Oh, the weather outside is frightful,
But my Ugg's are so delightful,
And since I can't go to a Paris runway show,
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

My beloved Ugg's what would I do without them? After so many years wearing cheap knock-off's, I finally broke down and bought a pair of these lovely Whitley Laced Boot's. Retailing for around $300, they were an "investment", but the Shearling based moisture-wicking micro pile lining makes any cost seem inconsequential when the weather dips below freezing.

You can purchase these Whitley Laced Ugg's for $288 from Neimanmarcus.com

Times are tough, we all agree. But one can maintain fashion sense an still be frugal, right?

Enter the "Frugalista". She's fashion savvy, compassionate, and not below scouring department store and boutique bargain bins to find the right shoe---at the right price. Still looking like a million bucks, no-one would know she spent pennies to get that way.

So what advice to savvy Frugalista's give to those of us just now making sense of the current economic woes?

Frugalista's always:

1. Buy Shoes Off-Season: The oldest trick in the book is to buy shoes at the end of a season, or even well into the next. Those shimmery sandals that are full price in May or June will be marked down substantially in just a few short months. The longer you wait, the cheaper they'll be, although you have to be careful not to miss out on the style or size that you want.

2. Buy Classic Shoe Styles: Unless you're getting a trendy item for a song, look for styles that will work well no matter what fashions the next season might bring. For example, a pair of simple black knee-high boots with a medium, classic heel will serve you far longer than a black knee-high boot with wedge heels, platform soles, faux fur trim and rhinestones on the side.
And, if you're the type who tends to live in jeans, then more than a couple pairs of evening shoes really aren't essential to your wardrobe -- no matter how pretty they are.
Think "versatile" and you'll cut down on the number of shoes you have to buy.

And finally, our last bit of advice from sage Frugalista's...

"Buying shoes you won't wear only prevents you from buying the ones you'll really need."

Seeing that today is the largest online shopping day of the year, we have scoured the web and found hard-to-beat deals of fabulous designer shoes.

Compare to Amazon: $60
Compare to Overstock: $96.

What do you get when you cross the writings of fashion journalist Lauren Goldstein Crow and the head of the luxury retail division of Reig Capital Group - Sagra Maceira de Rosen? A wonderful unauthorized account of the mysterious Jimmy Choo back story.

"The Towering World Of Jimmy Choo" by Bloomsbury Publishers, due out in March, is a vibrant - behind the scenes look at the famed luxe brand who's history is a mystery to most consumers.

Although not on sale as of yet, the book can be pre-orderd from Amazon for $17.16.

It's not everyday that you see a new pair of Manolo's marked-down below $300. So, when we discovered these lovely pink (our favorite color) sequin pumps for $299 ($575 Retail), we had to let the world know.

You can find these Manolo Blahnik Ciuzzosa Pumps at DowntownGalShoes.com in the following sizes: 35, 37, & 39. ]]> tag:www.shoeflair.com,2008://1.384 2008-11-17T10:55:17Z 2008-11-17T10:55:19Z

We have written a great deal in the past about products that aid in the comfort of wearing your favorite torture device--with heels.

While most of the comfort products we featured, center around a stale looking insole of sorts, the 10 Kisses Lip Gel Insole set's itself apart by combining comfort with a bit of fashion.

ScandaLush, the makers of the 10 Kisses insole, claim they are stylish and sexy both inside and out minus the yucky glue-marks left-behind with most insoles. Each, one-size-fits all gel filled insole can be easily adhered to the heel, arch, instep, or anywhere you need a little comfort.

Available in both red (pictured above) and clear, each insole runs $12.99 and can be purchased at Scandalush.com.

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Via our "Shoe Shopping A Recession" posts, we are adding to the list of online destinations for finding the lowest prices on fabulous designer shoes.

In this edition, it is all about the Best Coupon Sites.
For starters, the past few years have seen a slurry of sites that aspire to offer true coupon features but "sneek" paid advertisements and promotions into the mix, leaving most shoppers skeptical of the site's true intent. Luckily we have compiled a short list of sites that skip the ad and promo clutter while offering true coupon's worthy of redemption.

1. First up is the site: Toutie.com.
Toutie is a great site that features over 100 coupons for online designer shops with coupons ranging from 10-30%. We love the fact that the coupons are divided by category (apparel, accessories, jewelry, beauty, and lingerie), and include a description of each online destination.

2. Our next and personal favorite site is: StyleBakery.com.
More than just a coupon site, Style Bakery is a site loaded with savings and tons of relevant style information. While providing coupons for major retailers as well as smaller online shops, we love the fact that the site offers a "Delicious Deals" section with categories like "Leather Booties Under $65".

3. StyleForFree.com also made the list.
Not as well designed as the first two sites mentioned above, Style For Free makes up for the lack of sophistication with sheer coupon volume. You can look up coupons by shop, or search through a particular category or find great product reviews on nearly every category. While the shoe selection is a mixed bag of sneakers as well as lower-end retail stores, we found fantastic coupons for Stuart Weitzman, Carlos Santanna, and Taryn Rose.

4. RetailMeNot.com.
A wonderfully designed site, Retail Me Not offers easy navigation and a powerful search tool that combs through thousands (literally) of fashion sites. Clicking on the "view coupons for these sites" links presents coupons for each site found through their search query. We were happy to find fantastic coupons from both FootCandyShoes.com and DSW.com.