Remember when Tommy Ton threw the whole world into fits of jealousy after shooting French Vogue’s Emmanuelle Alt wearing Isabel Marant’s studded booties mere hours after last season’s show?

Because we do - and despite their sold out status, we’re still lusting for them. So is Steve Madden. Surprised? Just another opportunity for him to cash in on someone else’s great design.

Steve’s Blitzi booties are an obvious knock-off of Isabel’s Rider. He’s managed black suede, a rounded toe and the low slung black leather strap underneath the studded cuff. His studs are silver, which is spot on, but he got lazy in the back and replaced Marant’s black suede cone heel with a chunk of square brown synthetic wood - they’re still almost $200.

Save your pennies for when Marant opens that Soho store early next year.

At the end of August, we wrote an Adventures in Copyright begging Alexander McQueen to do something about Steve Madden’s blatant copies.

Some of you agreed, one commenter asked, “Do you think McQueen cares this much?” To which of course we’d heartily answer yes.

So you can imagine, or try to, how high we jumped for joy when this morning, WWD announced that McQueen’s suing Madden.

The suit, filed in Manhattan October 1, calls Madden’s Seryna bootie a “studied imitation” of McQueen’s Faithful and points out, like we did, that the only detail missing is McQueen’s trademarked skull zipper. In exchange for Madden’s attempts to profit off of the Brit’s “widespread media attention,” they’re asking for an injunction, profits and payment of legal fees.

Now if we could just get Messieurs Blahnik and Louboutin on the case, throw in Tamara Mellon’s attitude, Jessie Randall’s charm and Marc’s spunk, this could be the most fashionable class action lawsuit ever.

Sometimes I think Steve Madden worships Alexander McQueen the way I do, and that that’s why he constantly attempts the same designs.

But that can’t be right, because I’d be sick with guilt if I made my small fortune off stealing his creativity.

Madden has no such guilt - he’s struck again with McQueen’s peep toe Faithful bootie. His Seryna bootie comes with a ridged leather heel, snapped leather pulled over the ankle and a zip up the front.

It’s missing the skull zipper puller though, and as our tipster says, “McQueen’s luxe leather.”

Here She Is: Vogue’s smallest September issue in years checks in at 584 pages. Charlize Theron holds down the cover in one of the most unflattering pictures ever. {TFS}

Disposable Income: Of all the new things on Net-a-Porter, this $11,255 jumpsuit complete with a drop crotch and sequined bodice actually made us laugh out loud. They call it “the ultimate in status style.” {Net-a-Porter}

Now You Know: Did you ever wonder how Anna Della Russo, Trainas & Co. remained so damned perfect throughout hours of shows on opposite sides of pretty big cities? Well, now you know. {Sartorialist—Jak&Jil}

Really Though: Every day someone declares heels dead and flats in or platforms over and stilettos the rage, but really, don’t people just mix it up everyday? Is it so wrong to want both? {TimesUK}

Alexander McQueen made some super sick grommetted booties. Which we spotted on Mischa pre-breakdown.

We’re thinking they’re an ideal transitional shoe. The grommets take what is a fairly average bootie and make it amazingly sexy and edgy. They’re currently on sale for $900.

Then one of our sleuthing readers showed us that Steve Madden, the brand ubiquitous with stealing designs and parading them as their own, was at it again, this time attacking Mr. McQueen’s booties.

As we told you yesterday, Rachel Zoe’s first newsletter arrived today touting her first obsession, a Brian Atwood leopard “shootie”. Of course, she “DIES” over them. And while I’m not typically one for animal prints, it is a gorgeous shoe. It’s very RZ and we all know she and Brian are super tight, so no surprise on her pick of designer.

At the bottom of the newsletter, she also shows a Steve Madden shoe in a section called “Parallel Universe.” You would find said shoe on our site in “Adventures in Copyright.”

Obviously RZ has a wide range of fans, but we wonder how her fashion friends will feel about her promoting knock-offs of their creations. Just a little something to think about.

A reader just sent us the link to this Steve Madden bag and our stomach kind of dropped.

We expect him to copy the Fendis, Givenchys and Christian Louboutins, but as always, it’s so much more painful to watch a small, independent designer get ripped off.

