Imelda Marcos, Eat Your Heart Out (or Monticello Shoes, Will You Marry Me?)

Can I marry a shoe store?

By now you all know about my deep and abiding love of all things shoe and shoe related. If you're new here, or you've managed to block it from your mind, here's a little reminder.

And here:

Brown suede pumps, Ann Taylor

And here:

Gold, stacked heel flip flops, Old Navy

And here:

Green patent leather wedge with gold trim and buckle, Anne Klein

And, of course, here:

Black satin peep toe pumps with toe ruching, Nina

Pink and black toeless knee high tights by Tarjaaaaah (aka Target)

And, um, here:


Red, Chloe double cross strap Mary Janes by Fitzwell.

But now? Now, I would forsake all my lovely, lovely shoes for these:


I found a beautiful new shoe store, Monticello Shoes, in downtown Norfolk. I was walking back from lunch through the Monticello Arcade in downtown Norfolk, and there it was, like a bright, shining shoe beacon of leathery, sparkly loveliness. I loved every. single. pair. of. shoes. in the whole damn store.

They are designed by a woman and super, super comfortable with extra support in the heel and ball of the foot. They are designed to be worn for a full work day in comfort. Every shoe is unique, designed just for Monticello shoes and handmade in Brazil. You haven't seen these shoes anywhere else and they are exquisite. They are really more than designer shoes; some of them are works of art.

My absolute favorite in the store was a gorgeous pair of gray suede mules with purple leather trim and an adorable Swarovski crystal flower adorning the side. Unfortunately, they had sold my size already. You see, they only make 1 shoe in each size. That's it. In the entire world.

Monticello Shoes also has matching belts and handbags, although the entire collection of bags was not yet in. The samples they did have were lovely. Each features the MS crest, has a light inside for locating lost items, and a battery charger. That's right. A friggin' battery charger. Brilliant!

Monticello will also custom design shoes for you, stamping your name in the leather insert. How many times have you seen a lovely pair of shoes and thought, "those would be perfect in red?" Or, "If only the heel weren't so high?" Monticello can make that happen with their shoes. Or you can bring a special dress in and have them design a pair of shoes just for you.

Every pair of shoes has a matching belt and bag. While I prefer not to match my bag to my shoes, I'd love to have some of those bags in different patterns. They will also custom design purses. If they custom design a purse, Monticello can also replace the MS design on the front of the bag with your initials. How cool is that?!

The woman who designed these things is a genius. I want to meet her and give her a big kiss. And then beg her to get back to work designing more lovely shoes made of air and light and pretty shiny crystals.

The salesman in the store also gave me a sneek peak at their Fall collection of boots that will be out in August. Dear lord, they were magnificent! My favorite pair: knee high black suede boots with a 3 inch heel. From about 3 inches from the top to just above the ankle, they feature a rich, red plaid fabric. Cutest. boots. ever.

The best thing about all of these fabulous designer shoes is that they are reasonably priced. Seriously. They range from about $150-$230 for the nicer party shoes. If you've ever purchased a pair of Dolce & Gabana heels or Jimmy Choo boots, you know that's a steal!

I know that I've been overly effusive in this post. My fingers are tripping over the keys in an attempt to get the words out. But let me say it one more time:

I. Love. Monticello. Shoes.

Monticello Shoes, will you marry me?

If you live in the Hampton Roads area, you can find these lovely shoes* here:

Monticello Shoes
209 E. City Hall Ave.
Norfolk, VA 23510
(757) 624-8450

But if you see a size 6, you'd better step off. Those are mine!

* They also have men's shoes. They all looked lovely and rich at a glance, but I didn't even bother looking very closely at them. T wears shoes until they have holes in them and then buys another pair at Payless for no more than $40. Then he's good for another 2 years. Sigh.... It's a damn good thing he's cute!