After a lot of hype and some waiting and delays, Stiletto Moody released her new shoes and boots, for Generation 2. I’m not sure what exactly makes them Generation 2, but that’s not the point. When I heard what the prices were for these, my jaw dropped and I could not believe that any one pair of shoes could cost so much. The only way I’d EVER consider spending so much for a pair of shoes in SL is if they were colour-changeable (like a slimmed-down fatpack). But, they’re not that. It’s one colour with a bunch of different options, most of which are wretched and should be immediately turned off (bling, heel-click sounds and a sexy walk). The only thing that I like is that they have an auto-upgrade feature built in, but even that is not worth the excessively high price tag - Akeyo has the same things for their shoes, and they are colour-changeable with tons of options for less than half the price.
I should mention that I do have some of Stiletto Moody’s shoes that I’ve picked up as part of the 40% off sale of last season’s stock. I think the idea of “seasons” in SL is a bit weird for shoes, since they look like the same sort of thing to me, but at 40% off, the price is a lot more reasonable and starts to approach what they should be selling for.
Rather than just make a post about how much I think this is total crap, and overpriced hype that everyone should boycott until their prices fall more in line with others making shoes that are similar or better in quality, I decided it’d be more productive (and more fun) to show off some shoes by other creators who are doing AMAZING work in sculpted shoes, and not charging an arm and a leg for them.
J’s new Cross Belt pumps are L$350 per pair, or L$1200 for a fatpack of six colours. J’s has made a big splash in the shoe world as of late, because of his optional sculpted toes that are included. Usually, there are two versions of each shoe so you can either choose the toes or not, with only a small additional charge for the toes.
Personally, the toes kinda creep me out. I can see that they do look better in some ways, but in others…it’s just too weird. Why is it so weird for me? I dunno. I don’t have prim manicures either. But these newest shoes were only available with the sculpted toes, so I got them, and okay, I can see the appeal. My feet look pretty cute. I know that tons of people are loving these, and for only L$350 per pair, it’s a pretty rockin’ deal.
Kitties Lair has been another shoe designer I’m liking a lot lately too. At L$290 per pair for her newest “Anita” heels, they’re obviously fairly priced, when you consider the average price of sculpted shoes in SL. They’re well-made and fit your feet really well. Shoes that do not hug the foot well is one of my big pet peeves with shoes here, and can make me hate even a really nice pair of shoes. They have a bling option which you can turn off with a menu, and the nice thing about them is that once you turn them off once, you don’t have to do so every time you wear them.
Maitreya’s Frenzy shoes are some of her latest releases and are L$400 per pair. There are so many colours and options available that there are four separate fatpacks at L$1500 each. These are hot hot shoes, and Maitreya’s quality is bar none. Onyx and Beau make some of my favourite shoes, and if I’m ever searching for a pair of shoes for an outfit, chances are Maitreya made something perfect to match.
Shiny Things’ Fallingwater Cellardoor’s work is, in a word, amazing. Her shoes and boots are of the highest quality and very recognizable as Shiny Things, which I think is an excellent thing. The Belles debuted at the Shoe Expo last month, and they sell for L$350 each. These are some of my favourite shoes right now and my only beef (besides the no fatpacks thing) is that they don’t come in more colours!
I should mention that all of the above designers, except Stiletto Moody, offer demos of their products. So you can actually see what they look like on your feet before you sink your hard-earned money into them. Gee, you’d think charging so much for a pair of shoes would allow you to make a demo for your customers, wouldn’t you?
So there you have it. Four different designers whose work is as good as or better than the shoes you’ll find at Stiletto Moody’s store, for a fraction of the cost. There is NO REASON for shoes to be so expensive in SL. And thankfully, the other designers are not pricing themselves as high just because SM does.
by Lourdes, on 08.08.08 @ 12:59 pm
<3
But the good thing is I can finally get the gladiator sandals at a somewhat reasonable price. Thank you so much girl for saying what others have thought but didn’t have to guts to blog publicly.
by Marly, on 08.08.08 @ 1:23 pm
Phoenix, you have just written what I have been thinking ever since Moody hit the “sl shoe scene”.
*pounces on you and hugs you tight*
You’re my hero!
OXOX
P.S. I *heart* Fallingwater. She’s dreamy.
by Sammmy, on 08.08.08 @ 1:26 pm
100% totally agree. Awesome story.
by Dove Swanson, on 08.08.08 @ 1:26 pm
I’m also glad someone said this. I don’t own any Moody’s …they’re not my style and even if they were, I wouldn’t pay that much for them.
Even the people I know who are huge Moody fans, their most common statement is the same as your’s Phoenix: “I had to wait and buy them on sale, but I love them!” and second most common is: “They were bought as a gift for me.”
That has to tell you something.
