# 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:** 2
**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 21, 2011, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-whats-so-special-about-manolo-blahnick-shoes/596878/21 "2011-09-21T00:33:24Z")
> [@Dogzilla](#): > > 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. Witchy _and_ they make your feet look huge! I will never understand… My favorite shoe designer is [Chie Mihara](http://www.chiemihara.com/colecciones.html). Anthropologie often carries a few of her shoes, but they are almost always in the $400+ range, which means they must remain my dream shoes. I think her style is adorable but elegant, and all of her shoes would fit right in with my wardrobe and lifestyle, as I work in a library and love vintage clothing. I love how her shoes have a 1920s-1940s look without being campy. ---
**Author:** ![Kozmik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8dc957/32.png) [@Kozmik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kozmik)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-whats-so-special-about-manolo-blahnick-shoes/596878/22 "2011-09-21T00:55:34Z")
> [@Dogzilla](#): > > 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. > [@](#): > > as Terry DeHavilland (UK shoe designer) has said, “people say they’re bad for the feet but they’re good for the mind. What’s more important?” From [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stiletto_heel). Well, what’s more important? ---
**Author:** ![moejoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@moejoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moejoe)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-whats-so-special-about-manolo-blahnick-shoes/596878/23 "2011-09-21T01:36:28Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > I think the shoes are lovely but there isn’t a shoe in the world that’s worth $600 to me. Well, you could buy $20.00 shoes, but they won’t last very long, maybe one season and then they’re shot. If you buy $60.00 shoes they will still crap out after a year or two if you wear them a lot. Even $100.00 shoes are going to look tired after 5 years of regular wear. Or you could buy one pair of $600.00 shoes that will last you a lifetime and become more comfortable and beautiful the more you wear them. Especially for a pair of simple black pumps, the $600.00 shoes are the real bargain. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-whats-so-special-about-manolo-blahnick-shoes/596878/24 "2011-09-21T02:07:57Z")
There’s no way in hell I’m paying that much for shoes, and I don’t find them to be anything special. (Knock-offs, anyone?) I’d rather go for something from [Unique Vintage](http://www.unique-vintage.com/shoes-c-274.html). I would KILL for [these](http://www.unique-vintage.com/pink-satin-dainty-round-ruffle-shoes611-p-11568.html). ---
**Author:** ![apollonia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2bfe46/32.png) [@apollonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/apollonia)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-whats-so-special-about-manolo-blahnick-shoes/596878/25 "2011-09-21T02:18:22Z")
I really really don’t care for a pointy-toe shoe because I don’t find them comfortable, but sometimes the round-toe shape really doesn’t work with everything, you know? Sometimes it’s easy for round-toe pumps to come off looking a little bit Minnie Mouse-shoe style, or too cutesy. See, [these](http://www.net-a-porter.com/product/96877) are way, way too pointy, but [these](http://www.net-a-porter.com/product/96874) are what I would try on, and then immediately say “Minnie Mouse shoes, no.” (Well, theoretically try them on, if I could afford them.) My own solution is [nothing too extreme](http://www.net-a-porter.com/product/161699), either way. And there is always [the peep-toe](http://www.net-a-porter.com/product/60302)! I actually own the Aldo knockoff of these in a slightly subtler red. And I adore them. ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-whats-so-special-about-manolo-blahnick-shoes/596878/26 "2011-09-21T02:20:40Z")
I can pick out the Steve Maddens because they copy the designer bands. 😛 MBs are known for what they are. I kind of feel like since the S&C craze, they’ve taken a down turn - sort of like Dooney & Burke or a LV branded bag. It’s nothing like the Christian Louboutin phase, though. Gah. I actually got a pair for my birthday and ended up selling them. Five years ago, a pair of CLs were [great for work](http://www.neimanmarcus.com/store/catalog/prod.jhtml?itemId=prod128330039&parentId=cat5130731&masterId=cat000199&index=45&cmCat=cat000000cat000141cat000149cat000199cat5130731&isEditorial=false). Now they just give off a vibe I don’t like. Trashy. Well, much of what the Kardashians flaunt is probably not on my ‘to buy’ list. Wearing something well made _does_ make a woman feel great. I don’t mind spending money on well made expensive items, so long as I don’t look like I just shopped at [Hookers R Us.](http://theshoedish.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/khloe-kardashian-in-christian-louboutin-ulona.png) ---
