Are they a splurge? Hoo boy, yeah. But have they changed the way women think and feel about their shoes? Again: The answer is a definitive yes. Christian Louboutin shoes skyrocketed to popularity by managing to be that rare combination of fashionable and comfortable—not to mention luxuriously well-made. Stars of the big and small screen swear by them, women save for months to own them, and their trademark red leather sole is an unmistakable status symbol for fashion-lovers in the know. We're saving our pennies (okay, our twenties) for this gorgeous new Mary Jane style, as suitable for the big meeting as for the big night out. Mesh Mary Jane, $820 at Barneys.com.