Read my answer in the New York Daily News:

Summer’s blinged-out sandals are ear candy, too

The hottest footwear for the summer is totally blinged out. Thongs are bejeweled and bedazzled, affixed with bells and whistles, and sandals are clunkily buckled up.

“From a trend perspective, accoutrements, bling, tassels, all this stuff hanging off shoes has become hotter and hotter in the last two years for summer,” says Meghan Cleary, shoe expert (missmeghan.com). “I think it’s fun, it’s a little musical and a real light-hearted way to be for summer.”

But as you strut your stuff to work through your marble lobby with your jewel-studded flip-flops, or head down a flight of subway stairs while rocking a pair of jingly-jangly sandals, you might be turning a few more heads than you bargained for. Because all that shoe bling is loud – not just visually, fashionably loud, but aurally, heel-thwacking loud.

“Any time you get into a mule kind of shoe, it’s going to make some noise,” says Cleary. “You’re going to end up clomping around a bit like a horse, whether the heel is high or low.”

For Cleary, whose favorite pair of sandals is a clackity pair of Lucite-heeled Vince Camutos, giving up on noisy sandals is not an option.

Her advice? Embrace the noise!

“It’s a great way to announce your presence in a room, without having to say anything,” says Cleary. “If you’re single, the guys will definitely notice you because they’re forced to pay attention. So it’s a great conversation starter. Any guy that’s got half a bone of humor in his body will ask, ‘What’s the story with those shoes?’”

But if you do find yourself a tad embarrassed by the racket your shoes are making this summer and you refuse to give up your loud sandals, here are a few muffling tips:

“Avoid surfaces that are amplifying,” says Cleary. That means staying away from marble, tile and lacquer. “Wood will absorb the sound a little better,” says Cleary, “but not much.”

And since New York City is lacking in carpeted surfaces, you can also test out your toe-gripping strength to prevent your heels from clacking behind you.

“With the mules and flip-flops, you basically have to clench your entire foot to grip the sandal so that it doesn’t depart from your foot,” says Cleary. “You have to go into that really intense toe grip but, even then, it’s really hard.”

So unless you’re bent on giving your toes a real workout, it’s probably best, when embracing this summer’s hottest sandals, to embrace the noise they bring, too. You never know whose head they’ll turn.

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“A blue pair of Manolo Blahniks have towering role in ‘Sex’
BY MEGHAN CLEARY
Thursday, May 29th 2008

These blue satin Manolo Blahniks are involved in a glass-slipper style plot twist in the film.
Meet the fifth star of “Sex and the City”: she’s tall, bright and blingy. We’re talking about a pair of sky-high blue Manolos that play a ‘big’ role in the new movie, in theaters tomorrow. While Carrie Bradshaw wears everything on her dainty feet from Dior to Proenza Schouler, a pair of satin blue Manolos with a massive silver buckle are the star. The shoes, custom-made by Blahnik for the film, are involved in a glass-slipper style plot twist in the film.
“I love what Manolo made for the movie,” Parker tells In Style. “It’s a beautiful shoe.”
And it can be yours for a paltry $885 on June 9, when an exact replica will be available at Manolo Blahnik’s New York store . This may be the first heel Manolo designed expressly for Carrie and her fan club, but it’s not the first time a shoe has stolen the spotlight in the series. In fact, a pair of strappy, feathered Jimmy Choos that Carrie loses on a ferry in season three were such a hit with viewers, they’re being reintroduced by the brand. For those who can’t get enough SATC shoe nostalgia, consider these highlights in Carrie’s heel history:
THE HAPPY HOOKER
Carrie is at Manolo buying a pair of shoes when her credit card gets rejected. Surprisingly, her friend has just breezed into the store from an extended European vacation, and insists on picking up the tab. Fast-forward a few nights later when Carrie is out wearing the new shoes with her friend and all her Euro-boyfriends. Carrie goes home with one of them, and he tries to leave her money in the morning. Turns out her friend isn’t independently wealthy – she’s a high-class hooker. And Carrie’s Manolos are more of job incentive than gift.
THE CASE OF THE WILTED FEATHER
As Carrie sails through the park with Big in a brand-new pair of hot pink feathered Christian Louboutins, she gets a call from Miranda – she’s in labor. Carrie rushes to the hospital, only to have Miranda’s water break all over her shoes.

THE WOMAN WHO LIVED IN A . . .

On a shopping trip, Carrie stops for a moment to ponder all of her shoe purchases over the years. After a mental audit, it dawns on her. If she had saved all that money instead of spending it on shoes, she would own her apartment. She is literally the woman who lives in her shoe.
DISCORD IN THE HOME, DISCORD IN THE CLOSET
During a terrible fight with Aidan, Carrie comes in to find Aidan’s trusty dog pal, Petey, has gnawed her Manolos – she goes ballistic. This time, the shoes are a talisman to the demise of their romance.

WORK IT GIRL

Selected to walk the Fashion Week runway at Bryant Park Tents, Carrie spies a pair of towering stilettos backstage and tells the stylist, “Put me in the big-girl shoes” with an air of stiletto-wearing confidence. Out on the runway, looking gorgeous and chic, Carrie makes a misstep in her huge shoes and wipes out. But she manages to rise from the catwalk and stroll to triumphant applause.”

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