Amanda Posted June 3, 2008 Share Posted June 3, 2008 FYI, I was browsing around a while ago looking for some cheap fun shoes to wear to a party. I looked at a lot of sites and saw what turned out to be pleaser brand shoes over and over again All different prices, some extortionate. This company below (correct me if I'm wrong) deals in pleaser shoes at the cheapest prices in the UK. http://www.adultsonlyclub.co.uk/accessoriesclub/accessoriesclub.htm The service was excellent but the shoes, well I wouldn't wear them anywhere serious. After all they are cheap as chips. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flavio Posted June 3, 2008 Share Posted June 3, 2008 Dear Amanda, I don't think Pleaser's shoes are so bad. They're cheap because are usually man made materials and large scale produced. Of course they aren't like soft leather ones, but I had a pair of pumps that were very good looking, nice shape, 5 inch heels and seemed to have a solid construction. After 3 years of heavy wear, they had no problems at all. Oh, they were very confortable too, Pleaser makes large sizes and their US 14 are true fit. And many thanks for linking the store, I liked a lot. Flavio - Brazilian heel lover, now in France. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Loveshiheels Posted June 3, 2008 Share Posted June 3, 2008 Is just Pleaser shoes you don't like, as The Highest Heel Collection, Ellie and a few other shoe companies, are all made in China and are all about the same quality and about the same price to buy. I have bought from all these companies and have found them all to be good quality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amanda Posted June 3, 2008 Author Share Posted June 3, 2008 I didn't mean to upset anyone by calling pleaser shoes cheap. Though having said that, perhaps you've never experienced quality footwear?. I would recommend it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roz Posted June 3, 2008 Share Posted June 3, 2008 Thanks for the link. I like Pleasers (and Ellies), they're cheap and cheerful. There are few pairs of Pleasers I would wear on a dressy night out, but for the trips to the bar where the shoes could get damaged, they're well up to the job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heelma Posted June 3, 2008 Share Posted June 3, 2008 Giving the current exchange rates, wouldn't it even make sense for folks in the UK to order from the States? Even with shipping costs, this may make a difference. Actually, I was looking at some of the links that some of you from the UK posted here, and I saw basically the same shoes (part. when it comes down to Pleaser and Ellie) for much more money than I would pay here in $. Currently, 1 pound is about $2, so you can divide the $ amount from US sellers in half! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amanda Posted June 3, 2008 Author Share Posted June 3, 2008 Thanks for the link. I like Pleasers (and Ellies), they're cheap and cheerful. There are few pairs of Pleasers I would wear on a dressy night out, but for the trips to the bar where the shoes could get damaged, they're well up to the job. Exactly Roz, not to be worn in broad daylight unless of course one has waking up in some bushes, knickers around ankles with an empty cinzano in hand. Then of course there's little option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Loveshiheels Posted June 3, 2008 Share Posted June 3, 2008 I didn't mean to upset anyone by calling pleaser shoes cheap. Though having said that, perhaps you've never experienced quality footwear?. I would recommend it. What would you call quality footwear Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amanda Posted June 3, 2008 Author Share Posted June 3, 2008 What would you call quality footwear If you're going to buy online then I would recommend this site for quality shoes: http://www.net-a-porter.com/Shop/Shoes The service is second to none and you can get a much clearer picture of what you're buying if you haven't tried them on in a high street shop before browsing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roz Posted June 3, 2008 Share Posted June 3, 2008 Oh no, there are some lovely Louboutins on there. If I finish the night without spending another £500 then I am more disciplined than I give myself credit for! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amanda Posted June 3, 2008 Author Share Posted June 3, 2008 Oh no, there are some lovely Louboutins on there. If I finish the night without spending another £500 then I am more disciplined than I give myself credit for! These just caught my eye....http://www.net-a-porter.com/product/27346# it's a dangerous place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amanda Posted June 3, 2008 Author Share Posted June 3, 2008 Your turn Freddy... