My New Shoes

Did I manage to fool any of you with my Miu Miu shoe post the other day? I apologise if you thought I was being mean-they are just so fabulous and I didn't have time to explain about them at the time, sorry sweeties! They are actually replica Miu Miu shoes. Now before you all start hating on me, let me explain. I loved the Miu Miu shoes from the Spring collection and let's face it, who didn't? I quite honestly would have parted with several hundred £'s for one pair, but I don't live near any Miu Miu boutiques so my only chance was to purchase online. They were almost impossible to source, let me tell you! I mostly saw the clog styles and they sold out pretty fast. Never did I find the jewelled pairs and they were the ones I really wanted. So what's a girl to do when her heart desires them and they can't be bought at whatever cost? Some crafty ladies have tried to DIY their own, but I've never found the perfect shape of shoes to start with. Besides, when it comes to 'stealing' designer ideas is there really a difference between your own DIY, buying a high street inspired piece or like my shoes-a look-a-like copy? Personally I don't think so, we all take inspiration from the catwalks however there is one line that I won't cross, read on.
I've spoken before about my dislike for fake designer goods and to be honest that is still my way of thinking. These shoes however are designer look-a-likes, modelled on the original pair, but more affordable and without the designer branding. You may think I'm splitting hairs here, but in my opinion there is a difference between counterfeit goods and look-a-likes. Counterfeit goods pretend to be the real thing, often with the designer labels and branding (in the case of shoes even with fake boxes and dust bags). I found several styles like the pairs I bought except they came with Miu Miu box, dustbag and labels inside the shoes (the boxes shown here did not come with these shoes-they are from my own collection). Often these fakes can still be quite expensive (although cheaper than the real version). The internet is absolutely rife with designer shoes, mostly Louboutin knock-offs (complete with red heels and Christian Louboutin labelling all over) and it's these sites you have to be aware of. You have no idea what your money is funding (it's often claimed profits fund criminal gang activity), if the company is genuine or whether you will even receive your goods. More often than not these websites use images of the genuine goods (from Net-a-Porter etc), so you are tricked into thinking you receive what is shown in the picture, when you'll actually receive a cheap imitation. I once wrote to one of these companies, just to see what their response would be and I wish I could find the email to show you because the reply was hilarious.
The email was filled with spelling errors and although the company claimed to be based in the UK, it was obvious that English wasn't the first language of the person who replied. They kept banging on about how their items were 100% genuine and you get what you see in the picture (even when I could clearly see they had stolen images from other sites). It really worries me that people can get sucked in by this. I however, was going into this with my eyes wide open and thought about it for months before going ahead. My shoes are branded by the company who makes them and came boxed in an ordinary shoe box-they never at any stage claimed to be Miu Miu. They didn't even say 'Miu Miu style shoes'-so it was obvious to anyone that they were not the real thing. To me, this is the same as buying a pair from the high-street and haven't we all done that? My cherry pair from River Island for example, were obviously inspired by the Miu Miu pair, they had a similar look albeit with some differences.
This post has now turned into a debate about counterfeit goods and where you stand on the subject rather than a look at my new shoes but it is an important subject to discuss. So I just want to say, I am tremendously happy with my shoes. I know they aren't the real thing, you now know they aren't the real thing and if anyone asked me, I would be perfectly honest and admit they are not the real thing. I'm not trying to pass them off as Miu Miu (joking around with my Miu Miu boxes aside). I just happen to love the look of the Miu Miu pair and cannot purchase them regardless of money, so felt this was my only alternative. My friend is getting married tomorrow and she told me last month that she had purchased some Louboutin heels for her big day, but that they hadn't arrived. As it had been several weeks, I didn't quite have the heart to tell her that she probably bought fakes. Even if they did arrive after all that time, she would be obliviously showing them off as Louboutins when I would know they aren't...

so my advice is:

• If you want the real deal, please only buy from reputable sites that you know. They are easy to spot. Yes they are expensive, but that's the RRP, that's what you pay for quality goods. If you can't afford it, then these sites do have sales at certain times of the year just like other retailers.


• If the price seems too good to be true, it probably is-do you really want to risk wasting your money on an order that won't turn up or looks like crap?


• But don't assume that expensive=genuine. Some fake Louboutin shoes and Chanel handbags are actually still very expensive, even when they are 2 or 3 seasons old. This is just the company trying to fool you, they know women covet the red soles and quilted bag and are willing to pay ridiculous amounts for them regardless of their authenticity.


• Check the description and photos, are they stolen from another site? If so, you have no idea what the goods will look like until you receive them (if you receive them), it's not worth the risk.


• Who are you trying to fool? If you suspect the goods are fake but still want to go ahead and buy them, is it because you want to fool others into thinking you've bought designer? That's a moral issue you have to deal with yourself.


• Can you spot a fake? There are several things you can look out for, if you are genuinely confused. I mentioned the Anglomania/Melissa Lady Dragon fakes before and there are differences you can spot (in this case the brand image/writing on the insole faces a different way to the genuine article). Bags with plastic covering on the handles are always fake-Miu Miu, Balenciaga, Hermes etc will not cover their handles in cheap plastic packaging.


• Do your research-I see the Lady Dragon shoes on ebay in colours that I know have not been produced. Check the finer details like sequins, beading, jewels, fringing-does it look the same as the expensive designer pair? Even google celebrity images of them wearing the item to check.

I hope this is of use to you and that you understand why I made the decision to buy my shoes. All that matters to me though is that I'm happy with them. I promise loads more pics soon (they really are pretty good). I also bought all 3 styles in 2 sizes because I was unsure of how the sizing would work, so I have some extra pairs that I'm going to sell (it's easier than sending them back). I'm still awaiting another pink swallow pair which were out of stock, but I'm expecting them at the end of the month. I was just going to use ebay, but if there is anyone that is absolutely desperate for these and can't wait until I list them, then email me with your price (I have the black cat size 38, gold daisy 38 and possibly pink swallow 39) or for more info.