Phillip Lim is debuting a line of footwear to compliment his ready-to-wear collection. Prices range from $395-$875. A little bit on the pricey side for someone  like me, but hey, a girl can dream. Aren’t they a-ma-zing! These shoes speak for themselves. Read more at Fab Sugar.

I’m not someone who usually watches the stock market, but this sounds like good news to me. According to Business Week,  after the recession, apparel and footwear companies cut costs in order to increase profitability. However, they have started to return cash to shareholders through repurchases. According to Citi Investment Research analyst Kate McShane, the trend should last through 2011. On average, $101 million in shares were repurchased in the second quarter. The big players are Polo Ralph Lauren, Timberland, VF Corp, Wolverine Worldwide, Nike, and Foot Locker.  Although the economy is still fairly uncertain, I’m going to take this is as a sign that these companies are progressing well and coming out on top.

Efficiency is always a goal in my mind. What is the most that can be accomplished in the shortest amount of time? Moreover, if someone can achieve the two “e’s” (being efficient and effective) then you’ve got a winner. SmarTrend has reported, the top footwear companies that have the best Revenue Per Employee (RPE) are Iconix Brand, Deckers Outdoor, Steven Madden (my personal favorite), RG Barry, and Heelys. They must be doing something right.

When I think of Skechers, I recall just having to have, could-not-live-without, those sneakers with the “S” on the side of the shoe. Now, I think of shape-ups and how good my “assets” could look if I only had a pair. In the future, more products may run through my mind. According to Zacks, Skechers  has announced a new licensing deal with Olivet International to increase the current product offering  to include suitcases, wheeled totes, duffle bags, and garment bags. The launch date for these new products is schedule for the fall of 2011 in the U.S. and Canada. Additional expansion opportunities are in the works for both domestic and international licensing for children’s apparel, bags, sunglasses, legwear, medical scrubs, and leather accessories. Move over Nike, Skechers is making a comeback

Who needs to go to the mall anymore when you can just sit in front of your computer and have any brand’s collection displayed in front of you in a second? (Just kidding, I love the mall. But, you know what I mean.) With a few clicks you can be at any site on the web and within a few business days you can have any product delivered to your house. Now, you don’t even have to click through multiple sites to get to different brands. Zappos.com, like many others, offers a variety all at one site. Just-Style.com discusses the “newbie” to the site, Aldo. Steve Hill, vice president of merchandising for Zappos says, “By adding the Aldo collection, our customers will receive access to the hottest trends in footwear for both men and women.” I don’t know about you, but I’m excited!