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fastfreddy2 Posted June 3, 2008 Share Posted June 3, 2008 What would you call quality footwear The best leather shoes, you can afford. I've never tried to wear plastic shoes all day, but I'd guess it wouldn't be a very pleasant experience..... For us men who might only be wearing heels for a couple of hours on any one day, I'd imagine PU is fine. The plastic ankle boots I walk-out in, always need drying out after I've used them continuously, for the two hours I'm exercising. The boots I keep on all day, have leather uppers or are completely leather. I find Pleaser shoes and boots US10/EU41 are a tad long for my size 8 feet, but come up a bit short on the toe box. I've a few pairs, but not worn any of them. Nine West are my favoured brand. New Look are useful for inexpensive [PU] 'throw-away' styles that fit. I've got some KG ankle boots I bought in the Winter sales. They're so nice to wear and look at, they'll never be worn. I expect I'll mount them in a case, one day..... The Prada's I bought at the same time went back. They were simply too expensive for me to wear. With the exception of the KG shoes which are practically an art form, I can't justify owning shoes/boots I'm not going to wear. [i have 10-20 pairs I have to move on for that reason. All unworn.] I have a fairly expensive mountain bike frame I also intend to mount when I have more room. It's such a pretty object, I could only ever look at it. It's still in the box it arrived in, some 7 years ago. Never let it be said I'm not patient .... .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amanda Posted June 3, 2008 Author Share Posted June 3, 2008 The best leather shoes, you can afford. I've never tried to wear plastic shoes all day, but I'd guess it wouldn't be a very pleasant experience..... I agree, especially you guys with your sweaty feet are bad enough anyway without wearing plastic shoes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bladerunner Posted June 3, 2008 Share Posted June 3, 2008 I love vivienne westwoods shoes and boots,they are soo comfortable..butttt i am looking for some loub's..would love a pair of the boots with the back zip..amanda cool choice in blue! dont have money to burn but quality lasts. I just love those suede heels!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeelD Posted June 3, 2008 Share Posted June 3, 2008 I didn't mean to upset anyone by calling pleaser shoes cheap. Though having said that, perhaps you've never experienced quality footwear?. I would recommend it.Don't worry Amanda, I agree with you. I wouldn't touch Pleaser shoes with a bargepole personally. They don't look very good and don't look comfortable. I prefer the high street for my shoes (although bad shoes can turn up there as well). But I can understand why guys would go to them because of the larger sizes available. Heel-D - Freestyling since 2005 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heelma Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 Oh boy, when I click that link now, it says "sorry, sold out". I guess someone couldn't resist here These just caught my eye....http://www.net-a-porter.com/product/27346# it's a dangerous place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fastfreddy2 Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 Oh boy, when I click that link now, it says "sorry, sold out". I guess someone couldn't resist here I wondered the same thing myself. I've attached some images of 'quality' shoes. Their title explains. They've been included them because I liked the look of them. Thankfully they don't come in my size so I'll be able to sleep tonight. ...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gary0618 Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 But I can understand why guys would go to them because of the larger sizes available. My thoughts exactly. I believe a Lot of Guys would be buying better quality shoes if they were available in larger sizes. As we all know, most brands only go up to US 11 or European 41. Nine West knows that size 12's will sell, and seem to be offering more size 12's every year. Steve Madden even sneaks out a few size 12's once in a while. FLAT SHOES, LIKE FLAT DRINKS, ARE FOR FLAT PEOPLE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amanda Posted June 4, 2008 Author Share Posted June 4, 2008 My thoughts exactly. I believe a Lot of Guys would be buying better quality shoes if they were available in larger sizes. As we all know, most brands only go up to US 11 or European 41. Nine West knows that size 12's will sell, and seem to be offering more size 12's every year. Steve Madden even sneaks out a few size 12's once in a while. The way around the size issue when buying quality shoes is to buy them for your wife or girlfriend instead of yourself, or me even. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amanda Posted June 4, 2008 Author Share Posted June 4, 2008 http://www.elite-heels.