High end women`s heels vs men`s shoes

...they are men's shoes with (low) heels.... I would rather prefer badly constructed but sexy looking shoes on my girl...

Originally Posted by Reevolving

Click to expand...

Is there actually a women's shoe brand that is legitimately superior in terms of leather, construction, etc? And therefore, easier to justify the cost?
Bally makes some good shoes for women, albeit rather thin, and for boots at least they have Frye.

Originally Posted by P-K-L

Click to expand...

...they are men's shoes with (low) heels.... I would rather prefer badly constructed but sexy looking shoes on my girl...
She likes them for work. The heels still give the desired tone to her calves and wiggle to her walk. OTOH, she certainly has no plans to replace her shoe collection with dozens of these. They have their place. I do find some of the Northampton makers women's shoes too masculine.

Originally Posted by DWFII

Click to expand...

I've never seen a pair, at any price range, But all the women's "fashion" shoes are made pretty much the same way.
Is there a particularly "high end" fashion brand that is significantly inferior to the rest? ie: The worst value in the bunch.

Originally Posted by Reevolving

Click to expand...

Is there a particularly "high end" fashion brand that is significantly inferior to the rest? ie: The worst value in the bunch.
I honestly don't know...I make boots and men's dress shoes. Shoemaking has, since time out of mind, been more or less divided between those who did men's work and those who did women's work. (This has it roots in the kinds of materials that were used to make men's shoes and the kinds of materials used to make women's shoes--it was a matter of cleanliness.) Today, premier firms might have separate divisions but as afar as I know the makers themselves still don't ordinarily cross the line. I've looked at many pairs women's shoes and talked to people who make women's shoes as their specailty...and I bring a pretty high level of insight and knowledge to the examination. But, truth to tell, I really don't care enough about women's shoes to pursue it further.

Originally Posted by KObalto

Click to expand...

I went shoe shopping for myself in Paris recently with the wife in tow. I wound up buying nothing, she got a pair of lace-up calfskin Carmina heels. They look to be quite well made and she loves them. I think they were 250 Euros before VAT refund.

They're the brown ones 5th from the left on the 2d row.
Picture stolen from w.o.e.'s excellent photo essay on Carmina's Paris shop:
http://www.styleforum.net/showthread.php?t=241469

The green suede ones
Just got to know this brand,awesome shoes...how much approximately do they cost?

Originally Posted by IsteRed

Click to expand...

The green suede ones

Just got to know this brand,awesome shoes...how much approximately do they cost?

The men's in calfskin were about 315 euros, I think the boots were about 400. If you're not an EU resident, you get a VAT refund of 12.5%. Unfortunately, the shoes I liked were not available in my size. They appeared to be very well-made and the price quite reasonable.

Originally Posted by KObalto

Click to expand...

The men's in calfskin were about 315 euros, I think the boots were about 400. If you're not an EU resident, you get a VAT refund of 12.5%. Unfortunately, the shoes I liked were not available in my size.

They appeared to be very well-made and the price quite reasonable.

Well priced,just checked their website they only have stores in Spain and Paris and i'm not planning on going there any time soon
They just have to open a store in Italy by the end of this month!

Originally Posted by Reevolving

Click to expand...

Is there actually a women's shoe brand that is legitimately superior in terms of leather, construction, etc? And therefore, easier to justify the cost?

Not fashion forward but pretty well made:
http://www.church-footwear.com/churchs.html

Originally Posted by Nick V.

Click to expand...

Not fashion forward but pretty well made:
http://www.church-footwear.com/churchs.html

That website can use a bit of work...

Are there any EE or EEE heels for women that actually have a wider sole instead of just a longer strap?

Well, its really not a great comparison. There are 2 reasons why shoes/a Brand are expensive: 1. A fashion Brand name (Gucci, Prada, Ferragamo, Tods etc). 2. A Name that represents quality (JL, EG, Vass, Alfred Sargent etc).
Comparing Louboutins for women would be like Ferragamo or Gucci for men. There is no real "quality factor" like a goodyear welt or redenbach soles, as much as it is just more fashion forward

Originally Posted by LaymanX

Click to expand...

Just received a gorgeous pair of AEs (thanks allaboutshoes!),

And your welcome! Hope you enjoy them as much as your wife can enjoy her Louboutins

Crossing over from another thread...

I'm doing some research on a bespoke shoemaker, and found this article that showed a woman's high heels as an example of his work. Does this mean that decent shoes for women are strictly bespoke territory?

This is a tough question. Generally, it depends upon the occasion.
At work I always wear men's shoes, and also around the children. Salt Lake City strictly men’s shoes, but in San Francisco you are sure to be more comfortable in high end women's heals, particularly on Polk Street, where it is pretty much expected. In fact, Polk street is about the only place to find a nice pair of high heals in a men's size 13. However, these are probably gum construction since neither Churches nor Carmina seems to have shoes this size, nor anywhere near this size, which is really a shame since there would be a lot of customers here.

I disagree with the previous poster that said gum construction was really not an issue with women's shoes because they don't walk much in them. Sure, I'd like to spend more time on my back, but here in San Francisco there is quite a bit of competition, on Friday nights it seems that half the male population is out in high heals, and a lot of walking is required to make a buck. Hope this helps.

Edit-Just received a PM that I misunderstood the question, sorry about that.