Colon, foot doctor, foot expert, heels, high heels, hot shoes, podiatrist, Red Carpet shoes, shoe expert

I’m writing this 20 minutes before leaving to go to a Red Carpet event in Hollywood. I just wanted to share some thoughts before they leave me… As I was picking out my dress and getting all glammed up for this party, I realized that in order for me to stand comfortably in long lines, walk the Red Carpet, and then stand for possibly hours more at the party, I was going to have to rethink my entire outfit.

My comfy 4″ heels that I designed are at the shoemaker’s shop for a slight adjustment and also for the shoemaker to use as a template for the next pair that will be ready soon…so, which shoes am I going to wear now?

Well, that last question doesn’t really matter to YOU. (I found some sexy black boots that will look great!) What matters to YOU is when this happens to YOU! So tell me, how many times has this happened to you? How many times have you had to do one of these things:

(1) Change your outfit to match your comfy shoes so that you are not in pain all night from the shoes that you really wanted to wear but you came to your senses in time,

(2) Wear the ‘painful’ shoes anyway because you are NOT changing your outfit for comfier shoes. Period. And then you suffer all night in pain, practically limping by the time you get home and possibly even getting blisters,

(3) Wear the ‘painful’ shoes anyway because, like in #2, you are NOT changing your outfit for shoes that are comfy…but then you end up taking the shoes off at the party or at least by the time you are heading home, doing the dreaded barefoot walk on your way back home

???

Almost all of us women have done all of some of these due to the comfort vs. fashion dilemma.

So which side do you fall on? Sacrifice your fashion or sacrifice your comfort? Wondering minds want to know! OK, I want to know!

Tonight I tried to compromise with the black boots, but I’m not thrilled about it! I really wanted to wear the heels that are at the shoe shop!

But back to the debate: What I would love to do as a shoe expert and a foot expert is to mix the fashion and comfort into one and give you a shoe that doesn’t hurt your feet! So stay tuned…I’m working on it, ladies!

Oscar Awards Red Carpet, Fashion, Beauty, and Press Room Roundup! (casasugar.com)
Inspired: Oscar Red-Carpet Looks (casasugar.com)
Oscar Awards Red Carpet, Fashion, Beauty, and Press Room Roundup! (fitsugar.com)
People’s Choice Awards Red Carpet Beauty and Fashion Roundup! (fitsugar.com)

The Oscars: What (Shoes) Were They Wearing?

01 Mar 2011 7 Comments

by The Shoe Expert in Fashion, Shoes Tags: Academy Award, Christian Louboutin, designer shoes, Dr. Michele Colon, Emma Stone, expensive shoes, Gwyneth Paltrow, Hayden Panettiere, Heidi Klum, Helen Mirren, high heels, hot shoes, Jimmy Choo, Nicole Richie, Red Carpet shoes, Sergio Rossi, Vanessa Hudgens

Well, everyone wants to know “who” the stars are wearing at the awards shows, and this week’s Academy Awards was no different! But here we’re only talking about shoes, so let’s see which shoes they were wearing!

Anne Hathaway in custom made Brian Atwood platform pumps

Gwyneth Paltrow in Brian Atwood ankle strap peep toe pumps

Michelle Williams in Jimmy Choo platform pumps

Helen Mirren in Sergio Rossi platform sandals

Heidi Klum in Christian Louboutin platform pumps

Emma Stone in Salvatore Ferragamo platform pumps

Hayden Panettiere in Jimmy Choo peep toe platform slingbacks

Mandy Moore in Jimmy Choo platform sandals

Vanessa Hudgens in Sergio Rossi T-strap platform sandals

Taylor Swift in Jimmy Choo peep toe platform pumps

Nicole Richie in Christian Louboutin peep toe platform slingbacks

Elizabeth Banks in Jimmy Choo platform sandals

(photos above from YourNextShoes.com)

Other notable mentions:

Hailee Steinfeld in Salvatore Ferragamo gold peep toe shoes

Natalie Portman in Jimmy Choo sandals

Scarlett Johansson in Christian Louboutins

Halle Berry in Christian Louboutins

Nicole Kidman in Pierre Hardy shoes

Amy Adams in Salvatore Ferragamo shoes

Melissa Leo on the red carpet pre-awards show in gold python platform sandals…

(photo from YourNextShoes.com)

Melissa Leo post-awards show in gold flats, but after winning an Oscar…

(photo from Fashionistimus)

My favorite from this group…the Brian Atwood custom made pumps that Anne Hathaway wore on stage…oh yeah, those shoes were definitely the hit of that number she sang! Well, with 8,000 crystals hand-placed on those shoes, they totally deserved it!

