May 12, 2011

*SAMPLE SALE* Sole Stampede at Manolo Blahnik

Long time Mizhattan readers know my love for shoes knows no bounds. So, it's no surprise that I woke up bright and early to attend the Manolo Blahnik sample sale. Caffeined-up and phone charged, I made my way towards the Warwick Hotel for the grand-daddy of shoe sample sales.

A little after 7am, I found the banquet room on the 2nd floor of Warwick Hotel chock full of shoppers who shared the same love for Manolos as I did. Around 7:30am, the Manolo staff started distributing tickets--pink for VIPs and green for non-VIPs. Soon after, at exactly 9am, the doors opened for VIP shopping. Although the influx of ladies grew as the time inched towards the public opening, the crowd was very civilized. Most were busy on their smartphones, iPads, and notebooks. As Ms. Fawnia Soo Hoo from Racked pointed out, many people were huddling around the few areas of the room where they could get cell reception. After most of the VIPs were done shopping--which was around 10:30am--employees finally started allowing the first batch of green ticket shoppers to get their Manolo fix.

As you may have expected, the inside of the sale room was chaotic. Ladies were running around trying to find as many pairs of stilettos in their size as possible, while also trying not to lose precious facetime feet-time with the few mirrors placed around the room. Some shoppers chose to create little islands of shoes near the windows so that they could take their time picking & choosing from their initial haul. Sizes ranged from 35 to 42. But for feet 38 or 38.5, the merchandise was limited. On the other hand, 41 & 41.5 were in abundance. I noticed many pairs were from seasons long ago and some of them showed signs of wear. Furthermore, there were more knee high & ankle boots than pumps, sandals, or slingbacks. I know you shouldn't ask for too much at a sample sale where high–end designer shoes start at $96, but compared to the last sample sale, this event didn't quite meet my expectations.

For those lucky enough to find what they were looking for, the good news was that the wait for the cash registers wasn't too bad. In addition, there were plenty of employees constantly trying to tidy things up and keep the mountains of shoes in order. On a final note, prices were slightly cheaper than the last samples sale. Still, I (who was part of first several groups to shop) couldn't find anything nice. This won't deter me from attending the next Manolo Blahnik sample sale--since my love for Manolo stilettos runs so deep--but it would have been nice to pick something up for all my effort. Per usual, the full price list is at the end of this article.

Price list:
Shoes
Plain/Suede/Leather/Satin $96
Shoes with Ornaments $125
Snake Shoes $125
Snake Shoes with Rhinestone Buckle $150
Shoes with Rhinestones $150
Shoes with Large Rhinestones $175
Shoes with Embroidery $125
Lace Shoes $150
Shoes with Gromets $125
Shoes with Chains $150
Shoes with Ostrich Trim $200
Shoes in Sequins $125
Ostrich Shoes $250
Shoes with Alligator Trim $200
Shoes with Lizard Trim $175
Python and Lizard Shoes $250
Python and Lizard Sandals $200
Alligator Thongs $175
Alligator Sandals $250
Alligator Shoes $350
Pony Hair Shoes $125
Eel Shoes $175
Stingray Shoes $150
Heavy Shoes $150

Boots
Sequin Boots-Over the Knee $500
Over the Knee with Astrakhan $500
Fur Boots $500
Over the Knee Snake Boots $500
Over the Knee with Sherling $500
Over the Knee $400
Sherling $400
Mid-Calf Boots and To the Knee $350
Pony Hair Ankle Boots $300
Ankle Boots Snake $300
Lizard Shoe Bootie $300
Gladiator Boot Leather $150
Gladiator Boot Snake/Chains $250
Sandal Bootie $175
Shoe Bootie (Below Ankle) $200
Open Toe Bootie $200
Ankle Boots (At or Above Ankle) $250
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