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=133 There are some quality shoes. I was buying mary janes from them when I noticed they had large sizes. (Not surprising since I seem to remember picking up that link from this site a while back). I'll try and remember in future, when shopping to note any sites stocking large sizes and paste a link in the "Size large please" thread along with all the ones you found. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benno Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 I just found the website below. I have no idea what they are like, but I figured that it would allow us in the UK to purchase shoes from Zappos.com and others that don't ship to non US/Canadian residents. shopanyamericanstore.com Cheers, Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heelma Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 To follow up my previous post that the same exact shoes are so much cheaper in the US than apparently in the UK, take this example: http://www.sexyshoes.co.uk/seduce-420.html These are listed as £39.99 on this website. Now look at this website: http://www.spadedlady.com/item--PL-SEDUCE-420-5-In.-Classic-Pump.-S--PL-SEDUCE-420.html Here, they are $19.99 ! That's just ~ £10! This is a shoe that can be found from many, many sellers in the US, and the prices range from $20 to $40 (£10 - £20). The same should be true for many other shoes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeVibertUK Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 I just found the website below. I have no idea what they are like, but I figured that it would allow us in the UK to purchase shoes from Zappos.com and others that don't ship to non US/Canadian residents. shopanyamericanstore.com Cheers, Ben Great link and certainly handy for getting items of Zappos...if you dont have a proxy buyer in the states. Biggest (predictable) problem is the handling fee....standard delivery/handling $72... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heelma Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 Biggest (predictable) problem is the handling fee....standard delivery/handling $72... That is ridiculous! On http://www.usps.com , you can calculate postage for boxes from the US to the UK. For a 3 lb package (some shoes could be more though, particularly with PF), a "First-Class Mail® International Package" is $23.50. Even a "Priority Mail® International Flat-Rate Box" with a delivery time of 6-10 days is only $38.50 (and $37.00 when postage is ordered online). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fastfreddy2 Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 A word to the wise about US imports (of shoes) ..... I've just brought in 7 pairs, with mixed success. My story ..... I have a buddy in the US who is willing to ship to me, provided I don't "go nuts". [He probably thinks the 6 pairs he sent was fairly weird though.] He sent 3 lots of 2 pairs, to keep the price of each package under the VAT/Duty theshold. The US shippers I spoke to won't send as gifts (rightly so, as this would be illegal on both sides of the pond) and they won't falsify the shipped 'value' for the same reason. Me shipping 4 packages was expensive, but there was a saving as I managed to legally get under the VAT/Duty theshold for each package. Costs of 1 box/pair of boots was typically $40+ from a commerical outlet with Fedex, and $30+ extra for each additional pair shipped on the same order. I got charged much less for for 1 box/two pairs from my buddy who used USPS <he didn't add anything for himself either.> If any 2 pairs were shipped from a commercial outlet, the carriage alone would have been over $70. If the shipped value is over $70 you are maybe going to get an invoice/charge for (a) VAT+Duty and ( handling fees from the importer. These can be circa £15 from Parcel Force and £25 from the others [ie DHL]. So having to pay Duties, can be a double wammy. Because the shoes/boots I bought were low value, and carriage charges weren't included in the declared 'goods value', I missed both Duties and importer handling charges. (So far anyway. It wouldn't be the first time DHL sent an invoice 3 months after a delivery.) The pair that were delivered on their own, came from a company that doesn't allow 'returns' from international deliveries, at all. Thankfully the boots fit, though they are snug. [Which if I'm honest, I like.] Of the others: 2 pairs fit perfectly. [One of which I'm going to try to buy a 2nd pair.] 1 more pair are also a bit 'snug', but these are 'posing' boots as they have a 5" heel. I can tolerate boots perhaps 1/2 a size small as long as I don't walk far in them..... 1 pair fit, but have an unusually long toe-box, super comfortable, but might actually be a larger size. [Jury is still out on these.] 