After seeing ads for Shoedazzle everyday on my facebook wall, I decided to give in and sign up. Shoedazzle a “personalized show club” that promises monthly selections based on your personal style. It was apparently started by Kim Karadishian, but I somehow doubt that she is personally hand-picking your orders.

Signing up for the service takes you to a quiz where you choose your preference between different shoes, celebrities, and runway styles. Some of the choices seem a little arbitrary (a few times I was choosing between two styles and hated both). After the quiz is completed, a “showroom” is created for you featuring shoes based on your style choices.

All of the shoes listed are $39.95: which, with shipping, comes to about $50 Canadian. There are also purses and costume jewellery. The site also offers “dazzledeals”, which are limited-quantity deals offered in a small period of time. Some of the deals are pretty lame (a set of makeup bags for $50? No thanks.) but also a few good ones including a ceramic flatiron and set of gym clothes.

The one slightly sneaky part of the service l is that you need to cancel your order during the first few days of the month or your credit card is automatically charged. This wasn’t a huge issue for me since I’m onlibe every day, but I could see it being a disaster if you forget for 6 months and end up with a $300 charge. The credits can be carried over to future months or used on dazzledeals.

In terms of the shoes, my “showroom” selections have been very hit-and-miss. Some months I find two or three styles I love, but sometimes I don’t like anything. The option to be provided with new styles is available, and a fresh batch of shoes is ready in under 24 hours.

So far out of four months, I’ve ordered two pairs of shoes and canceled two months. The quality of the shoes has been surprisingly good: the materials are man-made but durable, and the shoes are reasonably comfortable.

In summary:

-The heels tend to be pretty high. It’s hard to tell from the photos, so be sure that you check the specs before ordering. A 5-inch heel looks cute in photos, but can be scary once you’re up there.

-You need to go onto the site early in the month, every month. If you don’t want to order, you only have a few days to cancel before your card is charged.

-The quality isn’t *amazing*. The shoes hold up well for indoors and going out, but taking them outdoors too often (especially in Canadian winters) could cause a lot of damage quickly.

-The site can be very slow and laggy at times. I’ve waited up 10 minutes for a page to load.

-There isn’t a way to specify what types of shoes you want (or don’t want) to see. For example, I prefer black and rarely wear peeptoes, but there isn’t the option to remove these from your showroom.

Overall: shoedazzle is a fun service if you have an extra $50 a month and are looking to expand your shoe (or purse) collection. The personalized selection is a fun way to try new styles you wouldn’t typically wear before investing in higher-quality brands. The shoes are more “fun” than “function” but sometimes that’s what shopping is about, right?

Hi, Fashionwest. It’s been a while.

And I’m sorry.

I’ve been under the gun at work, pulling too many hours of overtime and not concentrating on my passions.

I haven’t been able to write much since #DSS2010 but I’m hoping to be pulling a Part II over the Christmas holidays.

On Part 1, I scored a pair of Fergalicious Roughriders and two pairs of Madden Girl heels, a task split between Designer Shoe Warehouse and Famous Footwear.

But the real win came at a Payless Shoe Source in Sandpoint, Idaho.

The Fioni Madge Flat Over the Knee Boots.

They’re black faux-suede and they were on sale for $34.99, down from $59.99. That’s in U.S. dollars, of course. In Canada, we’re probably looking at $70 for the boots. If you’ve seen them at a local Payless for less, let me know.

Over-the-knee boots always conjure images of Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman. She’s uber-slutastic as a down-and-out hooker who has to Sharpie over a spot on her killer patent-leather thigh-highs.

That was in the 1980s and now 20-some years later, we’re bombarded with OTK boots as a sexy, smart addition to any shoe closet.

Within days of returning from #DSS2010, the Stylelist wrote on how average women (read: not supermodels, not hookers and not glamorous Hollywood starlets posing as hookers) can wear the OTK.

I pair mine with a mini dress and patterned tights, or jeggings/leggings and a long shirt. I’d stay away from any blouse that had ruffles, for fear of looking like a pirate and having to end all of my sentences with ‘yarrrrr, matey.’

Probably best to leave the sword and metal hand hook at home for the day, too.