We bought the pale gold Willa strappy sandal at Target ($13.99) on a whim one day and they have proven themselves to be the best sandals we've bought in a long while -- perhaps ever.

Never since our tweenage obsession with Jellies have we ever been so enamored of a pair of shoes, and we shed our flip-flops only for them. We love wearing them with our dark-denim shorts and a white blazer, or with a black dress and a long gold necklace. The soles are deceptively soft and padded, the straps don't slip or cut into your feet, and even an unexpected summer shower could not make our feet slide around inside them. We are urban warriors, and they are our chariots. The Willa sandal is a truly great summer shoe.

When we first saw this shoe, we thought, "Huh. That's cute. It looks like something we would have worn back in our childhood days," and we dismissed it from our thoughts. And then we saw it again, and the appeal was still there, but this time without any thoughts of playgrounds and Sunday school -- we realized we wanted this shoe in the here and now. Especially since it's on sale at Piperlime.

Let's play a little game. When we say "tiered skirt", what's the first thing that comes to mind? Hippies? Flower power? Prairies? We're about to erase that perception from your mind. No, not by our mind boggling Tom Cruise like super powers (you wish!). It's far simpler than that. We're going to introduce you to the flirty skirts present at the Luella, Givenchy, and Zac Posen spring/summer 2008 runways.

We're all about a high, sexy heel, but truth be told, we're not all that likely to to wear a shoe like this out to run errands. Theoretically, it seems like a great idea, but doing a lot of purposeful walking in a stiletto doesn't really appeal. That being said, we don't want to give up the look of a heel and look like a schlub when we're out in public, right?

We love high heels. We love wearing high heels. We just don't always love walking in high heels. And, of course, we could always carry a pair of flip flops or origami emergency shoes around with us, sometimes that's just not feasible. What to do then? Suffer? We think not -- meet our new favorite shoe, CAMiLEON Heels!

It's always fun to add a splash of color or an interesting pattern with your shoes, especially in the summer when your legs tend to be more bare. And, as we've mentioned before, we kind of love a preppy plaid. So what could be better than wearing a fun, bright plaid as a shoe?

We just got back from a run. We went an incredibly short distance in a disgustingly disproportionate amount of time. We might still be running.

Of course, it could have been that time stood still once we made the mistake of choosing our footwear as our focal point. How can we breathe and push with a beige pair of 1997 on our feet? It ain't easy.

Hence our little perusal of the Saucony website. Saucony makes running shoes. They "exist for runners." They offer a line of footwear that is as aesthetically pleasing as it is functional. Comfortable, too.

That's why we're pleased to bring you the 'Trash Talk' shoe from Nike. Yes, Nike. Big companies can have a heart, too.

WTF is this?

Sigh. It's a purse shaped like a shoe.

You know when things in your life seem a little out of control and you know that everything will be better if you just buy something, and it doesn't really matter what you buy? You wander the streets or the mall thinking "purse or shoes, purse or shoes, frozen yogurt and purse or shoes..."

Well, maybe you don't have to choose. Here we have a PVC purse (careful, as I understand PVC is toxic to children and also your wardrobe; the latter part of that is subjective but serious) with a "lovely designer look" that is shaped like a shoe. Sort of.

This is an excellent way to solve a nonspecific shopping desire, but not really a good addition to any outfit.

My question to you, Nickar57, is: "do you have two of them?" 'Cause really, the bottom of the purse looks pretty durable and all. I could zip my feet into them in a pinch. A very carefully contrived, unlikely pinch.

Back in 2000 or so, when I watched Gladiator for the first time, I remember it spurred a number of thoughts. Things like, "Can one person really make a difference like that?" and "Russell Crowe really shouldn't wear a shirt. Ever."

But, I'm quite sure I didn't contemplate how to bring the fashion into my own life.

Whether I planned it or not, the gladiator sandal is making a big appearance this spring. According to Style Bakery (don't you love that name? Like they're baking up yummy, fresh styles just for me!), the gladiator sandal is poised to be an "it" shoe this season.

You can pair it with casual looks, like tie-dye or denim, or get funky by pairing them with more formal looks. Of course, you could always wear a toga ...

Tweed is so very, well, autumn/winter, yes, and I don't know where you are, but the weather here in LA has been teasing us in and out of Spring for the last few weeks. However, with a tiny little peep-toe and flower detail at the front, the Zinc Missy pump is the perfect shoe for the transition into Spring! It's the perfect shoe to go with all that menswear-inspired garb on which you stocked up in the last few months and need to wear to get your money's worth before it gets too warm. The chunky heel stands at a modest 3¾", but eases up with a 1" platform in the front.

The Zinc Missy pump is available from Endless.com for $88.95, and since it's free overnight shipping, you won't feel bad when you only get to wear these shoes for a few more weeks.

Nah, the pale green isn't too Spring-y to wear this early in the year. The shoes are made of suede, and that's totally a winter material!

Dolce Vita's Celadon Suede shoes have a softly pointed toe which is okay by me (I am partial to severely pointed toes) because it matches with the softness of the suede leather and the soft, light celadon color. The heel is a wedge, which makes its 3¾" heel height more comfortable than a skinny little stiletto. The ankle strap finished the shoe off.

Available from Bluefly for $72.90.

If this pair of shoes weren't made for all the holidays and events in February, I don't what is. Party into the night for Mardi Gras? Romantic dinner out on Valentine's Day? Okay, so maybe the red and bright fuschia color combination isn't right for the Super Bowl (both the Giants and Patriots are shades of blue and red).

Giuseppe Zanotti's Rose Bud Satin Mules have a fuschia satin upper and a matching color patent leather heel that stands at 4". Of course, the best part of the shoe is the enormous red satin rose. These are a great pair of sandals to "wow!" with a simple back dress, or add to an already colorful dress.

Available from Intermix for $595.

Believe me, it hurts me to think about spending over $200 on a pair of shoes, though I know it's necessary. Getting up to $500, I can do it about once a year, if we're talking about Christian, Jimmy, or Manolo. But get past $1,000 for a single pair of shoes?

These multi-colored tweed pattern pumps from Chanel are $1,116! Perhaps it's the lizard on the ankle strap, or perhaps it simply that they're from Chanel, but at a price of over a grand, I'd want to wear these to the grave.

Of course, they are on sale.

For $840.

It must be January because retailers are selling off their fall/winter inventories like...they're making room for spring!

Neiman Marcus is taking an extra 40% off selected items that are already on sale (some up to 60% off), including a pair of Manolo Blahnik Ankle Boots that are originally $890, on sale for $668, on top o f which Neiman Marcus will knock off 40% at checkout.

The boots come in a purplish wine color (shown) and black hair-calf with black leather straps and buckles on both. With a short little mini dress and opaque tights in a similar hue, these boots will be great for the rest of January, through February, and into March.