In New York City fabulous footwear is a must.  But when the temperatures skyrocket, where do the locals get their cool and stylish summer shoes?  Shop Gotham guides reveal their top five picks:

1.  Since Paris designer Charles Jourdan went out of business in the 1980s, his name has been synonymous with vintage footwear.  But he’s back and we’re thrilled.  Cleverly coupling last season’s gladiator sandal with this season’s jelly sandal, he’s created Cassie:  a hybrid of the two available in white, gray and red.  We’ve always been partial to red…

2.   Shop Gotham tour guides swear by DKNY’s Active line:  tough enough to endure hours upon hours of shopping on New York City streets, but fashionable enough that no one will guess that they’re practical.   Sign up for a Soho/Nolita tour and get a discount of 20 percent.

3.  You can’t go wrong with comfy, cushy Haviana flip flops.  This line, designed by Brazilians, who should know flip flops, has just the right savior faire for an international metropolis like New York.  The ones pictured here were designed exclusively for Kidrobot, and they GLOW IN THE DARK!!!  Buy yourself a pair on our Soho/Nolita tour.

4.  Nothing is hipper or greener than buying a pair of shoes made by the person sitting in front of you.  And this shoe, handmade by a street vendor in Nolita, has saved many a Shop Gotham guest from blistered feet.  This canvas slip on has become almost as iconic as a pair of Chuck Taylors among the hipster crowd.  They are always comfortable and will never go out of style.

5.  Shop Gotham guides aren’t embarrassed to admit that they love Zoe & Zac, the new “green” line from Payless.  We love them for three simple reasons.  First, they’re affordable, with no shoe costing more than $30.  Second, they’re made exclusively from ‘green’ materials such as organic cotton, eco-foam and nickel-free metal.  Third, they’re incredibly comfortable!  Even the huarache sandal with a four inch heel (pictured here) meets the Shop Gotham standard of comfort and style.

If you happen to be coming to NYC to shop the week of July 14 -17, you have struck a good date. Shop Gotham is offering 10% off all our shopping tours this week and this week only.

Garment Center: There are still some terrific Sample Sales happening- so catch them while you can. Showrooms are “giving away” their Summer goods as well as starting to offer our guests early Fall items. And did you know that on almost every “Garment Center insider tour”, our guests meet at least one designer? 

Soho/Nolita: Who doesnt want to be led to the chic & uber cool NYC  indie shops. NYC is loaded with them, but you need to know where they are, as they turn over faster than you can keep up.

Want to take advantage of this offer?: www.shopgotham.com Code: July10  

___________________________________________________

The NYC convention bureau has just recognized Shop Gotham’s shopping tours as one of the 10 BEST tours in NYC! quite an honor. For more info, check out: http://www.nycgo.com/top-tours/5/

Taking your teen shopping in NYC and want to make her oh so happy? Consider a Shop Gotham custom self-guided shopping tour. Tell us who she is, her apirations, general budget and voila, we will tell her where to find it. Its fun and at your own pace .. and will save you lots of time aimlessly roaming the streets.

A half day personalized self-guided tour is $50 — rates may vary if you have special needs requiring a more complex itinerary. 

 email: info@ shopgotham.com or see our daily group tours at: www.shopgotham.com

________________________________

So… we at Shop Gotham recently took some major fashion magazine editors shopping. Would love to drop names but  alas, cannot. Suffice it to say, these stylin’ gals have seen it all and then some. They had just come from the top 2010 fashion “shows” in Bryant Park, have been courted directly by all important designers and likely over time received plentiful freebies. So we hit some of the uberfab independents in NYC.  Yes, they loved Kirna Zabete, Deco Jewels, and Opening Ceremony. But where did they drop their $?? At UNIGLO!!! They were pumped up about the new + J line (Jil Sander), specifically the black jackets in 3 lengths, which are oh so Prada reminiscent, but a mere $79- $99. Who would have thunk?   www.shopgotham.com

____________________________________________________________

Do the names Lewis Cho, Walter and Rachel Leigh make your knees weak? Good news is that high quality NYC sample sales are now year round (where once they were seasonal). We can thank a difficult economy for this. These and other “scores” can be had THIS week on our Garment Center “Insider” shopping tours. http://www.shopgotham.com/daily-new-york-shopping-tours.php

A shoppers delight (domestic visitor): Rating: 5 stars

“Myself [ 54 ] , daughter [ 24 ] and daughter-in-law took the shopping tour in the garment district. After spending 4 days shopping, we were’nt very excited to go on a shopping tour! But what a successful trip it was! Our guide was awesome and had loads of information, including suggesting some places to go after in other areas. We went to six very different designer showrooms.which had a varied selection of products and each of us found lots of things. I would reccomend it!.” www.shopgotham.com

____________________________________________________

Occasionally, its worth noting what we uncovered on a shopping tour. On last week’s Garment Center tour, we hit the bi-annual gargantuan Shoe-In Sample Sale. Even though it was Day 3, our 10 guests walked out with 25 pairs of boots/shoes. Timberland, Tory Burch and Michael Kors were the big scores  mostly in the $49 range. NYC Sample Sales rock! even in the winter. Come on aboard with us.  www.shopgotham.com/daily-new-york-shopping-

________________________________________________________

As we troll the streets generally in search of new compelling fashion outlets, we cant help but stumble into other fab nyc locales. Conrans, a modernist  hub for home decor, accessories and misc kitsch happens to excel at Bathroom furniture & accessories. From unusually shaped medicine cabinets to uber-cool soap holders in organic materials (these you can even pack up on your bag & take home on the plane), its a stop worth making. www.conrans.com

We who have our finger on the proverbial pulse of nyc sample sales see that the “season” is starting a good 3 weeks ahead of schedule. Waiting to come to NYC to score your fall/winter items. Don’t delay. The goods are here and they are already discounted.  Note for the unaffiliated: Designers each do but one sale per season ranging from  1- 5 days.

 Remember.. Shop Gotham vets out the good sales from the mediocre. Check out our Garment Center “Insider” Shopping Tours and our holiday time Cheap and Chic shopping tours. www.shopgotham.com

__________________________________________________________