I just want to say thanks to the other amazing shoe designers/creators out there who are NOT following this trend. You will always have my business! <3
by Phoenix Chapman, on 08.08.08 @ 1:30 pm
I wouldn’t even say that I *love* the Stiletto Moody shoes I did buy on sale, but they’re not bad. I have some that I mistakenly bought at one of the previous releases of new shoes (at full price - I didn’t realize they weren’t part of the sale), and I hardly ever wear them.
by Ana Lutetia, on 08.08.08 @ 1:33 pm
Excellent post! I agree with you in every word you wrote about Stiletto Moody. I was at the store once and when I look at the prices I TPed home. They are excessively over-priced and I prefer to support content creators that have a more balanced quality/price offer. Heck - I do the same in RL! There’s a shop with cute clothes I only visit in sales time because they over-priced their stuff and the quality and designs doesn’t justify the prices.
Thank you for showing the other options. I never been to Kittie’s Lair and now you made me curious about it. Guess what I am going to do tonight…?
You rock, Phoe!! <3
by NyxDivine, on 08.08.08 @ 1:41 pm
Ab-so-FREAKING-lutely!
There was a blog recently about exactly this topic and I posted my thoughts. And yes Stiletto Moody was the #1 overpriced shop that I was thinking of.
Thank You for having more balls than I did and naming and shaming.
And the no DEMO thing…I’m w/ you on that as well.
I have no plans on buying shoes from Stiletto Moody, sale or no sale.
by Vaalith Jinn, on 08.08.08 @ 1:41 pm
wow..
Any semi-experienced 3d modeler could make the 1.5k boots (in the first picture)
in a span of half an hour of slow work, not to mention that the texturing
is horrid.
I don’t know but this overpriced crap kind of reminds me of:
http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/08/07/iphone-loser-stung-1000-joke
by marni-The Shoe Whore- grut, on 08.08.08 @ 1:42 pm
i could agree more, in fact i bought two pairs in the sale and had to complain about one pair b/e they were no mod and for some reason my size 0 feet just stuck thorugh them…… (didnt matter the sim ect it was the shoes)
i was given a refund but it just made me think how much id payed evn in the sale, and i barely wear them.
SM shoes seem to be popular in a certain crowd(im guess a somwhat wealthy one). They seem to have the niche and im just glad this hasnt infulenced other designer to jack up prices.
the best summer sandeles iv ever found were from a store called G Feild well worth looking at!
by Kristi Maurer, on 08.08.08 @ 1:44 pm
Pheonix, I couldn’t agree more. I don’t understand why people are flocking to pay that insane amount for something they can get cheaper elsewhere! I do not own any Moody shoes, and I probably never will. I would much rather shop at Maitreya, or Storm Schmooz or any of the other places you’ve mentioned. The prices are better, the quality is just as good, if not better, and the designers are all sweet. And the no demo thing? That’s just ridiculous. I wouldn’t pay 200L for a shoe I couldn’t demo, let alone 1000!
Thank you for saying what we’ve all been thinking. *bows down to you*
by CK Winx, on 08.08.08 @ 1:46 pm
yep that is too expensive.. and J’s so much better.. aww with toes omg i love the new pumps
i mean where Stiletto moody was new was it ok, because no one had sculpted shoes and she had give by her first opening a discount. but now.. look J’s, onyx shoes etc. much better and so much cheaper rrr
a absolutly NO GO for me… and sry for the bad english xD
by Milla Michinaga, on 08.08.08 @ 1:50 pm
Excellent post, Phoenix
Personally I really love the new toes from J’s - so pretty! But I agree totally on the “hugging of the foot” issue :)) — many shoes look clumsy from the front. My absolute favorite shoes are still from Maitreya as they fulfill all my “criteria” of design, technique and texture.
Stiletto Moody make beautiful shoes, no argument there, but like you say, the prices are just out there…. however, having said that, I still buy SOME of them, but I would probably buy ALL of them if the prices were more reasonable… My biggest complaint about Stiletto though is the lack of demos! At that price its simply shocking. I had some conversation with Stiletto Moody and her team in an old post here: http://michami.net/blog/2007/10/26/red-rock/
by Annyka, on 08.08.08 @ 1:52 pm
Does she at least offer demos now? Last time I was there, she didnt even have demos available! Though she did have store models on hand who helpfully offered to model any shoe for me. “uh, thanks, but for 900L, I better at least be able to try them on MY OWN FOOT first!”
Personally, Stilettos aren’t really my taste, though I do think they are beautifully made, and I’d buy them for the craftsmanship alone if they were a realistic price. I can even forgive them being expensive, if they were around 500L a pair or so, but 1000 - 1500L? That’s just nuts.
by Phoenix Chapman, on 08.08.08 @ 1:54 pm
Demos are still not offered, no.
