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You know I’m not one to shy away from color. That goes for shoes as well. If I feel like I’m wearing something that’s not all that exciting I’ll add an interesting or colorful pair of heels or flats to finish the outfit. That is where the Cece Suede Ballet Flats come in. I have them in both the Sapphire and Wild Berry in a Size 7. They also come in Black, Dusty Cedar, Tropical Green, Aged Driftwood, Navy and Bright Flame.

Description from J Crew: Beautifully styled in sumptuous suede (from Italy, of course). Our designers deliberated over every detail to ensure our ballets are the most comfortable you’ll ever wear, adding more padding, removing the shank and finishing them with an arch-hugging wedge. We think they’ve nailed it. Elasticized topline. Cushioned insole. Man-made lining. Rubber sole.

You can see the color is really vivid, even without the flash from my camera. 
Now, I cannot compare these to the older Cece’s as I don’t have a pair but I can tell you that these are comfortable flats. I reach for ballet flats most of the time during the Fall/Winter/Spring, especially when I have to run a quick errand. These two colors certainly jazz up a pair of jeans and a tee. 
I will say the back of the shoe is higher than most of my other flats and they did rub enough to get a blister the first time I wore the Wild Berry.  I think I’ll be fine from now on but will carry some band-aids just in case I feel it happening again. 

There are also several other Cece Ballet Flats styles:

  • Patent Bow – The Getaway Green is gorgeous!
  • Studded Leather – Even those these are in neutral colors, the studs give the shoe a little “oomph”.
  • Glitter Bow – I know the Glitter sandal was pretty popular this summer so how about a great flat option? Unfortunately I keep missing my size in the Warm Sienna (Size 7 anyone?)
  • Leather or Suede Studded – A little more tone down as only the toe is studded on these.
  • Patent Toe – Check out the Bright Bayberry if you aren’t a fan of a bright color.
  • Metallic Suede – The Metallic Sienna looks like a great neutral.
  • Tweed – If you like menswear, check out the Grey.
  • Leather and Tortoise – I like the tortoise toe on these. And they are also offered in Girls sizes.

Do you have the Cece Ballet Flat? What about the older Cece flat? I’m curious to know if there really is a difference between the two like the description is stating. 

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Today, I have the Ann Taylor Leandra Haircalf Platform Shootie. They come in Classic Camel and Black. I purchased a size 7 which is my normal shoe size.

Description from Ann Taylor: We love the textured sheen rich haircalf gives to these sleek pair. Haircalf with smooth patent leather binding. Round toe. Padded leather footbed for complete comfort. Leather sole. 4 1/4″ heel. Hidden 1/2″ platform compares to 3 3/4″ heel.

This is the Classic Camel. It’s actually a small-spot Leopard print.  

Even though the heel is very high the hidden platform helps bring this to a manageable (IMO) 3 3/4 inches. I can’t comment too much on the comfort factor yet but a friend of mine has these as well and wore them all day without any issues. She usually changes into a pair of flats sometime during the day and didn’t with these.

It is a loafer style with black patent trim and heel. The insole and sole are leather too.
The almond-shaped toe does not squish your toes. 

The print is symmetrical on both shoes. There is no discoloration anywhere in the calf-hair. 

Here are some similar options.

I am absolutely in love with these and can’t wait to wear them. What do you think of the Leandra?

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Hi everyone! I’m going to try to do a Shoes-day post every Tuesday. As long as I can stay ahead of myself I should have consistent posts.

I’ve been seeing a lot of slip-on loafers for Fall since mid-July from different retailers. When Nordstrom had their sale in July I purchased the Madee in Glitter. I thought they would give my jeans and pants a little pizzazz during the Fall and Winter months when things get a little gloomy. It was hard choosing from the two options at the time, Glitter and Calf-Hair Leopard. Knowing I already had a leopard flat made my decision a little easier.

The Madee is a variation of a men’s formal slipper and comes in 18 different colors and fabric. There is also the Madee-S, a colorful sequined loafer, and Melter, which has spikes at the toe. I took a size 7 and found them to be comfortable during my try-on. I have not worn them “full-time” yet but hope to soon. Currently the Madee, excluding the a few colors & styles, is on sale at SteveMadden.com for $79.95. Other retailers are also offering similar styles at different price points.

Aldo has the Pratillo, Killon, and Buschur for $60-90. The Killon in gold looks very similar to the Darby Loafer by J Crew. That price range is from $198-298. Of course, you are paying for an Italian-made shoe. I have not seen the J Crew Darby Loafer in person. I have seen the Aldo Pratillo and Black Patent Killon and would have purchased either of them if I had not already found the Madee on sale in Black Patent. During that sale I also purchased the Taupe Snakeskin. The Madee loafer has a leather sole with a heel while the Aldo loafer has a synthetic sole with a heel. The J Crew Darby has a flat rubber sole with no heel.

I think these will be my “go-to” shoes for the Fall and Winter. I’m excited to pair the Glitter with my Lolli pants, the Origami Mini in Toile and my trusty Ankle Toothpick jeans.

What do you think of the Madee? Will you be getting a slip-on loafer?

