Let Your Feet Beat a Path to Great Westwood Shoe Buys

One of my longtime favorite shoe sources, Window Italy in Westwood, has vanished. But on a recent stroll down Westwood Boulevard, I uncovered other good bargain shoe dealers that help compensate for this loss.

Check out the first block south of UCLA for Leather by David, where a variety of manufacturers are represented. Vaneli, Etienne Aigner, Joan & David, Phyllis Poland, Bruno Magli and Sesto Meucci were priced either at $19.99 or $39.99. Although not all current season, the quality was good. The large selection of handbags on the walls reflects the influence of owner David Kohan. They’re all leather and priced at $38.

LEATHER BY DAVID, 919 Westwood Blvd., (310) 209-1985.

Up the street, there’s TOP SHOES, where I found many brands attractive to, not surprisingly, the college crowd . . . like Yellow Box, Chinese Laundry, Mootsie Tootsie, Via Soho and Hot Menu. There were a few pairs from Jones New York, Kenneth Cole and Luisa D’Oro. The discounts ranged from 20% to 50% below retail, a few even better. Some gold Kenneth Cole clogs were $39 (retail $110).

TOP SHOES, 933 Westwood Blvd., (310) 208-6238.

It’s not all shoes along the boulevard, however. A stop in CASUAL PLUS revealed some fairly good buys in women’s apparel and a few terrific deals. The half-off rack by the door had the best bargains, with such names as Jones New York, Tadashi and Fina Fina, all at drastically reduced prices. Only one of a kind, but maybe you’ll get lucky. There were some lush chenille sweaters at $39.99 that retail for $85. Some G.U.E.S.S. stretch jeans were a good buy at $34 (retail $80) and deep discounts, too, on Paris Blues. Sizes go from 0 to 15, with the greatest concentration in the small sizes.

CASUAL PLUS, 927 Westwood Blvd., (310) 209-0202.

With these bargains all within a block, it makes shopping easy, and the parking situation has improved tremendously.

Weekend Super Sale: As long as you’re in Westwood, one of the best sources for fine jewelry at good prices is Shanes. They’re having a special on engagement rings priced 20% below their already low prices, which comes to just about wholesale.

SHANES, 1065 Broxton Ave., (310) 208-8404.