Nov 4, 2015

*SAMPLE SALE* Sole Survivor

The fall 2015 Manolo Blahnik sample sale kicked off today morning at their usual spot inside the Warwick Hotel. Open to the brand's die-hard followers (VIPs and non-VIPs alike), I swung by the sale and discovered some good news and bad. So, let's get started with the review.

Since this sample sale is for one day only, and similarly to this year's May sale report, this article is written for posterity purposes and as a post-sale forum where fellow Mizhattanites can share and discuss your experience and insight from today's event.

When I arrived at the sale this morning there was absolutely no line to enter. This was quite the contrary to their last sale in May. However, once inside the 2nd floor conference room, I found the usual commotion that comes with any Manolo bargain event. Mounds of designer shoes wrapped inside plastic zipper bags were strewn across the tops of tables and shoppers were busily picking their way through the piles and staking their claim.

Starting with the bad news I hinted at earlier, markdowns weren't as good as previous Manolo sales (read: no more $100 shoes). Instead, basic styles were priced $125 and therefore all footwear was now taxed. As for other price points, exotics were $150~$250, alligator skins were $250~$400, and boots/booties were $200~$550. One other bad news worth mentioning is that this fall's inventory was definitely less when compared to the past. It's most probably because there were a handful of shoppers taking advantage of the no purchase limit and buying up as many shoes as humanly possible. But, one might also argue that since Manolo Blahnik is having multiple sample sales this fall (some for charity), their NYC event has to have less inventory to sell. However, the latter of these two reasonings stands on shaky ground as the Connecticut sample sale has been going on since 2011.

The good news (if you were one of the first inside) was the fact that the selection remained above par. Sizes were available from 35 through 42 and, like a modern day version of gold panning, there were still many gorgeous pumps, flats, and sandals hiding inside the heaps of shoes. You only had to dig and have a good pair of eyes. Heck, I even found a pair of lavender Hangisi pumps, Chaos sandals in leopard, and BB pumps in snakeskin.

As a final reminder, if you made it to the sale today, please share your experience in the comment section below and let me know if you snagged anything you want to brag about.

Price list:
Plain shoes $125/$150/$175
Exotic trim $150/$200
Exotic all-over $175/$250
Exotic ornament $200
Alligator trim pumps $250
Alligator sandals $300
Alligator $400
Below ankle boots $200/$300/$400
Ankle boots $250/$350/$450
Mid-calf boots $300/$400/$500
Knee boots $350/$450/$550
Above knee boots $400/$500

11 comments:

  1. Dear Miz - THANK YOU for posting the initial sale info! I arrived around 12:20, waited an hour, and was in around 1:20. It was definitely picked over, with most of the styles definitely not being something I'd wear out on the town, but I did manage to find two pair for my upcoming wedding, both snake skin. 1 pair white snakeskin bbs and the other a silver snakeskin milas. For whatever reason I was charged for one pair at $136 and the other $163 [with tax]. When I left the sizes with the best selection were 37+.

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    1. Thank you for sharing your experience! BIG BIG congratulations on your upcoming nuptials!!

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  2. These prices seem comparable to what I can find in department store outlets during sales

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  3. Thankful that I had my notifications turned on for my twitter account for your tweets Miz as I would have missed this "surprise" sale. First Blahnik sale I have gone to where I did not have to wake up before the crack of dawn or get a number and keep coming back. I wished I took my "early lunch" earlier as I know I would have found some gems BUT glad I didn't as I would not have had any restraint for my purchases. I am a 37 and I still had to fish for a cute pair. I scored a black/grey/white fabric bb & snakeskin (same shoe in your photo.) bb. I saw some black bb's with a top strap (not in my size), neon green and orange bb's (loved them but could not really justify the purchase) and a couple of cute sandals. Thank goodness I saw one of the workers and asked him to show me the shoes in his hand before he put them on the table. Otherwise, the snakes would not have been mine.

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    1. Hi harlem77,

      That's quite the score! Thank you for sharing. Hope you enjoy your new BBs!!

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    2. hi mizhattan and harlem77 -- were there just simple black and nude BBs? in 37, 37.5 or 38?

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    3. Thanks Miz. The shoe gods were looking out for me today :) Not sure Anonymous. I stayed in the 37 & 37.5 and did not see simple/basic black or beige as I would have purchased those first. I did see a lady trying on an emerald green bb w/ornament that were GORG in the 42's when I was using the mirror in that area when I was trying on my shoes.

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  4. Like Miz wrote the sale was only good if you got there in the morning but not as spectacular as in past years. I managed to come out with 3: a bb, a hangisi, a carolyne

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  5. whatsapp the size of purple hangisi. thanks

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  6. Is the sample sale still going on for today?

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