RUNWAY TO REALITY : Playing Footsy

Status-label shoes rank high on most women’s fantasy shopping list, but the prices can be out of reach. This summer, there are some good-looking wanna-bes at prices closer to the real world.

An authentic quilted Chanel ballet slipper with bows at the toes is a charmer in white with silver quilting. The price is $275 at I. Magnin. Other colors are available at the Chanel boutique, Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus, Beverly Hills; prices vary.

I. Magnin has a private-label version of the shoe that could almost pass for the original Chanel. It has a slightly higher heel and a softer sole than the designer brand, and the quilting is on the body, not the toe. It’s available in silver with gold leather toes as well as solid colors for $115. Saks Fifth Avenue also carries a Chanel-like flat for $95.

London-based designer Manolo Blahnik created one of the hottest shoes for spring--a mule with a low heel and a buckle on the toe. The shoes are $385 at Neiman Marcus. I. Magnin carries them in suede for $415. But that price doesn’t fit every woman’s budget.

For others, Allure designed a similar shoe for $115, available at I. Magnin.