Charles Anastase, Litas, and Litas for Less

Yes, I’m doing it. The Lita post. There are thousands of Lita posts floating all over the web ever since 2010, when the Lita first came out. Everyone either has, or wants a pair of Litas (when I say everyone, I use this term very loosely). The smartest thing Jeffrey Campbell has ever done was to be inspired by Charles Anastase’s Dungeon Boot.

Charles Anastase's Dungeon Boots, courtesy of The Look 4 Less

Back in 2009, ladies were already going crazy over Charles Anastase’s Dungeon Boot (of which the exact retail price is unknown, only that it was available for pre-order and special order). Imagine the excitement when Jeffrey Campbell came out with the Lita in 2010 for $160. And now, 2 years later, they’ve milked the Lita craze for all it’s worth, producing the Lita in various different colors and prints.

I was successfully staying away from the Lita fad, trying not to buy another pair of shoes. And I was so good too, reading my food blogs and researching new recipes, until I strayed and came upon these.

only size 10 left T_T @ Solestruck

Every time I stray into looking at shoes, I always come upon a pair I absolutely must have. Most times, that pair is already sold out (the Brian Atwood Martina Strass) or it’s sold out in my size. Which is exactly what happened. Not that this means good news for my bank account, or my already overstuff closet. There are plenty of other prints and textures that the Lita comes in that I can move onto. However, in my frantic search to hunt down a pair of Lita Exotics in Black Snake (and then the distressed Brown Leather, and the Mustard), I came across some Litas-for-Less. And this is really why I’m even writing this post. Because then I went and looked at 2 pages worth of Google search on Litas-for-less, and found that people were posting about Litas-for-less that didn’t look like Litas.

So I decided to share the knowledge, and write a looks for less post. Many girls can’t afford to drop $160 or more on a shoe they absolutely love, and there’s no reason why they can’t have the same look for a price they can afford. Chances are that plenty of girls are still searching for a Lita-for-Less, one that doesn’t necessarily involve buying a knock-off from China and getting it in the mail 1-2 months later.

Starting with Go Jane, since that’s the one some people may already know about. They have plenty of fun colors, but I’m going to start with the classics since those are the most popular, and sought for.

Lace up suede platform. $38.55 on sale, comes in 6 other colors

Woven leatherette platform bootie, $42.50, available in tan (as pictured), black, and dark brown

Lace-up leatherette, $41.50, available also in camel

Go Jane offers a pretty good replica of some of the classics for over less than half the price. The original has a more defined arch, grommets (those metal rings you slip the laces through), and a thicker, lighter-coloured cuban heel.

Next is the N.Y.L.A Azlea @ Revolve Clothing on sale now for $65

Available in sizes 8 - 9.5

This is a pretty fair look for less, especially when most people are looking for a Lita-for-Less in a classic color like brown or black. The N.Y.L.A Azlea only comes in the color as pictured above. It’s not 100% like the Lita, as you can see, the Azlea has a lower platform than the Lita.

But we can do better than that price-wise. Urban Nog carries a few Litas-for-Less (actually they have a lot of other designer-for-less styles as well) all for $39.50 (shipping not included). For those of you who might have seen these on Lulu’s, these are the same shoes for a lower price.

The Promise Jocie, a two tone Lita for Less, also available in mustard two tone

The Promise Beacon, the glitter Lita-for-Less, only available in silver as pictured

The Victoria, blue suede Lita-for-Less

These are a pretty good deal, especially for the price. You can see some differences such as the stacked heel in the Promise Beacon and Josie, and the hook closures for the laces up top.The Victoria lacks the usual metal grommets where the laces are pulled through. The closest Lita-for-Less is probably the Francheska in black leather. But you can see that the platform on these is still not quite as high as the original version. Compare it to the original, the Lita in Black Calf Leather (sold out at Solestruck) which is probably the most popular version.

The Francheska, comes also in beige suede

Jeffrey Campbell Lita, Black Calf Leather - courtesy of Solestruck

But wait! We’re not done yet. Necessary Clothing also carries Litas-for-Less, which they call Neccesary Litas (actually a good name, since Litas are indeed necessary now). They have 15 versions of the Necessary Lita, including 2 glitter colors (black and silver), priced at $44.99. If you’re looking for a bright colored, or fun looking Lita-for-Less, then definitely check out Necessary Litas.

The Necessary Lita in classic black

The Necessary Lita in Leopard

And just for fun …

The Necessary Lita, in the U.S. Flag

The most noticeable differences between the Necessary Lita and the actual Lita is the darker heel on the Necessary Lita and the lack of grommets on the Necessary Litas (just like Go Jane). The Necessary Lita in Leopard appears to be made out of faux suede, while the real thing comes in pony. Even so, you can see that the platform and arch of the Necessary Lita is pretty close to the original.

Well that concludes my Litas-for-Less post! I’ve included lots of options, and lots of pictures (because I know how important shoe porn is!). Each site had some classics, and also something fun and different to offer. Take your pick because there are so many options (although not as many as the actual Lita). ^_^ Hope this was helpful, and I hope this post comes up in many a search for the Lita-for-Less!

* Two posts in one day! Actually I had this written before the Hello Kitty post, and I just couldn’t wait to put it up since I’d already written it. ^_^