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-whats-so-special-about-manolo-blahnick-shoes/596878/27 "2011-09-21T02:25:16Z")
> [@moejoe](#): > > Well, you could buy $20.00 shoes, but they won’t last very long, maybe one season and then they’re shot. If you buy $60.00 shoes they will still crap out after a year or two if you wear them a lot. Even $100.00 shoes are going to look tired after 5 years of regular wear. > > Or you could buy one pair of $600.00 shoes that will last you a lifetime and become more comfortable and beautiful the more you wear them. Especially for a pair of simple black pumps, the $600.00 shoes are the real bargain. This may be for men’s shoes. But women’s shoes, are they really durable? I get the impression that for this type of item, the bulk of the mark up is not due to comfort or durability but name recognition. Just like a Ferrari, you pay a lot mainly raise your status. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-whats-so-special-about-manolo-blahnick-shoes/596878/28 "2011-09-21T02:35:16Z")
> [@MichaelEmouse](#): > > This may be for men’s shoes. But women’s shoes, are they really durable? > > I get the impression that for this type of item, the bulk of the mark up is not due to comfort or durability but name recognition. Just like a Ferrari, you pay a lot mainly raise your status. Eh, I have an $800 pair of via spigas that I’ve had for about 8 years that look just as good as when I bought them. Higher end shoes really do wear much better than cheapos. FWIW, these make me drool: [http://www.exoticexcess.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Manolo-Blahnik-Talusfac.jpg](http://www.exoticexcess.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Manolo-Blahnik-Talusfac.jpg) But I’m more of a Via Spiga girl: [http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/via-spiga-daria-mary-jane-pump/3060761](http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/via-spiga-daria-mary-jane-pump/3060761) ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-whats-so-special-about-manolo-blahnick-shoes/596878/29 "2011-09-21T02:47:31Z")
I was watching Anderson Cooper’s new show last week when Sarah Jessica Parker was on. Anderson pronounced the shoes man-O-lo buh-LAHN-icks. You would have thought he called the Pope a Protestant. She laughed at him mercilessly and corrected his pronunciation to man-O-lo BLAH-nicks. :rolleyes: If it takes that kind of person to wear $600 shoes, then I don’t aspire to be one. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-whats-so-special-about-manolo-blahnick-shoes/596878/30 "2011-09-21T02:50:36Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > I think the shoes are lovely but there isn’t a shoe in the world that’s worth $600 to me. Well, if they had working rocket engines… ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-whats-so-special-about-manolo-blahnick-shoes/596878/31 "2011-09-21T03:06:20Z")
> [@Dogzilla](#): > > 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. Any guy who can coach in the NFL AND design shoes is a-ok in my book !! ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-whats-so-special-about-manolo-blahnick-shoes/596878/32 "2011-09-21T03:21:07Z")
Designer shoes for women are a little like super cars for guys. No they aren’t comfortable, but a Ferrari really doesn’t handle well in stop and go traffic during rush hour either. But they are really cool and make other people who know something about shoes/cars drool. ---
**Author:** ![Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellis_Aponte_Jr)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-whats-so-special-about-manolo-blahnick-shoes/596878/33 "2011-09-21T04:54:17Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > [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”.) “Manny Rodriguez” is the name of the discount line. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-whats-so-special-about-manolo-blahnick-shoes/596878/34 "2011-09-21T04:55:29Z")
> [@Ellen\_Cherry](#): > > 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). I’m not even a shoe girl, and those are gorgeous. Yeah, if I had a different level of disposable income, I could make room for those. I just have other things to dispose income on first. I like pointy toes & stilettos. ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-whats-so-special-about-manolo-blahnick-shoes/596878/35 "2011-09-21T05:48:18Z")
One anecdotal point - my sister managed to get her hands on a pair of strappy Manolo Blahniks for her wedding (I think she got them lightly used, she didn’t pay $600 for them anyway) and though she wears a size 9 1/2 and has bunions, damn did those shoes make her feet look good. I tried them on - they made my ugly feet look good. I have an inexpensive pair of sandals that happened to be a similar style, and they don’t look anywhere near that good. The proportions are just not quite right; all the weird lumps and bony bits are hanging out, where in the Blahniks they’re cradled and camouflaged. Whatever the knocks may be on the comfort or support (I didn’t wear them long enough to notice problems) the visual design is brilliant. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Universe\_Lashes\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8797f3/32.png) [@The\_Universe\_Lashes\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Universe_Lashes_Out)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-whats-so-special-about-manolo-blahnick-shoes/596878/36 "2011-09-21T06:03:17Z")
