Sometimes, you just must substitute

I have said many times that I'm a sucker for anything with studs or spikes on it. Just a little bit of edge really works for me. Unfortunately, sometimes a (temporary) smaller budget gets in the way of being a complete fashionista, and reality must be taken into consideration.


I really, really want a pair of smoking loafers, as they're called, and my favorite ones are by Christian Louboutin. As luck would have it, they're sold out on the website. On top of that, the price point is, shall we say, unfriendly at $1,295. But one cannot deny the infinite cool factor with these loafers. I found this pic on the Loubtoutin website. The style is called Rolling Spikes.

While I felt I couldn't live without these shoes, I may have come up with a suitable alternative. Granted, what I found isn't exactly Louboutin style and quality, but I'm hoping these will do in the meantime. They're by Steve Madden and they style is called Studlyy (not sure why they insist on this weird spelling). You can see them now at Nordstrom. For those looking for bling, they also come in silver and gold.

For now, I'm hoping I can just break them in. They're just not Louboutins, they're much cheaper, and the materials are a lot less forgiving. The pair I got is missing a spike, but I'm not sure if I'm motivated enough to take them back to the store.