I headed to Potomac Mills Mall this morning to scope out sales and snag some accessories to update my Fall wardrobe. On my list were nude shoes, a red knee length dress and show stopping pumps that would jazz up any outfit. We had our sights set on the usual stores like Neiman Marcus Last Call, The Outlet – Bloomingdale’s and Saks Fifth Avenue Off Fifth but unexpectedly found ourselves in Bakers Shoes. What caught my eye was the H by Halston sign with collection of Fall shoes that had me at hello. I didn’t know that Halston had partnered with Bakers Shoes to create an exclusive collection of footwear.
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| The Stella – H by Halston for Bakers Shoes |
The shop girl took dished on the new H by Halston footwear collection, revealing to me that that particular store put the collection on the floor on Wednesday but not before the sales clerks had the opportunity to preview the shoes, complete with a fashion show and an education on the history of the Halston brand. After all, you have to know your product before you can talk about it to customers. I tried on every pair of shoes in the collection and in the process discovered that that particular collection runs a half size bigger – I usually wear a 9.5.
The standouts in the H by Halston for Bakers Shoes were the Stella, a replica of the gold glitter Christian Louboutins worn by Sarah Jessica Parker in the Sex and the City 2 movie. The shoe comes in six colors, three glittered and three leather. The shoes are extremely comfortable with the heel height not too extreme. The silver glitter and the multi are definite must-haves. The solid colors weren’t in the store but they are available online.
The Natalie, a rounded toe suede pump, have been selling out like hot cakes, according to the shop girl, which means a lot of gals will be wearing it come Fall. The color least chosen is the burgundy color, which was my favorite. What makes the Natalie special is the laser cut detailed applique on the back of the heel. My ankles needed a bit of a warm up to walk in the Natalie but they are on my list as well. My third favorite in the H by Halston shoe collection is the Farrah, a tall riding boot with an exposed zipper in the back. What I love about these boots is that they fit my calves. I usually have to buy extended calf boots but these fit me perfectly.
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| The Natalie – H by Halston for Bakers Shoes |
The shoes are reasonably priced and by that I mean nothing is over $170. The pumps range in price from $79.95 to $89.95 and boots starting at $99.95. The Farrah Zip-Up riding boots are $169.95, a definite steal compared with the higher end riding boots available at luxury retail stores and boutiques. I walked out of the store with three pairs of shoes that will be debuting in the tents at Lincoln Center next week.
