Looking for a good place to buy womens' shoes in NYC.
December 28, 2011 7:44 AM   Subscribe

I'm in NYC, and I want to take my girlfriend shopping for a nice, sexy, classy pair of heels. Think high-quality leather. Only problem? I know nothing about womens' shoes, shopping, or shopping for womens' shoes. Could you recommend some good stores to check out?

Thinking somewhere in the $200 to $250 range. Although obviously I could spend less if there's a great bargain somewhere.
posted by Afroblanco to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (19 answers total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
The shoe section at Barney's would have some nice shoes in that price range, I think.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 7:47 AM on December 28, 2011


Came in to say Barney's too.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 7:49 AM on December 28, 2011


West 8th street between Sixth and University (right off the West 8th stop on the BDFV/ACE) is literally lined with women's shoe stores of varying degrees of quality and classiness. What's nice about those shops is that unlike the big stores, the prices are open to debate. If you're good, you can get a nice, deep discount.
posted by griphus at 7:50 AM on December 28, 2011 [1 favorite]


(However, those stores also cater pretty heavily to the spendthrift NYU crowd, so if you don't have an eye for make quality, you'd probably be better off at a name-brand store.)
posted by griphus at 7:51 AM on December 28, 2011


Barney's on sale is the way to go.
posted by Dragonness at 7:52 AM on December 28, 2011


definitely barney's, maybe soho bloomingdales.
posted by elizardbits at 8:06 AM on December 28, 2011


right off the West 8th stop on the BDFV/ACE

I think you mean the West 4th St. stop?

Anyway, I think Barney's and its ilk are a better bet than near NYU. Especially now that the holidays are over, Barney's and similar stores will likely have marked down their inventory, in order to sell as much as possible before the next quarter starts....
posted by dfriedman at 8:13 AM on December 28, 2011


I think you mean the West 4th St. stop?

Whoops, yeah, that's what I mean. And you've actually got a pretty good point about the inventory as well. I managed a few stores around there and I just remembered how wiped out we were post-Christmas.
posted by griphus at 8:15 AM on December 28, 2011


there might also be some decent sales at bergdorf's but unless she is an unusual size (under 6, 10 and over) all the good stuff could be gone already.
posted by elizardbits at 8:21 AM on December 28, 2011


I think Bergdorfs and Saks have shoe sales right now, though pickings will be slim at this point.
posted by Anima Mundi at 8:21 AM on December 28, 2011 [1 favorite]


When I shop for shoes for my SO, I look at Barneys, Bloomingdales, the 8th street area and SOHO. If you have time for a walk, soho has lots of great smaller shops with great stuff. I also found a few cool shops on third avenue above the 20's.
This time of year, on a budget Barneys or bloomies will be GREAT!
posted by Studiogeek at 8:23 AM on December 28, 2011


I highly recommend Tani on the Upper West Side. They have the best selection of shoes I've seen in a New York City shoe store--I can't ever leave without wanting all of them! There are two locations: one on 72nd street between Columbus and Amsterdam, and the other on Amsterdam and (I think) 70th street.
posted by melancholyplay at 8:31 AM on December 28, 2011 [1 favorite]


If you can get yourselves out to the Nordstrom in Short Hills Mall, go there. I got addicted to the Nordstrom in Seattle because the sales people are super patient and helpful, and the NJ store is just about as good. If don't have access to a car for the drive, you can try the Nordstrom Rack on the south part of Union Square, but there aren't any super helpful sales folks there to assist and the brand selection can be pretty picked over.

Are you looking for a classic pump style shoe? I'm a huge fan of Cole Haan and Taryn Rose, which are a little $$$ but good quality, and much more comfortable than other brands in the same price range.

Honestly, I usually go with Zappos. I like reading the customer reviews, being able to try on shoes at home and walk around with them inside for an hour or two, and the huge selection.
posted by lyra4 at 9:17 AM on December 28, 2011


Try Jeffrey - west 14th between 9th and 10th ave.
posted by spec80 at 9:37 AM on December 28, 2011


The best shoe shopping experience I've ever had (along with the friend who was with me) was at Harry's Shoes, which is right in the heart of Manhattan. A guide book sent us there, and it was much better than I expected. They have a wide variety of shoes (I got some hiking boots, my friend got some amazingly comfortable and unique work pumps), and really knowledgeable and helpful staff. Totally worth the trip.
posted by amtho at 10:16 AM on December 28, 2011


Oh man. Sigerson Morrison. Or Belle by Sigerson Morisson.

Oh oh! Or Kathryn Amberleigh.





*cue me making excited pug noises*
posted by functionequalsform at 11:25 AM on December 28, 2011


Nthing Barneys, Bloomingdale's, and adding Saks and Bergdorf.

If you could discern that your lady friend was interested in a particular brand or type of shoe, you could consider going somewhere more boutique-y, or to a single store. Otherwise, I'd suggest the above. The advantage of going to a fancy department store is that they will have a bazillion different brands and types of shoes available, and usually, sales people who will work with you to help you find what you're looking for. They're even in more or less the same neighborhood, if you decide to go to more than one—though that is pretty exhausting. The downside is that the selection can be overwhelming, and that the sales areas (racks of discounted shoes) are often a jumbly mess.

I'm like the worst ladyface ever, but I like Cole Haan, which has really nice leather goods, and worthwhile sales (you might be able to find an originally $500 pair of shoes for $200, this time of year), and Joan and David, which makes sleek but surprisingly comfortable shoes. Oh, also, don't pop a vein when you see ladyshoes priced over $1,000. It just...I don't know, either.
posted by evidenceofabsence at 3:00 PM on December 28, 2011


I swear I don't work for them, but I do live 72nd street and am a bit obsessed with Tani's shoe selection. Amtho mentioned Harry's Shoes--also a good pick, and on the same block as Tani--but I think of Tani as the shoe store for the serious shoe-lover. They carry obscure cult brands and are ahead of the curve with fashion-forward shoes, whereas Harry's carries all the very popular shoes from the present and yesteryear.

For a really great shoe-shopping experience, I recommend both Tanis on 70th/72nd street (they carry different shoes), and then a stop at the Barney's co-op on 75th-ish and Broadway. There's also a Stuart Weitzman a few doors down from the Barney's on the same block.
posted by melancholyplay at 6:17 PM on December 28, 2011


And on the 8th street note--they carry a lot of the same stock as Harry's, but they're slightly cheaper. I've gotten several staple shoes on the 8th street strip, but the quality isn't as high and the selection isn't nearly as well-curated as what's carried at Barney's or Tani.
posted by melancholyplay at 6:19 PM on December 28, 2011


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