**I do want to disclose that I did exchange the above Madee in Glitter for the same pair. As you can see, the sole was coming unglued. I have not had this happen with the new pair or either of my other two pair.

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I can remember as far back as 6 years old seeing these shoes in my
mother’s closet. I was immediately drawn to the wood, sculptured heel and loved
to play dress up in them. I don’t recall the colored leather or knot at the
front or how these shoes fastened. It was always the heel. I have always had
these shoes in the back of my mind whenever I went into a store that sold
shoes, hoping to find something similar. The closest I’ve come have been the Look-Through Wedge by Schuler and Sons from Anthropologie.

Aren’t they darling? I don’t know the label and MamaBella doesn’t
remember who made them either. She’s had these since she was 20 years old. When
I visited her house over Easter I finally asked about them. She knew exactly the shoes
I was talking about and found them within minutes. I was so ecstatic to finally
see these shoes after years and years. They are a size 7 and do fit. I did
think about have the soles replaced but I decided I do not want to wear them
for fear of ruining them. The heel is exactly as I remember them.
Is there something from your mother’s closet you remember wanting?

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I have to say June was the “Month of Shoes” for me from different brands and price points. I think there’s a little something in here for everyone (including your boys and hubby’s). This is picture and link heavy so I apologize if the post takes a little longer to load.

I teased you with my new TOMS that are the prettiest color of sunshine yellow with that Sperry Topsider accent.

TOMS Yellow Bimini Women’s Stitchouts
Size 7 1/2
Also in Navy & Red, Men’s, Kids & Babies (too cute!)

Nike® for J.Crew Vintage Collection Cortez® Sneakers

Size 5 1/2 (Men’s), Chalk- To determine your size go down 1 and a half sizes from your normal size. I am a 7 in Women’s. These come complete with the exposed foam tongue, just like back-in-the-day. The Boy saw these on the back of the catalog I had laying around and FREAKED OUT! He proceeded to beg beg BEG for these in the Anthracite (Blue/Green). He is a HUGE fan of the Nike Cortez and has several pairs in various colors. He has some all white leather and is very careful to not scuff them or get them dirty. He now asks every week or so if any new colors have come out on the J Crew site. I’ll have him drinking the “crewlade” soon. Muah-ha-ha… 

Christian Louboutin You Love Espadrilles
Size 37
I have some Corso Como Espadrilles in red but I couldn’t pass up Louboutin’s on sale, in my size! I bought these at Neiman’s and they had some lovely blue Gingham flats, but sadly not in my size.

Tory Burch Tevray Huarache Wedge Sandal
Size 7
Again, another Neiman’s sale find, plus an additional 20% off! You may also be able to find them in black and white.

LANVIN!!! My first pair. Had I known it would come in this lovely box I would have looked for some sooner. It will be a present every time I open the box to wear the shoes.

Lanvin Black Patent Espadrille Wedge
Size 37
Loving Neiman’s as these were on sale, plus the additional 20% off. I love that the jute is a darker brown, which will easily transition to fall. I’ve seen these floating around in a Coral/Peach color too.

Prada Pointed Toe Sling-back Pump
Size 36 1/2
Sweet baby pink Prada’s!!! The pictures do not do this shoe justice regarding the color. I am not a “ballerina pink” girl but these were too beautiful to pass up. The link is to a different color on Polyvore. I’m thinking skinny jeans, a white tee and fitted motorcycle jacket with these.

Talbots times two!
Patent Leather Lucite-Heel City Sandals
Size 7
Black & Plaster – Now on sale for $44.39! The Suede in Bordeaux and Leather in Golden Haze/Yellow are just as pretty if you are put off by the “dancer-ish clear heels” and on sale too! See them on Gigi.

J Crew Mona Leather Pumps
Size 7
Black & Warm Taupe
I didn’t get the black but took this picture of them when I was in the store. I tried on the 6 1/2 and found them tight around the widest part of my foot, around the ball. The 7’s were a better fit when I tried them on and 7 is my normal J Crew shoe size. I haven’t worn these yet as it’s just too hot for anything but sandals. They also come in Pale Peacock, Dusty Clay and Brick Red.
Warm Taupe
Here is the color comparison with my Ann Taylor Perfect Pump in Porcini. Those are patent and a little more on the gray side.

J Crew Mona Suede Pumps
Size 7
Wild Berry
Y’all know I love me some J Crew Wild Berry so I had to see these IRL, EVEN THOUGH I also have the Cece Suede Ballet Flats in the same color. They also come in Black, Burnt Sienna, and Slate. I won’t be purchasing the other colors and here’s why. I am not a fan of Black suede. I prefer Black in patent. The Burnt Sienna is about the same color as the Julienne‘s I found on ebay. And I have the Coddington in Cobblestone.

Cece Suede Ballet Flats
Size 7
Wild Berry
I have seen the Sapphire & Tropical Green IRL and they are true to the color online.

Now, do I keep the Mona and exchange the Cece for another color like the Sapphire or Tropical Green? Or do I keep both in the same color? I will certainly wear the flats more but the heels will be great for that little POP for Girls Night Out or Date Night. I’m still debating that one.

OK…so that’s “Super Shoes-day”. I hope you enjoyed it.

Have a great evening!