# Ladies, Whats So Special About Manolo Blahnick Shoes? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 20, 2011, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-whats-so-special-about-manolo-blahnick-shoes/596878 "2011-09-20T00:09:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2011, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-whats-so-special-about-manolo-blahnick-shoes/596878/1 "2011-09-20T00:09:22Z")
This high-fashion shoe brand seems to have no trouble selling everything they can make-even though they start at $600 and go on up? I fail to see what is so great about them. Plus-the rather strange name-is it a real name? At any rate-why are these shoes considered so “chic”? ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2011, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-whats-so-special-about-manolo-blahnick-shoes/596878/2 "2011-09-20T00:42:46Z")
They’re “special” because they’re overhyped and because nutty fashion “authorities” declared that they’re special. Women don’t even like wearing them; like most high heels, they’re not comfortable. Every formal event I’ve ever been to, half the women wind up barefoot by the end of the evening, carrying their shoes in one hand. It’s absurd. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2011, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-whats-so-special-about-manolo-blahnick-shoes/596878/3 "2011-09-20T01:04:38Z")
I’m guessing they are “so special” because not very many women can afford them. If you can afford them, then you must be special, too. I’ve never tried a pair on because 1) they’re out of my price range and 2) the ones I’ve seen in person were very ugly. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2011, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-whats-so-special-about-manolo-blahnick-shoes/596878/4 "2011-09-20T01:39:28Z")
Oh, come on. I don’t own any Manolo Blahnik or similarly-priced shoes myself, hate shoe shopping, and don’t much care for high heels in general, but I’m willing to admit that Blahnik’s work has been admired by fashion critics and other designers since well before he became a household name via chickpix like _Sex in the City_ and _Legally Blonde_. Yes, Blahnik is an overhyped specialty brand that is generally more famous for being famous than for being good, which is probably what the OP meant. But that doesn’t mean that a pair of Manolos is just the same as a similar-looking pair of shoes from Payless or Sears (except for the price, of course). He is widely regarded, by people who are considered to have expertise in the field, as a talented designer of high-quality stylish shoes. As [the Design Museum’s biography of him](http://designmuseum.org/design/manolo-blahnik) notes, > [@](#): > > Like all truly talented designers Blahnik had the ability - even at the start of his career - to stamp all his work with a distinctive signature style. Yet he was also stylistically innovative. In the 1970s, when mainstream shoe styling was still dominated by clumpy platforms, he revived the sleek stiletto heel, which has since become a classic. Later he refined the rustic Mediterranean mules that he remembered from his childhood into an elegant shoe which is now a staple. > > Throughout the 1970s and 1980s Blahnik concentrated on mastering the techniques of shoe-making by finding the best possible factories to work with and studying them carefully. He also made the most of his collaborations with fashion designers, notably Calvin Klein, an experience which taught him a great deal about designing for a broader market, and the younger designers, Isaac Mizrahi and John Galliano. > > By the late 1990s when the fashion writer and historian Colin McDowell observed Blahnik at work, he had been in command of his craft for years. The process of creating a Manolo Blahnik shoe begins with Manolo sketching it at home in Bath, his London office or one of his northern Italian factories with a Tombo Japanese brush pen in three minutes of “firm, assured hand movements followed by precise, sharp little jabs as the details are fitted in”. He then takes up to a day to carve the last – usually from beechwood – and then sculpts the the heel, which is carved first on the machine, then chiseled and filed by hand. When Blahnik is satisfied, an aluminium mould is made of the last and then the plastic last from which the shoe will be made. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2011, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-whats-so-special-about-manolo-blahnick-shoes/596878/5 "2011-09-20T12:52:39Z")
