Above the Fray: Manolo Sale Is a Well-Oiled Machine

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There's a reason people love the Manolo Blahnik sample sale, which began this morning at the Warwick Hotel in midtown: It's organized and staffed as if it's a luxury boutique. Shoppers are predictably crazed—we saw people grabbing ten pairs of heels at a time, a smirking guy hoarding shoes into a giant bag, a mom with a baby in a Bjorn trying on stilettos, and a group of girls literally sitting on piles of shoes. But the sale's courteous, hyper-professional staffers glide calmly through the chaos, urging everyone to put back the shoes they don't want so that other shoppers have a chance to try them.

The selection is classic: Strappy stilettos, kitten heels, pointy toes, mules, beautiful boots. There's a wide range of colors and patterns, including leopard print and a smattering of snakeskin left. Despite being the center of the fray, the 37 section has a lot of merchandise (boots, booties, and—sad!—a lone over-the-knee boot sans mate). Other sizes look well-stocked, too, but the 38s and 39s are going quickly. At 1pm, they'll replenish 36s, 37s, and 38s. Since they'll hold your shoes at the front if you need to run out for cash, and since you can return to the sale if you get your admission ticket back from a staffer, it's entirely possible that this morning's crowd will come back after lunch for a second shot.
· Lineblogging: Waiting for the Manolos [Racked]
· Lineblogging: The No-Longer-Secret Manolo Sale [Racked]
· Dealfeed: Manolo Blahnik [Racked]