Designer Shoe Wishlist & Affordable Dupes

Where are all my shoe lovers?! This one is for you! Shoes are one of my favorite things. They are a simple way to elevate an outfit and (for the most part) they always fit! I’ve placed very stiff restrictions on my current shoe collection. One pair in, one pair out. With one exception. If the new shoe fills a need that is not met by any of my others, then they all get to stay. However, when I get my custom walk-in closet, all bets are off!

As with most things when it comes to shoes I love classic pieces. Shoes that I can own for years and that will go with many things in my wardrobe. Because of this I have a natural affinity to luxury designer shoes. Hermes, Valentino, Chanel…insert swoon here. I love to flip through fashion mags, watch Youtube videos and read blog posts about designer shoes and dream of my collection.

At this moment, my dream designer shoe collection remains just that. A dream. Partly because, teacher life. But mostly because as much as I adore these shoes, I’m not completely sold on the idea of dropping five to twelve hundred dollars on a pair of shoes. Not because I don’t think they’re worth it. But because I don’t know if my heart could take it if I scratched or scuffed my Valentinos. So for now the luxury shoe collection is on hold.

A few of my dupes in action.

My Designer Shoe Wishlist

There are many reasons one might to choose to purchase luxury shoes… craftsmanship, comfort, status or clout, but for me it’s all about “the look.” I may not be quite ready to drop a grand on a pair of shoes, but thanks to designer dupes, I can still look like I did. Today I’ve rounded up some wonderful dupes for a few of the shoes on my luxury wishlist. Some of them are very close to the luxury designer shoe and others only loosely resemble the luxury brand. Either way I think they all accomplish the goal. So, let’s go shoe shopping!

1. Hermes Oran Sandals

• 

• 

First up is a shoe from what is arguably the most prestigious design house there is, Hermes. While owning a handbag from Hermes is definitely a thing of dreams for a gal like me, a pair of shoes is much more attainable. The Oran Sandal first caught my eye a few summers ago. Something about the way the iconic “H” is completely innocuous yet screams Hermes all at the same time is just… iconic! I’ve loved them from the moment I laid eyes on them. But for reasons we’ve already covered, I still don’t own a pair. Every year when spring rolls around I scour the internet in search of an acceptable dupe, but until recently I continued to come up empty handed.

That is until I stumbled across this beauty! The Hayden Crocodile by Steve Madden. This shoes delivers on the iconic H shape, which is what makes the Oran the shoe that it is. The crocodile pattern of the Hayden sets it apart from the shoe on my wishlist. But for a few more coins you can purchase the Oran in croco. Granted, it’s more difficult to get your hands on. The Hayden is available in black, cognac and white. While the Oran is available in a host of colors, the gold (cognac) is on my wish list. However, I opted to purchase the Hayden in black. If you know, you know… no surprise here. For some reason the cognac just didn’t do it for me. So maybe there’s still a pair of Oran sandals in my future after all.

2. Saint Laurent Tribute Mules

• 

• 

I don’t have words to tell you how much I love this next shoe, the Tribute Mules. from Saint Laurent. My love affair with this shoe began with the Tribute Platform sandals. I loved them, but didn’t think they’d be practical enough to justify the price. So when I saw the Tribute mules, they went on the list and the the platform sandals came off.

This shoe is very similar to the Oran in that they are both slides or mules. But the Tribute features intertwining straps or a knot, if you will, across the top of the foot. This is an elegant and understated shoe, with just enough interest to keep it from being boring. For me the goal is to always look “complete.” Polished and intentional without looking like you tried too hard. And without actually having to try too hard and the Tribute just does it! This shoe is available in black and a dark nude color. No, surprise here, but the black version is on my wishlist.

I’ve spent hours over the past two years scouring the internet looking for a shoe that would give me the same feel as the Tribute and not leave my pockets empty. This summer I came up with two options. One very inexpensive and the other more moderately priced. The first is the Break the Mules Croc Flat from Nasty Gal. I initially, I purchased this shoe in brown and later went back for black.

The second dupe is the Austine from Kenneth Cole. This shoe features a similar knotted design, but the color options are very limited (natural multi and pale pink) and the snake embossing gives it a bit of a different feel.

3. Bottega Veneta Lido Sandals

• 

• 

Bottega was never really on my radar until they released this shoe. I love the woven look of the Lido, but at the same time wish that it was a little less “poofy.” While beautiful, the shoe feels a little too runway for my everyday life.

So when I saw the Signify pop up on the Steve Madden website, I immediately decided to preorder this shoe. The minor tweaks that the Steve Madden team made to the original design makes it perfect for me! This is the most recent addition to my collection, they only arrived last week. So I hope to share some looks including them on blog and Instagram soon.

4. Valentino Rockstuds

• 

• 

• 

Next on the list is a collection of shoes. The quintessential Valentino Rockstuds. What is there not to love about these shoes?! There are so many different styles and colors there is literally something for everyone. My personal favorites are the ankle strap sandals, the ankle strap pumps, the wedge, the flats and of course the jellies. While I’d probably never invest the money in all of these. Purchasing dupes means I can have them all. I get to try out the various styles and see which ones I gravitate towards most and might actually be worth investing in.

There are as many options for Valentino dupes, as there are Valentinos. But I’ve done the work for you and narrowed it down to my personal recommendations. Not all of these are dupes of actual Valentino designs, but I think they all give you the look of the brand without the hefty price tag. Scroll below to check out my favorite Valentino dupes!

5. Christian Louboutin So Kate

• 

• 

What luxury shoe collection would be complete without a pair red bottoms? I couldn’t disappoint you so the next item on my list is by none other than Christian Louboutin. My pick are the So Kate pumps. I don’t care that I probably wouldn’t be able to walk more than a yard comfortably in this shoe. She oozes sexiness. Every woman needs a good going out shoe and this is it!

But if you’re worried about scuffing you shoe on the sidewalk or someone stepping on your toe and ruining your year, you can forgo the Loubous and check these out instead. The Steve Madden Daisie is sexy on a budget. This is one of my favorite shoes and if you’re regular reader of the blog you seen her here before.

6. Manolo Blahnik Hangisi

There is a sixth and final shoes on my list, and despite years of research I have not been able to come up with an acceptable dupe for this shoe. They are all too over done or remind me of 1990s wedding shoes. And while I loved the 90s… that’s not exactly the look I’m going for. The shoe is the Manolo Blahnik Hangisi. No matter what I do, I can’t seem to shake my love for this shoe. She is amazingly versatile and just so dang cute! It is because of her that I’m very seriously contemplating my first luxury designer shoe purchase.

Ya girl will be 40 in September and I think these would be the ultimate from me to me gift. But I can’t seem to decide which ones to get. My practical side says if you’re going to spend the money, get the flats in a nice neutral color. But my inner diva says “do the most! “Get the heels, the high ones, in a bright color.” I’m linking my options here… y’all help me decide. Leave me a comment below and let me know if you think I should get the flats or the heels and what color you think I should get.

This is my current wishlist. Of course its always subject to change. I’m curious, are a you a shoe person and if so what shoes are on your wishlist?

Designer Shoes

Designer Dupes