Made in Italy, Coveted in America

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• Blue suede shoes from Ballin
• Super cute bike bags by Balla Billa. These bags are so fun it will make you want to ride a bike, even if you don't. See the full collection, including some amazing pink leather bags with hand-painted dainty cherry blossoms at
• The Mario Valentino line has been called the equivalent of the Italian Steve Madden.
• Staggeringly high platforms from Grey Mer
• Manas, a more middle of the road, but still super cute brand.
• Glamorous gladiators by Salvatore Procopio
• Shoes by Grey Mer and Bag by Tavecchi
• Ostrich sandals from Mauri

You know when you see a runway show, you drool over the clothes and then you start getting bummed that you can't immediately get your hands on the goods? We're going to do a little of that, right now. We got a sneak peak of some Italian shoe brands that are getting ready to launch or expand distribution in the US, at Casa Italia, an event that was done in conjunction with a week-long celebration of Italian cinema and culture held last week in Beverly Hills.

The shoes run the gamut from sweet and demure flats to Gaga-esque towering platforms of mesh and snakeskin. We got introduced to Mario Valentino, the "Italian equivalent to Steve Madden", as well as a few other labels: Ballin, Salvatore Procopio, Manas, Mauri and Grey Mer, a brand that already has a presence in the United States and has made red carpet appearances on Michelle Rodriguez and Bai Ling (but don't let that put you off). Should you want to do a little shoppa-shoppa, we've included the sites that do US ecommerce sales. Click through the gallery to see the shoes you're gonna want, as well as a bike bag that may inspire you to buy a whole new bike.
· Ballin [Official Site]
· Grey Mer [Official Site]
· Mauri [Official Site]