[Srsly](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Sr9Tf7cMnFA/S6pmsL55cTI/AAAAAAAAAT0/JXNn5lkRiOg/s400/Manolo%2BBlahnik%2BArunium.jpg)? You have got to be fucking insane if you think this looks like something to actually wear instead of posting to Style at Cheezburger. Although I could get away with wearing some of the torturous [cockroachstomper](http://www.synthesistrade.com/images/Manolo/Manolo%20Blahnik%20Pumps-5.jpg) stillettos - being in a wheelchair I wouldn’t need to totter around painfully all evening. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2011, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-whats-so-special-about-manolo-blahnick-shoes/596878/6 "2011-09-20T12:57:45Z")
Ralph is experiencing the common cognitive disconnect experienced by people who consider shoes and clothes to be just something to wear and not as part of being “fashionable.” ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2011, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-whats-so-special-about-manolo-blahnick-shoes/596878/7 "2011-09-20T12:58:59Z")
Sigh. Those shoes that cause **aruvqan** to sneer cause me to sigh. They’re just lovely. I love shoes, but I’m not intimately familiar with the high-end brands. I get emails from Ferragamo because it amuses me and I love looking, but I’d never buy. But they are [beautiful](http://www.ferragamo.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/TopCategories_31150_35551#/product/27665). Sigh. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2011, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-whats-so-special-about-manolo-blahnick-shoes/596878/8 "2011-09-20T13:04:21Z")
And anyway, designer does not equal crazy unwearable heel. [Sensible shoe](http://www.neimanmarcus.com/store/catalog/prod.jhtml?itemId=prod121150026&parentId=cat000209&masterId=&index=77&cmCat=cat000000cat000141cat000149cat000199cat000209&isEditorial=false). ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2011, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-whats-so-special-about-manolo-blahnick-shoes/596878/9 "2011-09-20T13:09:23Z")
I think the shoes are lovely but there isn’t a shoe in the world that’s worth $600 to me. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2011, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-whats-so-special-about-manolo-blahnick-shoes/596878/10 "2011-09-20T13:34:56Z")
Hmmm… So if you went into some massive shoe store like DSW and tore all the labels off the women’s shoes on display and then threw a handful of Manolo Blahnicks into the mix (sans labels) would you really be able to pick out the MBs? ---
**Author:** ![apollonia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2bfe46/32.png) [@apollonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/apollonia)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2011, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-whats-so-special-about-manolo-blahnick-shoes/596878/11 "2011-09-20T13:38:10Z")
Yes. You would absolutely be able to. There is no contest between the quality of the OK shoes they sell at a store like DSW and actual high-end shoes like Ferragamo. I would be able to because I used to work in a shoe store, but I have no doubt that anyone who’s reasonably familiar with shoes would also be able to. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2011, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-whats-so-special-about-manolo-blahnick-shoes/596878/12 "2011-09-20T13:42:16Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > I think the shoes are lovely but there isn’t a shoe in the world that’s worth $600 to me. I agree. Not even a _pair_ of shoes! ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2011, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-whats-so-special-about-manolo-blahnick-shoes/596878/13 "2011-09-20T13:53:53Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > I agree. Not even a _pair_ of shoes! Nyah! Miss Snarky. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2011, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-whats-so-special-about-manolo-blahnick-shoes/596878/14 "2011-09-20T14:35:25Z")
Okay, shoe lover checking in. While I think Blahnicks are aesthetically beautiful in design, in terms of practicality, the shoes are crap. I would never pay upwards of $500 for shoes that are designed to hurt my feet. I’m a huge fan of Steve Maddens and Madden Girls. One thing I’ve learned – from wearing 6" platform heels from time to time – is that the design of the shoe matters. Ultra high heels are not hurty if they are designed properly. What’s proper design? Well, the heel is closer to the ball of the foot for one thing. The angle of the heel, where the thick part is in relation to your foot, and how far toward the back of your heel the shoe heel is set makes all the difference in the world. I’ve worn 2" heels that kill my feet because they’re designed poorly. I’ve worn 6" heels that I can dance in all night because they are designed to distribute your weight in such a way as to not cause leg and back pain. Poorly designed heels pitch your weight forward on your toes (which really aren’t designed to support your body weight like that) and will force you to arch your back and pop out your T&A just to balance. If the heel is set right on the shoe, your spine stays nice and straight and it’s just a matter of walking heel-toe, heel-toe without your ankles wobbling (and you can build strength in your ankles in many different ways to avoid the wobble). Also, proper stretching on a daily basis helps prevent shortening of the Achilles tendon and the calf muscles, which result in terrible lower back pain over time. (I also change things up a lot and wear different heel heights every day.) I don’t know how to mitigate developing bunions, so if anyone has any advice on that which does not include “Don’t wear heels, dipshit,” then I’m all ears. ---