I think they’re pretty enough shoes, but they do not fit all of the criteria that Milla mentioned (<3) - I have the exact same criteria she has.
by Annyka, on 08.08.08 @ 1:59 pm
@ Vaalith: Let’s try not to get carried away, huh? The shoes are horribly overpriced, yes. But they ARE very well made. Among the best in SL. Not THE best, but definitely near the top of the class. Still, that doesnt justify the price.
by Sally, on 08.08.08 @ 2:05 pm
Interesting.
I do not have a second life account, but I am a ’shoe lover’ and stumbled on your blog as I blog for shoes regularly. The little I know about second life tells me it probably has a market similar to the real world. looking at the images, despite the x’s, I see shoes of high quality and then below ones of lesser quality at lesser prices.
In the real world, I would happily pay over $700-1000 US for a pair of Jimmy Choo’s, Blahnik’s or Louboutin’s and they easily cost that much, similarly I might get a pair of no-name shoes from Walmart for $20, so why does everyone here seem to expect that second life does not have both high end and cheap shoes?
It seems to me that this person offers a much different product from the usual, or are all things on that game supposed to be cheap? If this person Stiletto Moody jumped in and is successful then it is purely your second life market at work.
by autumn hykova, on 08.08.08 @ 2:05 pm
oh wow, I thought I was the only one who felt this way. They’re not really my style anyway, but CERTAINLY not for that price, even if I thought they were the best thing since SL-iced bread. Ridonkulous.
And clacky shoes? Why is it that I only seam to hear clacky shoes in already lag-filled places? They make me insane and they sound like horses. Nuff said. :p
by Phoenix Chapman, on 08.08.08 @ 2:08 pm
@ Sally
Since you don’t have an SL account, it’s hard to explain. The texturing may be different from shoe to shoe, but that has *nothing* to do with quality of the shoes. All of the shoes are made in similar ways with 3D programs, and other shoes are of higher quality in that way.
The texturing of the shoes are not worth the extra price tag, by far.
by CeN, on 08.08.08 @ 2:09 pm
Way out of my price range, but I’m probably not the target audience living on a budget as I do. My concern is that instead of the prices coming down at Moody, others will go up thinking that “Well if they can do it, I will to”
by Phoenix Chapman, on 08.08.08 @ 2:11 pm
Nope, I’ve had conversations with other designers of sculpted shoes, some of them featured here, and their shoes will not go that high.
by marni-The Shoe Whore- grut, on 08.08.08 @ 4:12 pm
OMG i just read the comments on millas blog post……
that makes me want to shop there even less
“Several of you mention that the prices of the Stiletto Moody shoes are ridiculously high. While this is, obviously, personal judgment dictated by the generosity of one’s pocket…” - Irene Reinard
“But I do want to give you, hopefully, one item of good news that might brighten your, apparently, financially gloomy fashionista moods” - Irene Reinard
Thats was a customer service rep
also she claimed there would be a diffusion line (lower prices more casual)
ummm
nadda
by Torrid, on 08.08.08 @ 4:30 pm
I wasn’t going to say anything because usually I avoid ranting in comments but I had to speak up here.
Shiny Things, Maitreya, Armidi, Tesla, and others mentioned are amazing shoe designers and are of the *highest* quality. To even try and state that SM shoes are better and therefore worth more than double the price these other designers charge is insane.
Sit out some of these shoes in world and just take a look at the attention to detail. For instance, Fally’s recent release, the belles, are gorgeous! If you look inside the shoe you’ll even see that there’s a shadow from the strap. I mean come on!
I’m perfectly thrilled with my shoe collection from these awesome folks tyvm. Oh, I did think of why I might pay over L$1k for a pair of shoes and that is if one of my favorite designers created a limited edition. I’m a sucker for those :P.
by Nimil, on 08.08.08 @ 4:37 pm
i totally agree with you. i got a pair of SM’s recently as a rezday present from my sister and first of all.. i look like a kid in her mum’s dressy pumps in them… i am short..but i’ve never had shoes do that! i will admit the moody shoes are very pretty and nicely made, but i really don’t see the need for the giant price tag… seems a bit like a get rich scheme to me and so many “fashionistas” seem to buy them just because they are known for being expensive. i suppose the price tag marks you with a status. you have the money to purchase rediculously over priced shoes. i’ll stick with shiny things for my shoes!
by Beatrix Noel, on 08.08.08 @ 5:22 pm
There are so many great shoe designers out there. I don’t buy any shoes without demos.
