Masstige Watch!
When I heard that Tara Subkoff was designing shoes for Easy Spirit, I was intrigued and confused at the same time. First of all, it was a rather odd pairing: a young avant-garde designer and a stodgy, unsexy shoe company. But at the same time, it kind of makes sense. Of all the companies to go masstige, I never would've pegged Easy Spirit; likewise, of all the designers to go masstige, I wouldn't have thought of Tara Subkoff either. From her debut summer collection, Lucky featured this Grecian-inspired sandal, which I liked, but never got around to buying, probably because I'd never be caught dead in an Easy Spirit store, plus the $150 price tag seemed a bit steep to me. But her new, expanded fall collection is now on the site (it starts shipping at the end of August), and I must say, I'm impressed. I'm intrigued by the Ennis, a round-toe wedge pump with a wraparound buckle, and I really, really want the Elease boot. Now, the latter is very similar to a boot Karl Lagerfeld designed for Chanel a few seasons ago, but it's got a cool wedge heel, which makes it very this-season. Now, the prices are not very masstige-friendly: Flats start at $150, pumps are $295, and boots range from $495 to (ouch!) $695. But, hey, they're made by Easy Spirit, so at least you know your feet will be comfortable--which is more than you can say about that similarly priced pair of Choos you've had your eye on.