(photo from Shoehunting.com)

Helen Mirren ~ Fav Red Carpet Look (leberpr.com)
Hayden Panettiere: Oscars Viewing Party! (justjared.buzznet.com)
Vanessa Hudgens Is Oscar Night’s Most Valuable Partier! (eonline.com)
Vanessa Hudgens & Nicole Richie – Oscar Party Pals! (justjared.buzznet.com)
Vanessa Hudgens at Elton John’s Oscar Party (shoppingblog.com)
Helen Mirren – Oscars 2011 Red Carpet (justjared.buzznet.com)
Nicole, Joel, Heidi, Vanessa, and More Hit Elton’s Annual Oscars Party (popsugar.com)
How Do Stars Find The Perfect Oscars Dress? (news.sky.com)
Emma Stone: Chanel & Charles Finch Dinner! (justjared.buzznet.com)

Shoe Lovers Want To Know About Flatforms & More!

07 Feb 2011 6 Comments

by The Shoe Expert in Athletic Shoes, Fashion, Health & Wellness, Shoes Tags: ballet flats, boots, Christian Louboutin, Derek Lam, designer shoes, Dr. Michele Colon, flip flops, heels, high heels, Jimmy Choo, kitten heels, orthotics, Platform shoe, platform shoes, Red Carpet shoes, sandals, shoe lover, shoe trends, shoes, Steve Madden, wedges

As you know by now, I am a shoe expert as well as a shoe lover…so I started this shoe blog a few months ago to share with you some of the new shoes coming out soon, shoe trends, shoe tips, and other general shoe knowledge of mine.

So now I am going to ask you, the reader, what other shoe info are you looking for?

Here is a list of some of the most commonly searched for terms in my blog’s history: flatforms, Christian Louboutin, wedges, summer shoes 2011, Uggs, platform shoes, cankles, hot shoes spring 2011, sexy feet, 7 inch heels, Steve Madden boots with red zipper, Coach rainboots, sheepskin orthotics, 8 inch heels, Derek Lam, sparkly shoes, Prada shoes, wedge flip flops, sandals, mohawk shoes, Jimmy Choo shoes, toning shoes, Soles4Souls, Paris Hilton‘s bunion, wingtip pumps, high heels, fashion shoes 2011, stiletto boots, cheetah boots, pregnant Mariah Carey, Jessica Simpson sandals, Lanvin shoes, high heel boots, red carpet shoes, furry boots, ballet flats, Chanel eskimo boots, Louis Vuitton shoes, Rick Bella shoes, kitten heel boots, Kim Kardashian‘s high heels.

Designer Shoes Do Not Have To Be High Heels! (theshoeexpert.wordpress.com)
LA Transit Shoe Show: Trends in Sandals in 2011 (theshoeexpert.wordpress.com)
LA Transit Shoe Show: Trends in Spring-Summer Shoes in 2011 (theshoeexpert.wordpress.com)
2011 Spring-Summer Shoes Coming Soon To A Store Near You! (theshoeexpert.wordpress.com)
2011 Shoe Trends: Flatforms Sweep Spring Styles … But Why? (shoeblog.com)
LA Transit Shoe Show: Sparkle and Glitter in 2011 (theshoeexpert.wordpress.com)

I hope you have enjoyed reading these posts! And I hope you find what you’re searching for!

Red Carpet Shoes at The Golden Globes

17 Jan 2011 2 Comments

by The Shoe Expert in Fashion, Shoes Tags: designer shoes, Dr. Michele Colon, Golden Globe Awards, Golden Globe fashion, heels, high heels, hot shoes, platform shoes, pumps, Red Carpet, Red Carpet shoes, shoe expert, shoe lover, shoes

Shoes from The Red Carpet at 68th Annual Golden Globe Awards that were noteworthy…from an actress wearing two different color shoes to a very pregnant star in high platform shoes…Check out these shoes and tell me what you liked or didn’t like about them!

Helena Bonham Carter was wearing two different colored shoes with her Vivienne Westwood floral print cocktail dress:

Olivia Wilde was wearing spiked gold platform Christian Louboutins under her full Marchesa ball gown:

What did you think of Heidi Klum wearing this multi-colored silk guaze flowing halter dress by Marc Jacobs with the super high slit and the Marc Jacobs red platform heels with the gold strap?

I think Halle Barry’s dress was more shocking than her shoes…she is wearing a provocative black corset mini dress by Nina Ricci with a long sheer train and bare metallic sandals:

What do you think of January Jones in that skin baring red Versace dress and black patent leather Versace platform pumps? Again, the dress is much more noteworthy than the shoes in this case.

Meghan Fox wore a pale pink Giorgio Armani Privé evening grown with an asymmetrical Swarovski adorned strap and paired it with Brian Atwood shoes. I have to admit I like these shoes a lot!

Well, what can I say about Tilda Swinton dressed in a pale Jil Sandler dress (?) with pale pink pumps that hasn’t already been said? Let’s just leave it at that! Feel free to add your own comments below:

And last but not least, check out the metallic platform pumps by Casadei that Jane Krakowski is wearing while several months pregnant? I know it’s The Golden Globes, but come on! Every podiatrist in the country will say NOT to do this (and probably every Ob/Gyn and every other MD/DO as well) due to risk of falling and injuring yourself and the baby. When you are this pregnant, your center of gravity is shifted, so walking in high heels is even more tricky than usual, so ladies PLEASE don’t follow Jane’s example!

(Photos courtesy of (c) Getty Photos)

I hope you enjoyed the red carpet shoes in this post!