Shoegasm: The Most Outrageous and Expensive Shoes (and what you could buy with that money)

Sex and the City made designer shoe brands like Manolo Blahniks and Jimmy Choos iconic. But why are they so darn expensive?

According to Elizabeth L. Kline, author of the new book Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion, most of the price is due to markup. “If you look at the cost of designer footwear, in many cases it’s doubled or tripled in the past decade,” she says. “There’s no corresponding increase in quality. In fact, in a lot of cases you’ve seen a reduction in quality. People should be shocked and disappointed in these companies for marking up their shoes the way that they do.”

Get the most bang for your buck at America's best 50 shoe stores

Here’s a look at five of the most over-the-top designer shoes available this summer—and what that money could buy instead.