Well-heeled women step out in fabulous footwear

Buying high-heeled, high-priced footwear becomes a fantastic experience.
KNIGHT RIDDER
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Ever since "Sex and the City" took its final bow in late February, purveyors of high-fashion shoes have been singing the blues.
"'Sex and the City' kicked off this love affair with fabulous shoes. What are we going to do without it?" says Debi Rodi, owner of Heelz, a year-old shoe boutique inside her Nicole Miller store in Winter Park, Fla.
Judging by the way many women have embraced trendy, costly shoes during the past few years, Rodi and other upscale shoe retailers are likely to do just fine. Certainly the HBO series, which debuted in 1998, did much to glamorize high-heeled, high-priced footwear. And Carrie Bradshaw, the show's shoe-obsessed character, helped inspire the desire for flashy, strappy stilettos that cost as much as a month's rent on a studio apartment in Orlando. But "Sex" and Carrie are not the only reasons for the proliferation -- and popularity -- of high-end shoe boutiques in the Orlando area, especially over the last three years.
"Orlando is becoming more fashion-forward," says Willow Shambeck, co-owner of Shou'Ture, a new designer-shoe boutique in Winter Park. "Maybe we owe a little of that to 'Sex and the City' and 'Queer Eye,' which are about upgrading our wardrobes and homes. But basically, Orlando's grown to a point where we're a big city, with a big-city fashion sense." Her customers want the latest looks, and they don't mind footing the bill, says Shambeck, who sold her first pair of $500 shoes on opening day last October.
"A lot of women bond with shoes. They see 'em and have to have 'em," she says. "And these days, more women have their own income. They can afford expensive shoes."
Something special
Women also appreciate the little extras offered at exclusive boutiques such as Shou'Ture: a free pedicure with each purchase exceeding $150; tea or champagne served by Shambeck and her business partner, Melixa Carbonell; and brands such as Lily Holt, Constanca Basto and Hollywould, found nowhere else in town.
"It's not just buying shoes, it's a whole wonderful experience. They treat you like a queen," says Christina Dickson, 53.
"I've never worn heels much, but they're getting me out of my boots and clogs. They're even giving me lessons in how to walk
The prices are high, "but you pay for what you get," Dickson says. But $500 for a pair of shoes? Especially shoes that consist of little more than a couple of straps and a few decorations? There are two reasons for prices that teeter, like stiletto-wearing women, on the point of absurdity, say retailers: quality and style.
There's the quality of the hand-dyed leathers, the real-gemstone accents and the handcrafted detailing. There's also the distinctive styling that turns shoes into look-at-me accessories.
Has a following
If women want nice shoes, and shoes that are a little different, they know they're going to have to pay," says New York designer Bettye Muller. "My designs are eclectic like me -- a little city, a little country, a little rock 'n' roll. You won't find them all over the place. I have a little culty following, and that keeps them special."
A decade ago, well-heeled women in Central Florida had to hunt for designer shoes. They might find a small selection at Dillard's or Jacobson's, but even so, the styling was fairly pedestrian.
High-fashion shoes got a foot in the door in 1996, when Saks Fifth Avenue opened in the Florida Mall, with a shoe department stocked with Gucci, Chanel and Dior.
Six years later, shoe fashion took a giant step forward when Orlando's first Nordstrom welcomed shoppers to its famous shoe departments. Then, within weeks, the Mall at Millenia opened, and shoe enthusiasts trod a path to the doors of boutiques labeled Burberry, Coach, Louis Vuitton and Jimmy Choo -- and to Neiman Marcus, the only store in Orlando to stock Manolo Blahniks.
Shift in fashion
The arrival of high-end shoe shops in the Orlando area coincided with a major shift in fashion away from the minimalist styling of the 1990s -- and toward the all-out glamour epitomized by the "Sex and the City" foursome of Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha. As clothing became more feminine, flirty and colorful, shoes kept pace. Higher heels, thinner straps and flashier embellishments replaced plain-Jane pumps. Even lowly flip-flops were jazzed up with rhinestones, ribbons and $100 price tags.