SLink has great boots. Other great sculpty shoes — Aphrodite Outlander is one, you can get flats for 100L, heels for 150 or 200l. Then there’s Periquita. Wonderful shoes, well done, scripted to resize.
by Desidelia, on 08.08.08 @ 5:25 pm
Lol I have to disagree with all cos…
1st each designer has the right to put the prices they want in their creations, like if they want to put 10000L or 1L, if u dont like the price, don’t buy, is so simple as that
2nd overpriced for some people, 1400L are 6$, u go to a real designer and can charge u 30$ for 30 min to retouch a picture… i bet anything tihs boots are more than 30 min of work
and 3rd u cant critiicize their strategy, maybe u are not their target, putting high prices makes less people buy, so they became more exclusivy, and there are people that want this.
so wth boycot for prices?? If now designers are obligated to put the prices that people says this is the last thing i have to see in SL. I really would like to see people do a shoes during hours and hours and then sell for less they think they deserve.
by Phoenix Chapman, on 08.08.08 @ 5:45 pm
@ Beatrix - oh there are far many more creators with amazing shoes other than those I chose to feature, but I can only feature so many.
@ Desidelia - I didn’t suggest anyone boycott officially, that was an off-the-cuff statement I made. I even said I got a couple of pairs of shoes on sale today.
However, I can and will criticize anything I like. That’s the beauty of having a brain and an opinion, and not being afraid to share.
To rebut your points:
1. Yes, designers have the right to price their stuff as high as they like. However, this does not mean they’re in line with current market value. They’re overpriced for the value of what you’re receiving. And it definitely doesn’t mean that I can’t call them out and encourage others to do so for it.
2. No, they’re overpriced when you consider the current market. They’re up to 4x more than standard pricing for sculpted shoes and boots within SL. That’s overpriced, no matter how you look at it. And you cannot accurately compare this to a photo touchup (wtf?) - yes, designers should charge fairly for their work, but they will receive compensation in quantity of items sold. Jacking up the prices to a ridiculous amount doesn’t make them more special, and it doesn’t make them more exclusive - it makes me laugh at the people who do spend such an obscene amount of money on one pair of boots, thinking they’re buying self-image.
3. Not their target? LOL. I am exactly their target. I receive a press release every single time they release new items. Every. Single. Time.
by tulic, on 08.08.08 @ 6:15 pm
Like what Trent Rezner said about music - STEAL it until the prices get lowered. This is greedy and boots in sl usually suck cause of the way the ankle works. It makes these boots look like crap, and that’s not the creators fault, but the price is stupid.
This is not fact “Shiny Things, Maitreya, Armidi, Tesla, and others mentioned are amazing shoe designers and are of the *highest* quality” that’s opinion. Personally I KNOW there’s better quality. Coming from a professional artists point of view the people you mentioned just don’t hold up to the highest quality statement. Of course sl is full of people who think they know the best this and the best that, they don’t know stolen stuff when they see it (textures, ideas) and view talentless hacks as “genius” far too often. If you try to prove the absolute truth about things in sl, people defend the sl people over the facts. It’s so sad. I’m personally sick of that mentality in SL.
and I forgot to add, that yeah those Moody boots are way overpriced crap. Retouched photos and all that.
by Desidelia, on 08.08.08 @ 6:38 pm
Belive it or not but there are people that likes to buy things that are expensive and this ads value to the object, if u buy this boots is cos really like them a lot. Then u get a freebie boots that maybe are as good as this but prolly will get lost in the one thousand freebies inventory. In other words: cheap boots = lost value, expensive boots = good value (u will remmber them cos costed u to adquire them).
Then overpiced, well i would say SL is underpriced but besides this all is depends in the glass u see, for me overpriced is when i pay something that then I regret have bought but if i buy something and pleases me, I enjoy, I use, then I don’t care if i payed more than others that maybe i wouldnt enjoy so much. And well personally this boots i dont like a lot, but i have bought another stilleto shoes and I never regret it, I really don’t care if I payed 600L (2$) more than other similars.
But afterall is stilletto marketing and i suppose they know what they do, and if they dont change the prices maybe is cos they do good.
P.S. I dont know if u are their target, but like them doesnt mean u are their target. I like Mercedes cars but I know I am not their target, between other things i can’t or i didnt expend that money for their cars.
by Kalia Meiklejohn, on 08.08.08 @ 6:49 pm
I bought 2 pairs of the ones on sale. I will never pay that much for shoes, ever. The market dictates that this is way above what they should be selling for.
More than one person has mentioned to me that the ads look way better than the actual product. I heard a lot of disappointment.
