Is there such a thing as ugly shoes?

They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But when it comes to footwear, how do you know if you are walking down the street in truly horrible shoes?

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Take for instance the hoof shoes by Iris Schieferstein. The German shoe designer and artist practices fashion taxidermy and creates shoes out of the hooves of horses, stuffed doves, and snake bodies. The designer, who has been designing shoes for 12 years, believes that mixing fashion and taxidermy makes sense, regardless of what many people may think. “I love horses and I love shoes, so I thought this [hoof shoes] would be perfect. Horses have a beautiful walk and I wanted to recreate that with my footwear,” said the designer in an interview with Daily Mail.

Schieferstein’s shoes go for about $5,500 but can only be worn for a couple of hours, because, surprisingly, wearing a horse’s hoof can be a little uncomfortable. Still, the shoes got Lady Gaga’s attention.

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Then there are the “Scary Beautiful” shoes by artist Leanie van der Vyver and designer René van den Berg. Scary because the shoes require the wearer to bend the knees forward and walk rather ungracefully, a consequence of the sky-high, front heels design of the footwear. Beautiful? Perhaps, if the pair is treated more of as an art than something Carrie Bradshaw would dare wear.

So, is there a thing as ugly shoes? If you ask Alexander McQueen, you’ll probably get a resounding “No!” After all, the designer had the whole fashion world abuzz with his “armadillos.”

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Check out this Facebook page for more shoe talk from Liz Rehnke.

Those fabulous fall boots

Fashion journalist Nina Garcia once said, “Putting on fierce boots is an instant pick-me-up.” Shoe aficionados like Elizabeth Rehnke certainly know what Garcia is talking about. Boots can instantly update a wardrobe and deliver that sexy, confident vibe.

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And as autumn commences, boots are much coveted. Apart from shielding the feet and legs from the crisp autumn air, boots are a fall fashion must-have.

Here are some of the trendiest fall boots to grace the streets, from Los Angeles to New York:

Low and flat-heeled ankle boots and bootiesare easily the top women’s boot trends for 2012. Drawing their inspiration from Chelsea boots and Beatle boots, these styles are slim, trim, and perfectly suited to jeans and pants. One of the most stylish boots available today is the double-strap calfskin ankle boots from Balenciaga by Nicolas Ghesquiere.

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Tall boots with flat and low heels are also getting mileage this season. They are especially popular among women who are trading their stilettos for some comfort. Though pricey ($1,195), the Over the Knee Boots by LD Tuttle is worth the splurge for some fashionistas. The distressed leather in dove gray and rounded toe make walking on fallen leaves much more fun.

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If trendy is what you’re after, nothing screams fabulous more than knee-high boots with heels. Whether you opt for chunky heels or sexy stilettos, you can’t go wrong with these boots. The Manolo Blahnik Likansk fur-trimmed boots will surely turn heads as you walk down the streets of New York.

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For more shoe talk, visit this Facebook page.