> [@Rhiannon8404](#): > > 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. Nailed it in post three. Why is this thread still open? ---
**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-whats-so-special-about-manolo-blahnick-shoes/596878/37 "2011-09-21T13:03:40Z")
> [@moejoe](#): > > Well, you could buy $20.00 shoes, but they won’t last very long, maybe one season and then they’re shot. If you buy $60.00 shoes they will still crap out after a year or two if you wear them a lot. Even $100.00 shoes are going to look tired after 5 years of regular wear. > > Or you could buy one pair of $600.00 shoes that will last you a lifetime and become more comfortable and beautiful the more you wear them. Especially for a pair of simple black pumps, the $600.00 shoes are the real bargain. Are you a man? Because no self-respecting shoe-loving woman would dream of wearing the same damn pair of black pumps for five years. Or a lifetime. That just doesn’t compute in my book. Most men I know own one pair of black dress shoes, one pair of brown casual shoes, and maybe one pair of athletic shoes and/or one pair of boots. Give or take. Most women I know own at least five different styles of black shoes, three brown, 2 red, and several pairs of boots. One pair of MBs will most certainly NOT meet your style needs over a lifetime. Is that one pair pumps? Slingback sandals? Peep toe with a kitten heel? That one pair isn’t going to go with every single outfit. Hell, I’ve been known to change shoes a couple times a day because I changed clothes. Those Blahnicks might look great with a tailored suit in the office, but they’re going to look stupid with a strappy sundress. Thus, it makes more sense to own 30 pairs of $20 shoes that last a season than it does to own one pair of $600 shoes that last a lifetime. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-whats-so-special-about-manolo-blahnick-shoes/596878/38 "2011-09-21T13:25:53Z")
> [@moejoe](#): > > Well, you could buy $20.00 shoes, but they won’t last very long, maybe one season and then they’re shot. If you buy $60.00 shoes they will still crap out after a year or two if you wear them a lot. Even $100.00 shoes are going to look tired after 5 years of regular wear. > > Or you could buy one pair of $600.00 shoes that will last you a lifetime and become more comfortable and beautiful the more you wear them. Especially for a pair of simple black pumps, the $600.00 shoes are the real bargain. Yes, but this doesn’t compute for me, at all. For $20, I can buy new shoes _every year_ without feeling guilty - so I can have new shoes EVERY YEAR! BUY ALL THE SHOES! New styles! No way would I wear the same shoe for 8 years. Like Dogzilla says. But I have to point out that my SO has FAR more shoes than I do, and this point has been raised recently. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-whats-so-special-about-manolo-blahnick-shoes/596878/39 "2011-09-21T13:51:42Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > Yes, but this doesn’t compute for me, at all. For $20, I can buy new shoes _every year_ without feeling guilty - so I can have new shoes EVERY YEAR! BUY ALL THE SHOES! New styles! No way would I wear the same shoe for 8 years. Like Dogzilla says. > > But I have to point out that my SO has FAR more shoes than I do, and this point has been raised recently. 🙂 True. There are some men who are shoe hounds. A friend’s husband usually brings more shoes to the beach for a 3-day weekend than she and I do combined. Shoe lovers like to have options. ---
**Author:** ![miss\_elizabeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@miss\_elizabeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miss_elizabeth)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2011, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-whats-so-special-about-manolo-blahnick-shoes/596878/40 "2011-09-21T15:07:33Z")
Why bother to have anything nice? If you can afford them, they are really nice shoes. They are designed well, they fit well, they are more comfortable, more durable… a better product at a higher price. No one blinks about buying the latest toy from apple, even knowing it will be obsolete in a couple years. On the other hand, maybe you won’t want to wear the same shoes for 8 years, but you _could_. And there is a real business in selling gently used high-priced shoes. Women who work in a professional capacity and wear heels every day (and make good money doing it) want to have shoes that are well made and look lovely. If they aren’t your style, fine, don’t buy them. But this idea that its just so silly and frivolous is so irritating. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-whats-so-special-about-manolo-blahnick-shoes/596878.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-whats-so-special-about-manolo-blahnick-shoes/596878.md?page=3)