Jimmy Choo Aurelie 85mm patent leather pointed pumps

 

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Where I got it

After buying my first pair of Jimmy Choos (Bing 65), I fell in love. I was able to pair the Bing mules with a formal dress for a church wedding, for a girl’s lunch date and I’m looking forward to wearing it to more Christmas parties this year. Go to my previous blog post to see my full review. I was charged over $400 for customs tax last time, so in total, I paid a little over what I would in retail in New Zealand. At that time, I had not realized that Jimmy Choo already has a store in Auckland and the prices are not inflated. The Bing 65 is NZD$1,595 which is just under $100 from what I paid, but to get it in-store, you can try it on, get some good customer service and you can get your shoes right away.

I was not expecting to buy anything, I was just browsing and checking out the prices, but the SAs there were so friendly and nice! My Bing 65 obviously was a conversation starter. I was wearing a light cream knit that day with pale blue jeans and an LV silk scarf just draped around my neck. I saw this pair of patent leather pumps on the stand with pearls and I picked up 65mm heels and thought the price wasn’t too bad at $1,395. I don’t know about you, but sometimes I am really fed up looking at prices in Euros or Pounds or USD via these online stores. I want to know exactly the price for something I have my eyes on. Mytheresa.com is selling these for €585 which is around NZD$1,014 (before tax). I might be able to get away from paying customs because the threshold for tax when shopping overseas is NZD$1,000, but I want to compare the experience between online shopping and retail shopping. PLUS, I will be traveling to Melbourne in November so I took advantage of duty-free shopping which I was able to save just under $200. So, I paid NZD$1,195.70 for these heels (saving NZD$199.30). However, I have to pick it up at the collection point when I depart so I have to drag the shoes along with the box and everything to Melbourne and back (oh bother!).

You can find these pumps on the Jimmy Choo website (AUD$1,275). Jimmy Choo in Westfield New Market store NZD$1,395 (duty-free NZD$1,195.70). From what I saw in the store, 65mm and 85mm were the same price. This style comes in black and ballet pink. I checked with the sales person who served me, you are able to order shoes via a phone call and they will send you a secure payment link for payment. They can do retail or duty-free purchases like that and they can ship you the items free of charge.

*UPDATE* I picked up my shoes at the Collection Point after customs and my bag was taped shut to be secure. I unboxed the shoes inside my hotel room with one hand and tried them on right away!

What I got

These are the Jimmy Choo Aurelie 85 patent leather pointed pumps with pearl embellishments in shade Latte (size 36.5). Our AURELIE pumps are crafted in Italy from latte patent leather. Sophisticated and standout, this pointed-toe style is set on slim 85mm heels and defined by a single strap of glossy white pearls. Let yours carry you effortlessly from dawn to dusk.

• Patent leather
• Pearl and crystal embellishment
• Pointed toe
• Open sides
• Arch strap
• Heel height measures: 85mm/3.3 inches
• Made in Italy

Packaging and duty-free experience

As I mentioned before, I had to pick these up before I fly out and the Jimmy Choo sales told me that they can only do pick up on departure, not on arrival. So before our flight out, we went to the collection point to retrieve our items. The pair of shoes was in fantastic condition inside the box with tissues wrapped and stuffed to avoid deformation. The box and bag is great condition except for the fact that they were taped shut at the top and when you rip open the tape, it damages the bag so I will be throwing that out when we get home. The shoes come with a single dust bag for the shoes along with a little care booklet. I did see a little bit of wear on the sole of these shoes and I think that’s because when I bought these shoes, they were the ones in the store and they were the last pair of my size.

Sizing and fit 

I tried the white ones on (the shade name is Latte), and also the black ones. She also offered me 85mm to try on. At first, I was a little reluctant, but the 85mm looked so good and it elongates my legs and slimmed my ankle so beautifully! I could not resist! I pulled up my jeans past my ankle and they already looked so nice with my outfit. Latte looks pretty and elegant, while black gives that edge and sexy vibe while still looking girly with pearls. I went for the same size I did with the Bing, which was 36.5. I also tried size 37 and they were obviously too big as my heels were falling off as I walk.

With size 36.5, the front part of my feel fits snugly with the shoes and the pearl strap just over the front. This feels more secure than Bing as there is a heel. The toe box is also quite short with a v-shaped front to further elongate the legs, not cutting off the ankles. My feet are on the wider side so I was quite pleased to see that my feet have not squeezed out on the sides, the style of the shoe was able to keep my feet looking slim and still feel comfortable.

Pairing

Some might wear these as their bridal shoes because of the color and pearl embellishment, but I would say the pearls make it easier to wear on a less formal occasion. It is less bling, but still expensive looking. It looked really good with the Zimmermann silk crinkle mini dress I wore to Melbourne (which I also wore with sneakers during the trip). I would expect this to look just as good with ankle-length jeans and/or midi dresses. The pearls add a touch of elegance without being too flashy and showy.

Overall

I am over the moon with these heels, even though these are not the most popular styles from Jimmy Choo at the moment and I don’t understand why they are not! They are so flattering on the feet with that low strap and comfortable height. 85mm is still comfortable to wear for a little bit of walking and the back of the heel does not scratch my heel. The ivory white colour makes it less stark and whilst it looks great as bridal shoes, these are also great for daytime wear.

The fit is snug, but not tight. The strap over the top holds your feet down so it doesn’t slip out, but compared to the crystal strap of my Bing65, these are more snug-fitting. The Bing65 strap is quite loose so it gives me space for the thickness of my feet. For $1,200, I wouldn’t say these are the cheapest pair of heels, but I am sure I would be able to wear these heels numerous times and they are not “trendy” styles that go out of fashion. They look classy, chic, lady-like, and flattering and that is what I want my outfit to look like most of the time.