1 pair are definitely a whole size too small. So, of 7 pairs, only 2 would have been confirmed purchases if I'd tried them on in UK shops. Of the others, 5 pairs either can't be returned or returning them would be as expensive as the credit value of the boot. Meaning, if I threw them in the bin, I'd be no better or worse off than returning them..... So I've at least one pair, possibly two I'll be offering for sale here, (then eBay if they don't go). It's been an interesting exercise, which I might repeat next year as I've begun to build up experience of brand sizing. None of these items came from regular suppliers of Pleaser shoes. These purchases were much more mainstream, though every pair had at least a 4" heel. The 5" heel pair came with a modest platform, but they still have a minimum rise of 4 1/4" and feel closer to 4 1/2". The reason for price differences in the US maybe the market is 5 times larger, and from what I know of US commerce, they operate on thinner margins than us Europeans. I guess they make their living based on a higher quantity of sales? Anyway, hope this helps. .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heelma Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 The pair that were delivered on their own, came from a company that doesn't allow 'returns' from international deliveries, at all. Thankfully the boots fit, though they are snug. [Which if I'm honest, I like.] Of the others: 2 pairs fit perfectly. [One of which I'm going to try to buy a 2nd pair.] 1 more pair are also a bit 'snug', but these are 'posing' boots as they have a 5" heel. I can tolerate boots perhaps 1/2 a size small as long as I don't walk far in them..... 1 pair fit, but have an unusually long toe-box, super comfortable, but might actually be a larger size. [Jury is still out on these.] 1 pair are definitely a whole size too small. So, of 7 pairs, only 2 would have been confirmed purchases if I'd tried them on in UK shops. Of the others, 5 pairs either can't be returned or returning them would be as expensive as the credit value of the boot. Meaning, if I threw them in the bin, I'd be no better or worse off than returning them..... So I've at least one pair, possibly two I'll be offering for sale here, (then eBay if they don't go). It's been an interesting exercise, which I might repeat next year as I've begun to build up experience of brand sizing. Returning is never worth it for the shoes I order for me - they are always $40, maybe $50 at most. When it comes down to really high quality stuff (only orders for my wife), then I make sure returns are no problem. For my shoes, I rather search for the cheapest seller than for the one with the best return option; it's simply not worth it. More important though is to pay with a credit card that offers "insurance" for non-delivered items. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roniheels Posted June 7, 2008 Share Posted June 7, 2008 I love ellie and pleasers and they fit me so good. I've had mixed luck with mail order. I would rather go into a store, try them on, then decide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Loveshiheels Posted June 8, 2008 Share Posted June 8, 2008 I can,t see the point in paying out £300 or more for a pair of heels, I would be wasting my money. I find paying £30 for a pair of heels made in China is all I need to spend. If I had a chance to go into shops and try a few pairs on then I might be willing to spend more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fastfreddy2 Posted June 10, 2008 Share Posted June 10, 2008 A word to the wise about US imports (of shoes) ..... He sent 3 lots of 2 pairs, to keep the price of each package under the VAT/Duty theshold. The US shippers I spoke to won't send as gifts (rightly so, as this would be illegal on both sides of the pond) and they won't falsify the shipped 'value' for the same reason. Me shipping 4 packages was expensive, but there was a saving as I managed to legally get under the VAT/Duty theshold for each package. ..... If the shipped value is over $70 you are maybe going to get an invoice/charge for (a) VAT+Duty and ( handling fees from the importer. These can be circa £15 from Parcel Force and £25 from the others [ie DHL]. So having to pay Duties, can be a double wammy. Because the shoes/boots I bought were low value, and carriage charges weren't included in the declared 'goods value', I missed both Duties and importer handling charges. (So far anyway. It wouldn't be the first time DHL sent an invoice 3 months after a delivery.) Update: The pair of boots I bought from Grapevinehill were a tad under $100 delivered. The actual "value" of the goods were £28, under the charging theshold!! I've an invoice arrived from Fedex today for £21. Of that £15 was "duties" [on a £50 invoice that included carriage ] and they added a £6 charge for handling. [aka paying the VAT for me.] Am I upset? You bet. ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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