Some speculation on the price subject is that since Stiletto doesn’t make the shoes herself, maybe there is a cut going to each person who did. Then a cut for her and sim costs and things like that. Who knows. I just know that I am not crazy enough to buy them full price.
by Kit Maitland, on 08.08.08 @ 7:26 pm
Excellent post, Phoenix. I’ve been to a few sales at SM and have gone to browse a few times…and in all that time I’ve walked away with *one* pair of shoes (bought on sale). I will say the one pair I have is lovely…great quality…but no better than so many that have already been mentioned here…like Maitreya, Shiny Things (I *adore* Fally’s art), Armidi, J’s, Kitty’s, Tesla, DeLa, Detour..the list goes on…on…on…right up to Canimal’s new Gothdamn stilettos…which are absolutely adorable, original, flawless, sexy, versatile…and under $L300/pair! I’ve never understood why so many routinely will pay the high price at SM, but I suspect the reason it exists it b/c they will.
by Torrid, on 08.08.08 @ 7:55 pm
@tulic Could we get a list of these people you KNOW create shoes of better quality than the ones I listed (as you state that are highest quality by my opinion only) because I’m sure I would not be alone in saying we’d love to check out their creations. Btw are you suggesting that the designers I listed steal their textures/ideas and are talentless hacks or did I read that wrong?
by Lexi Morgan, on 08.08.08 @ 8:36 pm
Way to go, Phoenix! This morning a friend was asking me if I saw the new shoes (which I hadn’t yet), so she told me the prices and I nearly fell off my chair. She also said that she walked in, saw the price and walked out.
I’ve picked up a few pairs of SM shoes when they were on sale in the past and yes, they are very nice but there is no way I will pay over 1k nevermind 1500 for boots. They would have to come with 500 bagillion options at that price and I don’t know that I would even pay it then since there are so many talented designers that sell for 1/4 of the price.
I guess what I’m saying is the same as Torrid. I’ll stick with Shiny Things, Maitreya, Armidi, Tesla but I’d also like to add J’s to my list of new favorites because I’m really diggin the sculpted toes lots. Oh and Sinistyle… gotta love their amazing boots!
by NyxDivine, on 08.08.08 @ 8:58 pm
I know I already have posted on this topic, but I’d be sorry if I didn’t add ZHAO to the list of fabulous shoe designers.
ZHAO ‘ASTA’ was the FIRST $600 pair of boots I bought. And I actually thought long and hard…’cuz I’m a cheap bitch.
And man did they deliver, if you want the click and clack and walk and whatnot they have it…in spades. It can also all be turned off.
The fine dainty chain work on her boots is stunning.
Melanie Zhao’s freebies are also stunning…..and I’m a freebie snob
by Phoenix Chapman, on 08.08.08 @ 9:00 pm
I’m not a fan of Zhao.
by NyxDivine, on 08.08.08 @ 9:05 pm
But have you seen her boots? The boots are divine.
by Phoenix Chapman, on 08.08.08 @ 9:08 pm
Mhmm, I’ve seen her boots. Still not a fan.
by Beatrix Noel, on 08.08.08 @ 9:45 pm
Does Zhao have demos? I don’t think I’ve been to the main store but it’s been awhile. I won’t buy any shoes without demos.
by zaara kohime, on 08.09.08 @ 12:15 am
I am glad u got this up: D
I myself got 2 pairs in one of the earlier sales (greed in play here).
There were no demos (WTF?!), and I just hated the way they looked after i got them, so they r kinda sitting in my inventory (wow).
All the creators u mention (and some more), Shiny things, Maiteriya, Tesla, Storm, Armidi other than being reasonably priced/excellent quality, many of them are scripted to resize/have size options/ color change —- At HALF the price. And no, none of these brands are ‘walmarty’ to me in anyway.
Commonsense tells me if you are pricing them so high; offer something more than the others are. AND MORE.
In this case let’s start with demos
by Thema Felix, on 08.09.08 @ 12:56 am
I’m glad I stumbled on this post, because I was about to write a similar one! I visited SM today because of the sale; I’ve liked the Gladiator boots for a while, but wouldn’t dream of paying over 1K for them. I was really peeved that no demos were available, but bought a pair anyway (I like the boots, but I also love to hate them because I’m patronizing a store I don’t like).
I walked right past all that “next generation” stuff because it really looked unappealing to me in every way. I won’t even go into that.
Oh, and why are clacking heels and bling marketed as selling points? It’s as if the shoes are made for strippers with a lot of thong cash lying around.
Oh well. It’s not my style, even if it might be someone else’s. But no way should the prices be that ridiculous. The market shouldn’t cater to it.
by Dorothy Willis, on 08.09.08 @ 1:31 am
yep yep! beautiful shoes do not have to cost this much, not to mention the not-so-beautiful ones. I visited Moody once and left as soon as i saw the quality and prices… they are simply stripper shoes; theres no reason why a pair of boots with several unwanted options should cost, well, as much as my sl dog which has a lot of cool features and well-made. maybe i shouldn’t compare pets and shoes lol but, look at shoes from Shiny things and Maiteriya, both my fav stores, they’re real beautiful and better than the ones from Moody and they don’t cost more than 500L a pair!
