04 Sep Manolo vs. Payless

As I stated in an earlier post, when I was growing up, Payless was a constant companion of mine. Nowadays, I rarely visit the budget shoe haven, but I have a few pairs of their shoes in my closet and I always manage to get compliments when I wear them; no one suspects they’re less than $25. And honestly, you can’t beat their BOGO sale, especially if you’re looking for cute flats or sandals.

Last year I bought my first pair of Manolo Blahniks at a sample sale. Beautiful. Calf hair. Gold heel. Pure perfection. I can’t tell you how many parties I sauntered into with these bad girls on my feet. But now I’m in mourning. A few months after I purchased them, the heel on the right shoe broke. Are you frickin’ kidding me? I was ready to curse the heavens for such cruelty.

I started to notice the heel didn’t feel too sturdy and then WHAM! It broke. Of course I can get them repaired, and I will, but I was just shocked they gave out so quickly.

On the other hand, I have a pair of rather spiffy looking croc-like peep toe heels from Payless that I’ve worn for at least 2 years now and they’re in tip top shape. Take that Mr. Blahnik!

my poor, damaged Manolos

my tried and true Payless beauties

Bottom line: I know Payless isn’t equal to Manolo, Chanel, Balenciaga or Marc Jacobs when it comes to style and craftsmanship, but don’t sleep on the little guys. And I’m really looking forward to Christian Siriano’s line for Payless this fall!