Privilege Blog

When Budget Shoes Knock Your Socks Off


These are the Christian Sirianos I ordered from Payless. Now sold out, apparently. $29.99. A second pair half off. Free shipping. This kind of pricing is not common in my usual retail pursuits. So I had to wonder, were the shoes going to be, you know, OK?

Yes. They are. Fabric holds up in person. Heels, nice and shiny. Zipper, sufficiently substantial. Run a little big, which means my size 7 Ferragamos, size 7.5 Manolos feet are floating just a tad in the Siriano 7s. This made my daughter very happy, since the 7.5s I ordered as the second pair were released to accompany her on the holiday party trail Back East. (That’s what we Californians call that side of the US.) I am confident that no one will look at my gold zippered feet and think, “Oh, poorly made shoes, darling. Tssk. Tssk. Tssk.”


Lisa, one of our readers here, appears to agree, having bought not only the zipper flats, but similar heels. She sent me these accounts of her Siriano outings.

I’m just sending this email to let you in on (and thank you) my ‘little secret’: after your posting of the zipper shoes by Christian Siriano, I went to the Payless website – I loved those shoes!!! I bought the flats in gold and the other colorway AND the heels. Tonight I went to an Art Gallery opening and wore those heels. I must say that I HAD the best shoes in the joint. (I have two very dear friends who help me dress, and they chose those shoes first out of my ample shoe closet, and the rest of my outfit revolved around them – they are a recently married gay couple (GO IOWA!) and their taste is impeccable.) Anyway, THANK YOU, I never would have thought of Payless (I didn’t have the heart to tell my stylists where they came from) and I have three pairs of the coolest shoes around. (Of course, this is not a big city and I kind of stand out in the shoe department anyway :) Louboutins tend to do that.)

…yesterday I went to an annual “Holiday Open House.”…in deciding my ensemble (without my stylists!), I went with an all cream outfit and topped (bottomed?) it off with my gold zippered Christian (not Louboutin) shoes. This IS a crowd that takes their clothing VERY seriously and I can’t begin to tell you the number of compliments I got on the shoes!!!!! I’ve got one more of these occasions to attend and have two more pairs of zippered shoes in my arsenal – OH THE FUN!!!!

You are very welcome, Lisa. May all our holidays be FUN:). And well-shod besides.

27 Responses

  1. Those are adorable.Although they might look like skis on my size 10 (HISS!!)feet. But they are worth the attempt…

  2. I have a shoe problem. And a handbag problem. Both. It might be an addiction. What's a girl to do?

  3. There is really no reason why attractive and well made shoes need to cost hundreds of dollars. It annoys me that many high end Italian shoes are made in the very same factory in China as shoes from lower end brands.
    Christian Siriano is talented designer and smart businessman and I'm glad that he has made his shoe designs available at a low price point.

  4. Rats! I meant to get those! I wonder if they still have them in the stores…..thanks for the review!

  5. A, Payless. Low WASP that I am, I have spent many a happy moment in that store. Now, I can afford to shop elsewhere, but I still love Payless.

  6. You know rule #5 from your post on LBD?

    I read your shoe post a few weeks back and immediately went to the Payless website to find that they were completely sold out of my size.
    Now,I'm truly upset that I can not have these shoes.
    (I know that is not exactly what you meant by rule #5!)
    Happy Holidays!
    Queenie

  7. Note to self. Next time you score something lovely and cheap but scarce, order one extra to give away to lovely readers. Lovely daughter has been well taken care of and will not begrudge the gesture. Rule #5 indeed:).

  8. Cute!
    I have to now go look at yet another shoe website! ;-)

    And I was trying so hard to NOT buy any more shoes…
    But at that price…

  9. Payless? I thought that was a drug store? It can't be true. Here I was feeling all smug and superior with Monoprix.

    Your blog is sublime. Truly.

    Sometimes I think I have a little problem (no need to delve for the moment). I read your headline, subhed as: "A High WASP Shops to Consider" — that works too when you think about it. . .

  10. Hahahaha. So fug. I don't know that I've ever owned anything fug before. I'm kind of proud of myself. The shoes rub the side of my foot, but so do my Ferragamo Varinas. They are breaking in just fine. Tish, thanks. Being called sublime should keep me in good spirits through any number of obstacles. All you commenting friends are very good for my outlook.

  11. If both Miss Whistle AND SlynnRo say these are fabulous, then the fug is slight and easily ignored…but still enjoyed. You guys are all wonderful.

  12. Nope, I have to side w/ Anonymous. The whole time I was reading all the "fabulous" comments, I was wondering what I was missing. Then, I found it, another person who also thinks they're ugly. Maybe they look slightly better on, but probably not.

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