by jeny, on 08.09.08 @ 1:37 am
Personaly i think that SM shoes are overpriced too. So what if they are good quality, with nice shiny textures, they aren’t definately the best shoes in SL! For this amount of money i could buy a fatpack of shoes from my fav store or a few pair of shoes from diff shops. I’ve bought the gladiator boots, but i never wear them But maybe this market is meant for the weathly SLifers, maybe people buy SM shoes just to show of that they can afford them
by Phoenix Chapman, on 08.09.08 @ 1:40 am
I can afford all the Stiletto Moody shoes if I want to, but I CHOOSE not to. I can buy fatpacks of all the Maitreya shoes for a fraction of the cost, and I believe that the quality far exceeds anything Stiletto Moody will ever come up with.
by marni-The Shoe Whore- grut, on 08.09.08 @ 3:06 am
i think one of the mian things im disliking in this post is its been made out if you dont by SM shoes your too poor to. I think its safe to say fashion bloggers in SL could cause a market crash if they stopped shopping,
by Princess, on 08.09.08 @ 6:07 am
I LOVE my Stiletto Moody shoes. Price does not matter to me since I spend my money on the Finest things in SL. I afford and buy the best. To me the Stiletto Moody brand is a sign of quality and of beauty. Those who can afford such wonderful and amazing shoes deserve to look beautiful in them. So what if they’re too expensive? If you’re poor and can’t afford them, there are SOOOO MANY CHEAPER establishments that cater for those with smaller pockets
And when i walk into the room wearing my Stiletto Moody shoes, I know that not many people can have what i have and what I have is unique and makes me unique too.
So stop whining because you cannot afford something in SL. There are plenty of freebies and dollarbies in SL, that is where you people should be looking. As for the price of Stiletto Moody shoes, I will continue buying and supporting her creativity.
by Lexi Morgan, on 08.09.08 @ 6:21 am
@ Princess… LOL I have a feeling that a good part of those speaking up here, could surely afford SM shoes (myself included). We’re just a little smarter and choose to not get ripped off.
by Lourdes, on 08.09.08 @ 6:47 am
You know to those that chose to put on the snobbish air and say ohh I can afford the shoes so I buy them. Pew Pew to the little people who can’t afford what I can buy. Let me introduce you to this little saying of the wise. “A fool and his money are soon parted.”
Yes I ran over to the sale and dammit I got the gladiator sandals because I loved them on first sight but couldn’t justify paying L$1200 for a pair of shoes. But then I looked around after my purchase, even with a 40% off sale, I felt they didn’t deserve another linden from me.
Of course I agree that they have the right to charge as much as they want, but with the quality of their shoes they would make alot more money if they priced them closer to market value.
by Piper, on 08.09.08 @ 7:04 am
I can easily afford to get every shoe in her store 3 times over, but I won’t, because I think they are WAY overpriced. And honestly, not the best shoes in SL. There are better designers in SL, with nicer textures, shoes that fit properly, and are more reasonably priced, where I would rather spend my money.
I think the prices of the new range are having a joke at not only the consumer, but the other designers in SL who DO price their work properly. Oh yeah, clacking heels and bling are $200L or freebie scripts, so using the scripts to justify the price is just nonsense.
by Princess, on 08.09.08 @ 8:46 am
Jealousy is not your color girls. Everyone says they can afford Stiletto Moody shoes but say they choose not to buy… uh yeah right! lol. The shoes are reasonably priced in my opinion, and if she were to put them higher I would still buy them. If she decided to lower the price then that might be a different matter. Because I like so many others in SL seek to differentiate oneself from everyone else and I work hard to do so. Let me explain becaause some of you just dont gt it… for example: I have my own full sim and I have the most expensive house you can buy in SL, also I have the most expensive sculpted prim car, most expensive jewellery, the most expensive clothes (from charity auctions) etc. These define who I am because not many people can afford what I have, it makes me different. I have a COMPLETE collection of Stiletto Moody shoes wich not many people can boast (work out how much that cost me!) You can have all this too if you work for it like I do. All my posessions in SL is my way of showing to others the quality things I like. I don’t wear freebies or cheap clothing because everyone has those. Stiletto Moody make the best shoes in SL and I have all of them… cry on that! :DDD
by Aradia Dielli, on 08.09.08 @ 9:05 am
@Princess
It’s easy to brag and nag about how WEALTHY you are in a virtual world when you hide behind a fake name, if you have so much why aren’t you signing your name so we could check if you’re real? lol
Seriously, you probably live in a cardboard box that reads “free kitty”
Anyway, I have few SM shoes, the ones I like, I’ve yet to visit the store to check out the new collection, and I might just buy something if I like something from their new collection. However, I am a bit disappointed about something that happened to me with a pair of shoes I bought that have yet to be replaced with a pair of working ones, sure I have been given “other” shoes to make up for the ones that don’t work, but I don’t want other shoes, I want the shoes I purchased but I guess that’s not going to happen.
