Confessions Of... A Pedicurist

Ballet flats French Sole has more than 10,000 ballet flats in 500 styles--from glittery to zebra-striped to basic black--all designed by Jane Winkworth. The "Simple" flats (they actually have a 1/4-inch heel) were a Princess Diana favorite. 6 Ellis St., London, 011-44/20-7730-3771, frenchsole.com, from $97 Navajo sandals Stephen Bonanno's leather sandals are the epitome of preppy chic--if only because Jackie O. famously wore them. Sandals come whipstitched, flower-adorned, monogrammed, and in any number of color combinations. One of the most popular is the Palm Beach Classic, in pea green with turquoise accents. 15 SW Flagler Ave., Stuart, Fla., 866/313-3338, stephenbonanno.com, from $70 Mukluks Uggs are so out. Enter mukluks: They're like big bedroom slippers you can wear in the snow, with funky fringe, leather laces, and the occasional Navajo trim. All of Steger Mukluks & Moccasins' moosehide boots are made in the native Inuit style, which owner Patti Steger learned on dogsledding treks with her ex-husband, Arctic explorer Will Steger. 33 E. Sheridan St., Ely, Minn., 218/365-3322, mukluks.com, from $120 Gladiator sandals Lolli by Reincarnation's signature item is the "cat's cradle," an Italian suede sandal in black, red, brown, custard, or royal blue, with straps that can wrap up your ankle 12 different ways. 85 Stanton St., New York City, 212/529-2030, lolli-reincarnation.com, from $170 Cowboy boots Savvy Texans go to the Lucchese Outlet to select from 4,500 pairs of the legendary Lucchese boots, at 35 to 60 percent off. The boots come straight from the factory, with minor imperfections, such as a tiny scuff mark. 6601 Montana Ave., El Paso, Tex., 800/239-5925, lucchese.com, from $190 Flip-flops Flip Flop Shops is the one-stop shop for everyone's favorite summer staple. The store stocks 25 brands--Reef, Havaianas, Polo, Skechers--in hundreds of colors. 2576 E. Camelback Rd., Phoenix, 602/952-8422, flipflopshops.com, from $15

Canada: Bata Shoe Museum What you'll find: Twelve thousand shoes occupy four floors of cross-cultural exhibits--from ancient Egyptian sandals to ornate Chinese shoes used in foot binding. Current exhibit: "Icons of Elegance: The Most Influential Shoe Designers of the 20th Century," showcasing works by Salvatore Ferragamo, Roger Vivier, and Manolo Blahnik (through August). Curator's choice: "A pair of Mojaris that was owned by the Nizam of Hyderabad between 1790 and 1800," says curator Elizabeth Semmelhack. "They're completely encrusted with gold thread, diamonds, and rubies--too heavy to wear, but a marvel of the extraordinary." In the gift shop: A rhinestone-encrusted pie server with a stiletto heel magnetically attached to the handle ($12). 327 Bloor St. West, Toronto, 416/979-7799, batashoemuseum.ca, $7 England: Northampton Museum What you'll find: wo galleries have 12,000 notable shoes and shoemaking artifacts collected over the past 140 years. Some highlights: a boot made for an elephant, and stilts in the shape of Doc Martens that were worn by Elton John. Current exhibit: "Africa Adorned," featuring African footwear and jewelry with especially detailed beadwork (June 16--July 23). Curator's choice: "A pair of quirky red leather stilettos from the 1960s," says Rebecca Shawcross. "The company that produced them added little wheels onto the stilettos. They're called wheel-heels. Needless to say, they were quite short-lived." In the gift shop: Wooden shoe lasts that double as bookends, paperweights, and candlestick holders (from $14). Guildhall Rd., Northampton, 011-44/1604-838-111, www.northampton.gov.uk/museums, free Italy: Ferragamo Museum What you'll find: Exhibits draw from the 10,000-strong Ferragamo collection, with shoes made for Marilyn Monroe and Katharine Hepburn. They're displayed alongside relevant photographs, sketches, and articles. Current exhibit: "Ideas, Models, Inventions," focusing on Ferragamo's design process and featuring his patents and original drawings for concepts such as shoes with interchangeable heels--for example, the 1937 cork wedge (through the summer). Curator's choice: Museum director Stefania Ricci's favorite is the Invisible Shoe: "The sandal's upper is made from nylon fishing thread." In the gift shop: A box of postcards with patterns derived from shoes in the museum's collection ($12). Via Tornabuoni 2, Florence, 011-39/055-336-0456, ferragamo.com, free Germany: German Shoe Museum What you'll find: The selection of 14,000-plus shoes is paired with displays of historical tools of the trade. Current exhibit: "The Changing of Innocence," an avant-garde installation by Monika Golla with works of art constructed out of Barbie shoes (through September). Curator's choice: Dr. Rosita Nenno's favorite: "The 'topless,' or sole-only, shoes by Beth Levine, made in 1959. The wearer has to glue the sole onto her foot. It's even possible to dance in them." In the gift shop: Jan Jansen slippers--black and gray with a big red kiss across the top ($29). Frankfurter Str. 86, Offenbach, 011-49/69-829-7980, ledermuseum.de, $5

