Over the past fifteen years, the relationship women have with key accessories, namely their shoes and handbags, has changed considerably. Choices in brands and style preferences now connote much more about a woman’s image than in years past. We’ve seen brands once only known by industry insiders and the uber-wealthy (brands like Manolo Blahnik) become recognizable names in average fashionable households around the world. Similarly, prices of footwear seem to have taken an upward turn, and it’s not rare to find designer shoes priced well above the $700 mark. On a recent trip to Nordstrom’s, a moderately upscale retailer with locations across the United States, shoe prices even climbed above $1,000 in one suburban store. On any given day, the Christian Louboutin store in New York City’s meatpacking district has a handful of customers not only browsing, but actually purchasing extravagant items that are more akin to artwork than footwear.