It was the busiest I’d seen the Dillard’s shoe department in a long time. And only designer Sam Edelman could have drawn such an eager shoe-shopping crowd during a recession.

Booty-shaking music filled the air and tall, gorgeous, smiling models strutted around wearing Sam Edelman wedges and gladiators. The shoe designer himself mingled with appreciative customers and fans and signed their shoes. And I got to speak with Sam’s team of designers, marketers and trend directors. I even got to speak with wife, Libby Edelman, about her own line of shoes, bags and jewelry. But, for this blog post, we’ll focus on Sam.

First, let’s talk about the shoes. One word: gorgeous. Between the embellishments, the height, and the show-stopping designs, I couldn’t stop gasping. Already known for his gladiators, Sam Edelman’s Spring gladiator sandals feature eye-catching embellishments and a look that the Sam Edelman team described as “modern bohemian.”


























I was especially impressed with his lace-up ghillie, which is constructed from soft leather and look comfortable, but oh-so-chic.

I asked about the high-ankle gladiator design, and what tips can be offered to women who are too afraid to try such a fashion-forward look. Sam’s advice: “Try it on. Once you put it on, you’ll see how well this design flatters the ankle and leg.”

“We saw on the runway socks worn with wedges, and we really encourage our customers to experiment with this look,” said Cara, Sam Edelman Trend Director, who sported this innovative and bold look herself. It won me over, and I can’t wait to play with this fashion trend myself.

What can we expect for Fall 2010? “Wood bottoms, suede boots and sexy stilettos,” Cara answered, “And the return of the pointy toe.” I can’t wait!


























You can purchase Sam Edelman shoes at Dillards.com, use the store location system at SamEdelman.com to find a retailer near you or explore the Sam Edelman shoes widget I created below. Be sure to fan Sam Edelman on Facebook and follow the brand on Twitter at Twitter.com/SamEdelmanShoes.

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In fashion, it seems downright chic to have womenswear borrow from menswear, but vice versa really doesn’t seem to ever work. Prime example? These “man”diators (or  “lad”iators as my boyfriend calls them) are absolutely absurd. I recently spotted them in the TopMan section of Topshop, and every guy that I’ve shown them to this past week has essentially responded with “you couldn’t pay me to wear those”. Priced at $60-$70, I have absolutely no clue who will be actually buying them; I mean, check out the colors that they come in!  If they weren’t so large in size they could easily be mistaken for women’s shoes. The only guy that could barely pull these off was Russell Crowe in the movie Gladiator, and I’d like to keep it that way.

- Julia DiNardo