Cheryl Shops

My love affair with designer shoes began in the summer of 2000, when I walked into the Sigerson Morrison store in Nolita. I walked out with a pair of purple metallic stilettos (which I still own) and a new favorite shoe brand. I've been a loyal Sigerson Morrison customer ever since; I'd say I average a pair a season of shoes from either their namesake line, or from Belle, their lower-priced line. What I love about their shoes is that they're minimal and chic but interesting, and--key when you live in NYC--you can always walk in them. They're not the sexiest in my closet, but they're the ones I find myself turning to again and again, and as noted earlier, they last forever, a quality amplified by the fact that they're not too overtly trendy. But, alas, all good things must come to an end. Sigerson Morrison the brand will live on, but founders Kari Sigerson and Miranda Morrison are leaving the company [subscription required]. The duo actually sold the company to Marc Fisher Footwear five years ago but has since stayed on as creative directors; according to the above article, they were shown the door on Monday. And according to this article [subscription required], Marc Fisher is looking to revamp the brand, bring in a new creative team, and likely lower price points. I'm going to try to keep an open mind about all of this, but considering how much love I have for Sigerson Morrison, Marc Fisher has some, ahem, big shoes to fill.

The founders' last collection for Sigerson Morrision will be the fall 2011 line, so I'm taking that as an excuse to snap up as many pairs of shoes by them as I can. I'm going to start with these bone white sandals, which you have likely already seen in umpteen fashion magazines this spring. I love the chunky, sturdy heel and the overall mod look--they're the perfect summer sandal, especially if you want something more sophisticated. I promise to love, honor, cherish, and resole them to make them last forever. 

In what is definitely the best news I've heard today, I got an email from one of my favorite shoe lines, Sigerson Morrison, announcing that Jane Mayle is designing a capsule collection for their Upper East Side store. Let me reiterate: JANE MAYLE IS BACK! The collection will include over 30 pieces--coats, dresses, handbags, and boots--and will hit their 19 E. 71st Street store on September 22nd. Consider your calendar marked.

MasstigeWatch!
Target is proving to be the masstige power to be reckoned with: They've got bags by Monica Botkier in the pipeline, and now they've announced they're rolling out a one-two punch of Anya Hindmarch bags and Sigerson Morrison shoes, dropping October 12th. All of these names are very impressive, of course (Sigerson Morrison is, hands down, my favorite shoe brand), however, I've said it several times and I'll say it again: It's hard to reproduce designer bags and shoes at Target prices. In other words, I'm nervous. Case in point, the Cut also has photos of the upcoming Botkier collection, and all I have to say is: meh. I think these two, at right, are the best of the bunch, but that's not saying a whole lot. Botkier hits stores July 21st; maybe it'll look better in person?