McCain's $520 Ferragamo loafers
Whoever said men don't appreciate shoes must not know John McCain.
As the Republican presidential candidate prepares for his big speech tonight, we're already bored by the predictable dark suit and power tie. Let's see McCain, the maverick! Will he dare to wear his Ferragamo loafers?
The GOP nominee has taken heat over his penchant for fine Italian leather. He was outed on this summer's campaign trail wearing the $520 Ferragamo shoes everywhere from a meeting with the Dalai Lama to a small town supermarket. Check out the full scoop on the silver-buckled calfskin loafers on the Huffington Post style blog. Even CNN has investigated McCain's feet.
To which we say, politics schmolitics. We all know a Republican's designer shoes are less damaging than a Democrat's $400 haircut. The Deal Divas are far more interested in learning if McCain properly appreciates his wife Cindy's shoes. My guess is he's too distracted to notice.
That's not because of the convention crowds, or nerves about a national TV audience. It's hard to appreciate anything Cindy's worn this week, because our eyes can't escape her QUADRUPLE pearl loop, paired with a diamond Navy broach.
Too much, Cindy. Pick one or the other. Maybe then the shoe envy will shift to you.
~ Deal Diva Letitia
(Photos: Huffington Post, Neiman Marcus and Times archives.)
Stephanie Hayes came out of the womb wearing high heels. While other kids were reciting multiplication tables, she was learning to calculate an extra third off the half-price discount during buy-one-get-one week. She loves animal prints, black mascara and anything that sparkles. She objects to visible panty lines, Crocs and anything that costs more than a car payment. And she doesn't drive a nice car. She can be reached at (727) 893-8857 or 
Since she was a little girl Nicole Hutcheson dreamed of dressing like a Vogue cover girl. But her reality was more JCPenney catalog. The fact only honed her better ability to find luxury for less. Always on the hunt for markdowns on designer labels, this Deal Diva’s weaknesses are good jeans and killer heels. She can be reached at (727) 893-8828 or 
Colleen Jenkins learned two invaluable shopping tenets from her mom: 1. Buy quality. 2. Get it on sale. Then she added one of her own: Accessorize, accessorize, accessorize! This Deal Diva’s idea of a blissful Saturday includes a trip to the Ellenton outlet mall. She loves mixing classic with trendy and cheap Target accessories with her markdown Banana Republic duds. She can be reached at (813) 226-3337 or 
A disciple of the little black dress classics school, Letitia Stein stretches her budget by looking for styles with staying power. She lives for 80 percent off shoes at DSW, floral sundresses and bohemian chic tops. She confesses to being a bit of a snob when it comes to handbags and jewelry. She can be reached at (813) 226-3400 or 
What got McCain the Republican nomination was the belief that his status as a moderate and maverick would attract Independents and some Reagan Democrats. The word “Maverick” literally means an unbranded calf, but is now used to refer to politicians who take positions that differ from their associates. This second meaning is what attracted me to McCain. It is now clear however that he is not a maverick in any sense of the word in that he has let himself be branded by the right wing of the republican party and is now part of their herd.
Posted by: JoHn | September 04, 2008 at 11:46 AM