Alexander Wang launched bags less than two years ago, just a few styles, all slouchy, all zippered, all made from incredibly soft leather and all at relatively reasonable prices (around $700). Steve Madden’s sold bags forever, all plastic and all shiny and not always rip-offs - the handbag ‘designers’ obviously lack the shoe ‘designers’ budget (because they do go out and buy loads of Chloe and Chanel and Louboutin shoes, rip them up and rebuild them to make the copies spot on).

But someone in that department loved Alex’s Brenda Zip bag so much, they went and made their own and called it the B-Zipcross. Then they threw in a copy of Alex’s model-loved Donna Hobo just for good measure.

Sometimes, Steve really pisses us off.

Steve Madden’s officially on track to win copier of the year.

This time, he’s appropriated Fendi’s suede basket booties. The Steve Madden version’s patent leather - because fake patent leather’s the cheapest material one can get. But the key points are practically identical - from the front platform to the skyscraper heel to the angular cut-outs to the peep-toe shape, the major difference is quality, detail and of course, the price tag.

Yes, we understand the gaping difference between $760 for Fendi and $89.95 for Steve Madden.

But on top of the quality the former gets you is the thinner stiletto, the scooped peeped toe, the gold side zipper, the flattering shape, the exquisite suede and the knowledge it’ll last you more than a season. It’s enough to make you wait for a sale and pray that your size is still available.

Sorry Steve - maybe next time.

—CARSON GRIFFITH

The most successful rip-offs, the things that fly off shelves, are the products directly modeled on something that everyone from the die-hard fashion fan to the suburban high school girl is familiar with.

More Carrie Bradshaw’s Dior gladiators than Margiela.

But we’re guessing these have been knocked off because Rachel Bilson rocked the nude version of the half-sandal, half-boot shoe with some on trend boyfriend jeans last summer, not because Margiela’s the new cerulean.

But will they actually sell? Can Steve Madden market this $170 shoe to the mall going masses? And if so, can it come with an informational packet on how incredible Martin Margiela is and what he’s done for fashion in the past twenty-five plus years?

The best part is you can actually see how insanely luxurious the leather is on the Margiela shoe through this teeny tiny online picture and if they weren’t sold out everywhere, it’d only cost you an extra $400 for a million times more quality.

From 6pm to 9pm tonight, the entire Steve Madden Soho store is 50% off. You didn’t hear it from us.

We thought YSL was getting a break - everyone with access to a shoe-making factory ripped off last year’s woven Tribute sandal (which are still everywhere, though now paired with thick Wolford’s instead of the summer’s Current/Elliots).

But we noticed these vaguely familiar sandals in Steve Madden’s window yesterday.

The too shiny black patent platform stiletto comes with a criss-cross strap that wraps around the ankle and closes with a teeny tiny button. Their main fault, aside from the excessive shine, is the jarring tan color on the inside of the heel.

See, the YSL original - also called the Tribute which is kind of confusing since it’s a totally different shoe - is still patent, but won’t blind you thanks to its subtle texture and not-so-subtle quality. The straps close with a button - that was spot on, Steve - but the inside of the heel stays black, as it should.

If only Naomi Campbell knew Steve Madden, we bet she’d teach him a lesson.

We can’t get Madonna’s green shag Louis Vuitton outfit out of our mind. Not because it’s hideous, but because it’s a total look from the Spring 09 Louis Vuitton runway. So instead of reacting with, “What the hell is that?” like our boyfriend did, we said “Who the hell wears practically a whole look?”

We love the runway - the innovation, the style, the down-to-the-last-detail polish. And we love integrating the pieces we can into our wardrobe, even the inspired-by steals. But a head-to-look isn’t just the total yawn it is in editorials - in real life, it kind of feels like cheating, too.

And think about it - Madonna is Madonna, obviously, and even she’s washed out by the runway reference (not to mention said shag), so we can’t imagine how even a regular person wouldn’t feel like some Burberry impersonator if they wore a total Burberry look. Besides, isn’t it more fun to make designer pieces (or ideas) work with what you have to create your own version of something everybody’s already seen?

The outfits we admire are always those that seem to have the most genuine personality - take Kate Moss, or the Olsens, for instance, who have yet to be photographed in a head-to-toe look (other than when on the runway).