Perhaps when I get the replacement I have been waiting over 4 months for, I will buy another pair of SM shoes. I really don’t mind buying something if I really like that item, no matter the price. Hell, I just bought a 25,000L$ Light Wave sculpture at Greenies, I liked it so I bought it.
by Anti-Princess, on 08.09.08 @ 9:17 am
Princess, dear, you are using your possessions to make up for your self-esteem again. It only took me one look at the picture in this blog(http://emeraldwynn.blogspot.com/2008/08/chaos-that-was-stiletto-moody.html ) to decide it for me. Those shoes are not as great as everyone is making it out. I am glad to see respected fashionistas making a stand here to say that the prices are total crap. Regardless of the price, the big deal breaker for me is the lack of demos. I NEVER buy shoes that do not have a demo to test out first.
by Piper, on 08.09.08 @ 10:35 am
Princess, no amount of expensive shoes will make you a one in a million gal, if everyone else is on the same bandwagon (only they bought their shoes on sale). You are kidding yourself.
ooh how about this.. I own my own RL house and drive a nice car in RL and have nice things in RL…. you’re so smug, but your SL posessions don’t give you any status whatsoever. Oh yeah, and I earn quite enough in SL that I can afford my sim, and my shopping habit without having to put any of my RL income into it.
I have a friend in the SM group, and I think it’s pretty telling that a lot of the chatter seen there was about the group discount, the sale, and the refunds not working. Oh yeah and the freebie bracelet. Is anyone seriously buying these ridiculous prices?
by Peter Brady, on 08.09.08 @ 12:49 pm
So I wonder why someone that claims they have everything that is the best in SL. Has to come to a blog to tell everyone that she has the best. Usually people that claim they have the best of anything have nothing and they use it to boost there own ego. Wow you have your own sim who doesn’t now days.
by Phoenix Chapman, on 08.09.08 @ 7:45 pm
@ Princess - it’s quite sad that expensive items define WHO you are. I can recommend a good therapist for you, if you like.
by autumn hykova, on 08.09.08 @ 11:28 pm
Yeah, I have to say… the thing is, yeah, if that’s what you love, buy the shoes. But… dude, in the end, it’s a pixelated image on your computer. So what if you have your own sim and the most expensive house… it’s all fake. Pretend dollies in an imaginary world. I prefer to dress my barbie in more affordable fair. It’s not because I’m poor. But, who are you proving your SL-wealth to? That’s so silly!
by Emerald Wynn, on 08.10.08 @ 12:59 am
Thank you! I just got bitch-slapped on my blog for saying something along the same lines. Fortunately, I was so shocked that someone was even reading the damn thing, the slap didn’t leave a mark.
Then someone else commented and mentioned this post, so I scooted over here. Nothing makes me laugh harder than SL Fashion Police, so I’m ashamed to admit that I JUST NOW realized that you had your own blog. I like it over here!
And yes, YAY for Shiny Things and Maitreya!
BTW, I think I saw you today at Cybertopia — I was wearing a puffy orange shirt so I ran like hell. (”It’s Sergeant Phoenix!”)
Either that or I sprinted away from some poor random girl named Phoenix for no reason.
And to Princess: Girl, why the hell are you spending so much money in Second Life when you could be spending it on your REAL life? Go to church or meditate or something! Use some of that bankroll to feed some starving kids instead of decking your ass out in fake PIXELATED threads. Take it from me — you don’t want to be a shoe-counting beotch! Don’t lose your soul, Princess! Don’t sell your soul to a shoe!! Buy a little shack, wear some cheap sh*t for a change, hug some trees and celebrate LIFE not THINGS!
Love,
Preacher Emerald
(laughs)
by Phoenix Chapman, on 08.10.08 @ 1:07 am
I don’t know what Cybertropia is, but no, I wasn’t there.
by kalli Heart, on 08.10.08 @ 3:37 pm
Well said Phoenix. i don’t mind dropping Linden for high quality work, but for Gawd’s sakes, i don’t intend to pay three times the price just because someone thinks their items are SO much better than what’s out there. Personally, i find Stiletto Moody’s shoes cartoonish looking. Kudos to Shiny Things and Maitreya for not jumping on the bandwagon but rather keeping their gorgeous items shopper friendly.
