Why I love my Rockstuds? That is a great question and one that my husband has no doubt asked himself multiple times. Rockstuds, Rockstuds and more Rockstuds!
What most of you don’t know is that I have worked in retail for 13 years. All but 1 of those years I was selling Designer, Ladies Shoes. Yes, the stories I could tell and probably should, but we will save that for another day. I’ve sold all of the most sought after brands Christian Louboutin, Manolo Blahnik, Chanel, Valentino etc.
Many brands come and go usually depending on popular culture. During Sex and the City popularity Manolo Blahnik shoes were the most popular but everything wanes after a time and then the red sole took over and although Christian Louboutin had been designing shoes since the early 1990’s his brand became most recognizable around 2007. In a world where the average shoe price is $700 this is what I look for in a pair of designer shoes is one that is Iconic, comfortable, versatile, quality, and offers variety. The shoe that checked all the boxes for me is Valentino.
Iconic: The triangular gold pyramid known as the Valentino Rockstud has become an iconic symbol. Instantly recognizable the Rockstud has pretty much become synonymous with the brand. It is easily recognizable even by people who have never seen one in person. Since the launch of the Rock stud in 2010 these shoes continually sell out in almost every variation. Truly very few shoe styles have gained the cult status of the Valentino Rockstud pump. They achieve the perfect balance of femininity and edginess. I personally love the fact that the rockstud is a logo without being an actual logo and yes it is definitely here to stay. As many times as I’ve heard people say they are tired of Rockstuds there are least 3 people behind them looking for their first pair or a new one to add to their collection.
Comfort: I was truly skeptical at first. I’ve worn all of the top selling brands, and styles, and there is a reason that this shoe continues to sell out every time it is restocked. It’s one of the LEAST returned shoes and one of the top selling styles and brands. Even after being on the market for 8 years. Working retail requires you to be on your feet for 7 or more hours a day. We walk countless miles in a day, and depending on the store location and volume, a selling associate probably spends a good portion of it walking up and down a metal staircase and on a concrete floor. The Rockstud pump is a shoe I can rely on to get me through the whole day without foot pain or having to bring a back up shoe to change into. Yes they really are that comfortable!
Versatile: Worn by almost every celebrity in almost every imaginable way the iconic heel is by far my most favorite of the collections. They can be worn with jeans and a simple tee shirt for a casual day look and they can equally be paired with an evening dress. having achieved the perfect balance of edgy femininity these shoes make a statement without ever having to say a word. The two most popular colors of this iconic shoe is the patent leather “Poudre” Valentino’s shade of nude and the two tone combination of black with poudre trim. For the first time ever Valentino has done a tone on tone look, silver grained (tumbled leather) with silver patent trim and silver studs other new variations also include Ivory with ivory studs and black and white stripes. If heels aren’t your thing there are many different styles from the Rockstud jelly and the “Untitled” sneaker and every variation of Rockstuds you can think of.
Quality: Valentino shoes are made in Italy. The most common repair on the Rockstud pump, besides the normal wear and tear of heel taps or having your shoe retipped, would be to replace a missing stud. Valentino became aware of this problem and several years ago started enclosing a little pouch in each box that contains 2 replacement studs (most designer shoes do not come with replacement stones or embellishments). Each pair of shoes usually also comes with a red pouch containing replacement heel taps (when buying a high heel shoe) as well as 1 travel bag. Yes! It’s true almost every designer only encloses 1 dustbag per pair of shoes. Don’t take it out on us, we didn’t make that decision so yelling at us about things that are out of our control won’t get you much sympathy but if you are nice and ask kindly there’s usually a spare travel bag floating around and I’m sure your sales associate would be more than happy to accommodate you.
Value: If you look up the definition of value it is defined as: 1. something that is believed to be deserving of worth, importance or usefulness. 2. The monetary worth of something. All of my Valentino shoes have been a great investment! Yes I said investment. They are well made, comfortable and very versatile. I wear my Valentino shoes more than any other brand I own. I’ve never had a major issue with any of them and on the rare occasion I’ve decided to let a pair go I’ve gotten close to the purchase price when they’ve been resold.
below are a few ways I’ve styled my shoes
yellow patent
