I absolutely love the look of the Loeffler Randall pleated lamé Penny knotted bow heels; they’re such a versatile pair of shoes and are especially perfect for celebrations, date night, or any time really! If you’ve been here for a while, you know that I love the Loeffler Randall brand and their shoes, but fully acknowledge that their price tags can certainly be daunting.
I want to preface my post with this note: normally, when it comes to designer items I will save up to buy the real thing (I want to support designers by buying their products!), but because of my hyperhidrosis I tend to RUIN shoes in a very short time so I can’t always justify the cost of the designer shoes that I want!
Every once in a while I stumble across a gem of a decent designer replacement. If you’re interested, I have found quite a few dupes of other Loeffler Randall shoe styles (which can be found here).
These Dorothea Gold Knotted High Heel Sandals at Lulus are such a similar look to the Penny Heels and for under $40! They also come in an Ivory color that would be so lovely for a bridal style. The pleated fabric and knotted bow are very similar to the look of the designer version and I love that this pair is also created with a cushioned insole and sturdy [wrapped!] block heel.
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EDIT 04.08.2022
Since writing this post in March 2021, I have ordered a pair of the Loeffler Randall heels (but I bought the ankle strap version for my own stability; admittedly, I’m not great at walking in heels) and because this post has been so popular I thought it might be helpful to actually order the Lulus dupe to compare them side-by-side.
First off, I want to note that the gold was unavailable when I placed my order (probably because you guys sold it out 😜) so I won’t be able to compare the gold tones against one another as I had to order the rose gold color instead, but it was possible to evaluate every other aspect.
First off: the heel height is slightly different; only about a quarter of an inch (if that!) but worth noting. This also illustrates the difference in material textures of both shoes.
You can also see the difference in the shape of the insole — the LR shoes offer a more ergonomic shape whereas the dupe is pretty much flat. Additionally, the material of the vamp of the Lulu’s version goes up quite a bit higher on the sides of your foot than the Loeffler Randall ones do. I don’t necessarily consider this a detraction, just something of note (in fact, it could contribute to a more secure feel on your foot?).
Not that anyone will be inspecting your shoes, but this seam on the inside of the dupe’s heel looks a bit sloppy to me; the Loeffler Randall heel is seamless. Again, this isn’t something that would make or break my decision, just something of note. I also noticed that the Lulu’s version is quite a bit heavier that the LRs? Not sure about the material difference, but it was an observation that I made.
Lastly, (and sorry for the extreme close-up of my toes… 😬) this is the bow side-by-side while being worn. You can totally see the difference in quality and care that was put into both shoes.
In summation: you get what you pay for. Loeffler Randall delivers on both quality and finesse, but if the pricepoint is out of your budget then the Lulus version will certainly work.
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I’m pretty impressed with the look of this Loeffler Randall Penny knockoff and it seems like they’re going fast, so act quickly if you think you might like a pair!! Hopefully Lulus will do a restock, but there’s no guarantee that they will. You may also be able to find a pair in your size via Poshmark — it’s my favorite place to shop for things that are sold out!
My best friend recently shared this Amazon blatant rip-off of the Loeffler Randall style with me. I have absolutely no information regarding the quality, but given the price I imagine the bar is quite low.
I also found this style and it looks fairly similar, but it definitely lacks the bow.
If you are interested in the shorter heel option (the Emilia Knot Heel) I found a great dupe for it that I shared in this post!
It would be remiss of me not to mention that Loeffler Randall recently started offering AfterPay which allows the customer the ability to pay for their desired product(s) in 4 equal installments. So, if you just can’t live without “the real thing” (and I totally get it! I adore LR!) you can make good use of this new feature on their site at checkout! I was able to take advantage of a sale last year and bought a pair of the Emilia heels. I can honestly say that Loeffler Randall shoes are absolutely worth the hype.
I hope this post was helpful for those of you also wanting the look for less!
Happy shopping, friends!
Sending hugs —
xx, Natalie
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