Time for a reality check, SM!
by Airlyn, on 08.10.08 @ 10:14 pm
I’ll freely admit that Stiletto Moody’s are expensive. They’re of a certain style that doesn’t work for everyone. BUT if you like the way the shoes look and you have the $L’s to spend then go for it. I have a couple pair and took advantage of the 40% sale (can’t beat a discount) although they’re not my go to store. I prefer Maitreya, Tesla, and Shiny Things first and in that order before any other shoe store. I’m sure you could find some Sl users who think even those stores are expensive. It’s good that there are so many creators of great shoes (some you also showcased in the post) at a range of prices that most SLers can live with.
by Airlyn, on 08.10.08 @ 10:24 pm
Princess so are you trying to be fashionable or just look like you’re rich? These two things aren’t one in the same. 90% of the people on SL probably have no idea where any of the stuff you wear comes from by looking at it. IMO although Stiletto Moody has some hot styles they aren’t the best on the block. If I create a dress that looks like a trash bag and price it for $3000L I’ll be looking for you.
by marni-The Shoe Whore- grut, on 08.11.08 @ 4:30 am
omg, i think princess just outsnobed me :O
I never thought id see this happen
sob
by QUEEN, on 08.11.08 @ 11:56 am
@ Princess
Princess, your little sim and SM collection and tiny prim car is really cute. But that’s the role of a Princess, to be ‘cute’. But I, as a QUEEN, could Easily outmatch you in expensive stuffesses. You see, I have a whole sim, just for my shoes ALONE! And Then on top of THAT, I have separate sims for my dresses, jackets, shirts, and my custom made ‘distressed’ jeans. I have THREE SIMS just for my hair! I also have a sim just for jewelry, with half of the prim allotment going to my custom made emerald toe ring collection! And I only wear custom made lingerie, even though no one will never see them except for my partner KING, who by the way is the richest man in ALL of the Metaverse. I have diamond panties that are 500 prims each! Do YOU have 500 prim panties? I think NOT! Not only do I have the entire SM collection, but I also have a private custom made collection of Stiletto Moody House Slippers, with optional ‘floor shuffle’ sounds. Do YOU have SM House Slippers? I think NOT!
I have 5 assistants whose sole job it is to manage all my sims and to do my personal shopping as I can’t be bothered. And when I DO decide to grace all you poor, dingy shopping commoners with my presence, I have my very own custom made teleportation system that whisks me away at lightening speed, leaving a glorious trail of diamonds, pearls, lindens and pink feathers.
So please Princess, spare us the details of your lowly acquisitions, and don’t bother posting anymore until you know what it takes to live like a QUEEN!
Carry on.
by JoJo, on 08.12.08 @ 6:14 am
Well, I must admit I read this earlier in the week and agreed with it - then I went to Stiletto’s to have a look at the new stuff, all ready to stick me nose in the air and walk out without buying anything. Didn’t quite work like that, cos I fell in love with the boots (the plain, not the snakeskin) and ended up buying the L$3,999 fatpack. I was annoyed that the sign didn’t tell me *which* 5 colours I was buying, but then happy to discover that there were actually 7 different colours (including the 2 reds) in the pack. So - effectively 7 pairs for L$3999, or just over L$571 a pair. L$1,399 for one pair seemed excessive, even to me.
OK, so I’m rationalising my inability to resist shiny things - but I have to say I LOVE my boots
So I’m happy. Having said all that, I have bought (maybe 5 pairs of?) SM shoes in the past, and will probably buy them in the future, but I do NOT buy them as often as I buy other brands, simply because of the price. I have to be in love with the item to spend that much on it.
Did anyone mention Bax Coen above? I happily pay L$800 for a pair of Bax boots (well, 2 pairs if being pedantic cos of the 2 length options) - I also like Insolence boots and Zhao ones. All I really need are more legs
by Heidi, on 08.16.08 @ 9:18 am
The first time I went to SM it went something like this: I saw the shoes, I saw the prices, I saw the lack demos. I laughed and left. I was briefly tempted by the gladiator sandals, but luckily I discovered J’s and found a pair I adore there. I personally love the toes. And if you look at the cork wedge shoes, or the drool-worthy buckle boots, they are absolutely exquisite in every detail. J’s is my absolute favorite, hands down.
by Sassy Romano, on 09.04.08 @ 6:31 am
I don’t get the fuss. I buy from a number of the various vendors listed here, I like *some* of the footwear from each but that doesn’t mean to say i’m either more or less happy with either.
SM pricing is how they want it, if the market will stand the price then so be it.
Lets also appreciate that it’s very subjective. I’ve looked at some of the shoes that others have listed here and they don’t appeal to me at all whether they be 275L or 1500L, I wouldn’t buy them if I simply didn’t like them. Screaming about quality and price is pointless, if you like ‘em, buy ‘em. *If* price is the issue then don’t bitch because you think they’re too expensive. Way too many RL analogies to draw from, it’s not even worth bothering.
I’m happy that not everyone is wearing the same footwear be it from SM or anywhere else, I wear my cheapies (<800L) just as much as my various SM’s (and no, they’re not all stripper shoes for the commentors that said that, you clearly didn’t look around enough!)