If you want to blame someone for the price of shoes, start with Christian Loubtoutin. In the 2010s the brand was doubling prices as a point of difference and you know what… people still bought them, and other brands followed suit. But the ladies will have their shoes, and the “dupe” economy is alive and well. Your Stylist is occasionally unwise enough to pay full price for the real thing, but I also love a dupe. I wear my shoes hard, and I don’t want to destroy my investments. So today, we’re lining up the best luxe pairs against their under-$200 counterparts for a proper A/B test. Grab your magnifying glasses. This is scientific work.
1. Free People lace top 2. AYR jeans 3. Amazon heels 4. Dorsey earrings in ‘medium’
Clocking in at $1,450, the YSL Dakota slingbacks are surprisingly practical - a low heel, easy to walk in, ideal for a night out. The Amazon version I’m wearing above is $59 and, frankly, dangerously close. If we’re getting granular, the flower has fewer folds, but with no visible logo on the original, this is as close as it gets.
These Tony Bianco sandals are a near perfect stand in for the YSL Gippy Sandal. They’re slightly more comfortable, and the same goes for their version of The Row Bare Sandal:
Alex Mill rugby in small 2. Nike satin shorts in small 3. Steve Madden loafers
There’s a time and place for every shoe and I’m a real walker. I have the YSL loafers, they’re beautiful and the leather is soft, but the Steve Madden version is $119, comfortable, and far less precious. If I’m going to be walking a lot, I reach for those instead. (For reference: I usually wear a 39/9 and take an 8.5 in these.)
The Tony Bianco loafers are, frankly, better than the The Row version. Slightly wider, more comfortable, and easier to actually live in.
These Prada boots are the holy grail city-girl cowboy boot: a tight ankle that works perfectly under jeans and just enough distressing. For a while these Tecovas were the closest alt, until these boots entered the chat.
If The Row boots have been on your wishlist since 2024, try these first. They’re nearly identical (the internet loves a side-by-side) and $129.
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