**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2011, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-whats-so-special-about-manolo-blahnick-shoes/596878/15 "2011-09-20T14:37:49Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > Hmmm… So if you went into some massive shoe store like DSW and tore all the labels off the women’s shoes on display and then threw a handful of Manolo Blahnicks into the mix (sans labels) would you really be able to pick out the MBs? Yes. The design is very distinctive. I could pick out Steve Madden shoes out of a lineup as well. I tend to anyway. I might go shoe shopping and just look at the shoes on display, not paying any attention to the boxes underneath on the shelves. I spot several shoes I like, pick 'em up, and look down to discover that, once again, I have zeroed in on the Steve Maddens. I have, like, Steve Madden radar. I think it’s one of my superpowers. ---
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2011, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-whats-so-special-about-manolo-blahnick-shoes/596878/16 "2011-09-20T14:46:04Z")
Steve Maddens are also pretty dang comfortable. I have a pair with 3" heels that feel better than my Birkenstocks, which make my calves ache. I’m grateful that my aesthetic aversion to shoes with pointed toes takes Manolo Blahniks off the menu for me. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ministryman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@ministryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ministryman)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2011, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-whats-so-special-about-manolo-blahnick-shoes/596878/17 "2011-09-20T14:53:49Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > This high-fashion shoe brand seems to have no trouble selling everything they can make-even though they start at $600 and go on up? > I fail to see what is so great about them. > Plus-the rather strange name-is it a real name? > At any rate-why are these shoes considered so “chic”? If you have to ask, you’re single, and thus don’t deserve an answer, because you’re not paying for them. Find an older, wiser married man and ask him…😃 ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2011, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-whats-so-special-about-manolo-blahnick-shoes/596878/18 "2011-09-20T15:21:06Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > Plus-the rather strange name-is it a real name? [Slightly modified version of the designer’s birth name](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manolo_blahnik) (Manuel Blahnik Rodriguez), but not “made up”. Note that “Blahnik” is his father’s surname, while “Rodriguez” is his mother’s. (A friend of mine in grade school had the surname “Blahnik”.) ---
**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2011, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-whats-so-special-about-manolo-blahnick-shoes/596878/19 "2011-09-20T15:45:22Z")
> [@gallows\_fodder](#): > > Steve Maddens are also pretty dang comfortable. I have a pair with 3" heels that feel better than my Birkenstocks, which make my calves ache. > > I’m grateful that my aesthetic aversion to shoes with pointed toes takes Manolo Blahniks off the menu for me. 🙂 Yeah, I hate pointy toes too. First, they cause ingrown toenails. But they always scream “witchy” to me, so I never buy 'em or wear 'em. I can admire Blahniks from afar, lust over the heel design and the clean, pretty lines… but I agree with you. Those pointy toes are a dealbreaker. ---
**Author:** ![Tapiotar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3be4f8/32.png) [@Tapiotar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapiotar)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-whats-so-special-about-manolo-blahnick-shoes/596878/20 "2011-09-21T00:07:12Z")
Most of these shoes look either ugly or absurd to me, on par with clown shoes, not beautiful at all. I am a female, yes, I am, but I grew up on a farm, and have been a walker and hiker and even a runner most of my life, so comfort and utility mean everything. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-whats-so-special-about-manolo-blahnick-shoes/596878.md?page=2)