Designer Shoes

They say if the shoe fits, wear it. And we do. Shoes are especially favored objects in the world of fashion, with the sight of an attractive pair often causing rational thinking to quickly give way to an unshakable urge to buy them. It's no surprise that in luxury boutiques and department stores, shoes usually outsell all other types of accessories.

In shoemaking towns throughout the U.S., France, Italy, and worldwide, factories and workshops crank out brand name creations for the shoe obsessed one pair at a time. Designer shoes are all the rage from run-of-the-mill entry-level lines to major brands that sit atop the footwear hierarchy.

Classical styled high-heel pumps by Manolo Blahnik and Jimmy Choo, objects of desire for many celebrities, start at several hundred dollars and rise into the four figures. Trademark res-soled shoes by Christian Louboutin can easily top $1,000 a pair, with versions in exotic skins approaching the $5,000 range.

Quick Facts

• Jeweler Harry Winston recreated the iconic ruby red slippers from "The Wizard of Oz" in honor of the film's 50th anniversary, adorning them with genuine red rubies. The final cost: $3 million
• In a 2015 Christie's auction benefiting UNICEF, pop star Lady Gaga paid $295,000 for three pairs of designer Alexander McQueen's iconic Armadillo boots from his Spring/Summer 2010 runway show. They were expected to fetch between $30,000 and $45,000
• In 2013, Sotheby's in New York auctioned off a pair of bespoke Christian Louboutin red spiked patent-leather boots for $50,000, beating the $30,000 high estimate