Argentina Sylvie Geronimi is a true craftswoman, as seen in intricate details such as leather flowers, patchwork, and lacing on pumps or sandals. Prices start at around $200, but customers get serious attention for the money, starting with a private consultation and measuring appointment. The wait: one month. 2445 Uriarte, Buenos Aires, 011-54/11-4774-5408, sylviegeronimi.com.ar Cambodia Play mix and match with heels, silk, and swatches at Beautiful. The store's artists will construct anything a customer wants--sandals, slingbacks, pumps, oxfords, boots--for as little as $12. The wait: three days. 138 Street 143, Sangkat Boeung Keng Kang 3, Phnom Penh, 011-855/12-848-438 China Get up-to-the-minute designer knockoffs at Liii Couture. Prices start at around $170, though shoes made with luxury fabrics and rare leathers cost even more. Bring in pages from a magazine to convey what you'd like or, better yet, a favorite shoe you're hoping to have re-created. The wait: one day. Shop #75, Tower Two Admiralty Centre, 18 Harcourt Rd., Hong Kong, 011-852/2136-9739 Germany Heels Angels' designers Anja Hoffmann and Christiane Schulze can cobble together any shoe imaginable--wooden clog-like mules, metallic T-strap sandals, tall blue suede boots, pointy leather flats. They do it all by hand, and prices start at $170 for hip, Western-style sandals with grommets and a wooden heel. The wait: three months. Klenzestr. 45, Munich, 011-49/89-201-0136, heels-angels.de India Using cotton, silk, leather, and even the bark of a banana tree, self-taught designer Edwin Pinto handcrafts avant-garde sandals, mules, and slippers at Janota. A pair of leather flip-flops costs $25, while more complicated sandals--with leather leaves climbing up the leg, for example--are still a bargain at $50.The wait: two weeks. Aldeia Aurino near Damian de Goa, Porvorim, Goa, 011-91/832-241-2129, janotagoa.in Morocco The babouche stall in the bustling Marrakech bazaar sells an overwhelming array of traditional Moroccan slippers. Pretty silk mules with intricate beadwork cost less than $10. If you don't see exactly what you're looking for, feel free to make requests--e.g., gold silk slippers with red beading and a soft leather sole--and the designers do their best to comply. The wait: two to three days. 30 Souk Smata, Marrakech, 011-212/44-440-446 Spain Craftsmen at La Manual Alpargatera have been making espadrilles since 1941 for everyone from Ralph Lauren to Pope John Paul II. Every last detail--fabric, sole, ribbons--is hand-sewn. Customized espadrilles start at $15. The wait: two to five days, longer in summer. Carrer d'Avinyo 7, Barcelona, 011-34/93-301-0172, lamanual.net United States Kathy Pham has been crafting shoes at King Shoe in Orange County's Little Saigon since the early 1990s. She uses pigskin, calfskin, and lambskin to copy existing shoes or create new ones. Prices start at $150. The wait: one week. 9191 Bolsa Ave., Suite 119, Westminster, Calif., 714/897-4350 Vietnam The family tailoring shop Thu Thuy specializes in made-to-order clothing, but the designers will also gladly fashion custom silk slippers. Floor-to-ceiling walls of beautiful silks provide design inspiration. Depending on the shape of the sole, combination of silks, and type of straps, the price varies--but rarely exceeds $10. The wait: one day. 60 Le Loi St., Hoi An, 011-84/510-861-699, hoianthuthuysilk.com Repairs in a pinch Nothing's worse than an untimely shoe snafu. These repair shops are known for quality with a quick turnaround. The only downside: That's one less excuse to buy a new pair. --Brooke Kosofsky Glassberg Chicago: Brooks Shoe Service 55 E. Washington St., 312/372-2504, $10 to repair a broken strap Coral Gables, Fla:. Gables Shoe Repair 2615 Ponce De Leon Blvd., 305/448-6390, $7 to replace a heel tip London: Classic Shoe Repairs 23-25 Brecknock Rd., Camden, 011-44/20-7485-5275, $14 to patch a rip Los Angeles: Arturo's Shoe Fixx 9643 Santa Monica Blvd., 310/278-9585, $6 to fix a tear New York City: Top Service 845 Seventh Ave., 212/765-3190, $22 to mend a broken heel Paris: Pulin 5 rue Chauveau Lagarde, 011-33/1-42-65-08-57, $12 to add a silicone insole

London-based costume designer Jacqueline Durran had a hand in dressing Natalie Portman in Star Wars: Episode III, Halle Berry in Die Another Day, and Angelina Jolie in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. Most recently, she scoured the city's vintage markets on behalf of Keira Knightley, to find period shoes for Pride & Prejudice. "A lot of people in London were very interested in vintage before it was called vintage," she says. "There's a real culture of not throwing anything away, of recycling." Durran is responsible for outfitting people from head to toe, but the most fun part is always, of course, the shoes. Cloud Cuckoo Land "I can't stand all those retro shops where everything comes from the 1960s and '70s," says Durran. "I prefer ones that have a wide range of items from the 20th century, and Cloud Cuckoo Land, in Islington, has lots of stuff that's much older." She is particularly fond of Cloud Cuckoo Land's selection of classic 1940s wedges and sexy 1950s stilettos. 6 Charlton Pl., 011-44/20-7354-3141 Battersea Vintage Fashion, Accessories, and Textiles Fair Vintage dealers from all over the country come to the bimonthly fair. "There are a couple of shoe dealers in the mix, and I've bought a bunch of shoes from them over time," Durran says. The stock is from the 1800s to the 1970s. Battersea Arts Centre, Lavender Hill, 011-44/20-8325-5789, vintagefashionfairs.com, admission $7 Cornucopia Durran also worked on 2004's Vera Drake, and she found the perfect shoes in this store near Victoria Station: "It's got a crazy mix of things, and you never really know what you're going to find." 12 Upper Tachbrook St., 011-44/20-7828-5752 The London Vintage Fashion, Textiles, and Accessories Fair The monthly vintage fair is not to be missed, says Durran. Her favorite recent buy was a pair of red snakeskin stilettos from the '80s. "They have this fabulous butterfly detail on them." Hammersmith Town Hall, King St., 011-44/20-8543-5075, pa-antiques.co.uk, admission $9