But what do you think? Are total looks totally acceptable? Or total cop-outs?

—HAYLEY PHELAN

In an interesting twist in the ongoing game of product diversification, Steve Madden’s just announced that they’ve signed a licensing agreement with Revman, the same company that does the sheets/throw pillows/towels for the likes of Michael Kors and Tommy Hilfiger.

Fans of Steve Madden can look out for the bed and bath products at department stores starting during Spring 09, at which point Calvin Klein Home can probably expect to see their sheets and bath mats sold for half the price at wherever Steve Madden’s home line is sold.

But since half-price homewares are exactly what most of us need, we’re hoping these go the route of Steve’s mary janes - decent takes on classics. But only time will tell.

A reader just alerted us to this very subtle, yet uncanny Prada knock-off.

We were amazed because:

1. The knock-off is by DKNY - not Forever21, not Jeffrey Campbell, nor Steve Madden.

2. We know it’s a gladiator sandal, but the straps are so exactly the same, it’s creepy.

3. Vogue.com put the DKNY’s in their Need it Now section, but not only did Prada design the sandal already, but the originals are also on sale at Bergdorf’s for practically the same price as the full-price DKNY’s.

4. DKNY even gave the type of sandal a different name - they consider them huarache sandals while Prada considers theirs gladiators…

On a related note, DKNY’s really on a roll these days, no?

—ALEXANDRA BEN-GURION

A few months ago, the Olsens announced they’d be collaborating with Robert Lee Morris for a line of jewelry to complement their Elizabeth and James line.

Today, they’ve announced they’re doing another collaboration for E and J to make shoes - with Steve Madden.

Now, don’t get us wrong. Contrary to popular belief, we don’t have a problem with Steve Madden shoes in general. We only get annoyed at the knock offs - otherwise, we think he should make all the patent, Mary Janes his heart desires. And if he wants to partner with a clothing label as official cobbler, great.

But Elizabeth and James clothes typically range between $285 and $700, lower if it’s a tee, higher if it’s a coat. And we’ve never seen a pair of Steve Maddens make is past one season before wearing through completely - something expensive shoes should never do.

The collaboration hits stores sometime after Spring of next year, and according to WWD, will be sold in “high-end specialty retailers,” so we’re pretty sure we can expect to see them alongside the $800 feather skirts at Saks and Intermix.

So is this the beginning of $500 Steve Maddens? Or $100 gladiators at Neiman Marcus?

Either way, it’s quite a flip-flop of shoe prices - Either cheap shoes are going to get really expensive, or high-end retailers will carry cheap shoes. It’s like the high and low are crashing in the middle of the fashion spectrum, like the Big Bang at the beginning of some new direction for shopping. Maybe stores will take a cue from e-tailers, and start carrying a wider range of price points to attract as many types of customers as possible?

Guess we’ll see.

You guys have a soft spot for knock-offs when the designer being copied doesn’t enjoy the world dominance of say, Marc - so this should get you riled up.

Steve Madden’s ripped off Loeffler Randall’s Bianca Flat just a year after ripping off their beloved Kit boot.

The Brooklyn label made the slightly wedged, pointed toe flat last season in patent, snake skin and a sandal version.

It’s available for pre-order on Steve Madden’s site now. He threw in a few more ruffles on top of the toe and made it in a couple of extra colors - but we’re on to him.

Also, does Steve Madden really get away with selling $200 dollar shoes under the Steve Madden label? And, do people really pre-order them?

We love Givenchy.

Ricardo Tisci’s pumped the label full of rock star elegance and some incredible accessories and some seriously edgy shoes including these strappy, buckled, Gwyneth-approved heels.

Yes. They’re amazing.

Steve Madden thinks so, too. In fact, he’s selling his copy for a whopping $200. Which is about $800 less than the originals. Unfortunately, $200 is far too much for anything from Steve Madden, especially yet another plastic looking imitation shoe with a too-short heel.

Steven, please stop ruining pretty shoes.

Oops. We put some time and effort into a Sergio Rossi DIY a couple of months ago.

They didn’t look perfect, but they were still fun and definitely had more character than these.

The paint drip started popping up in places both vintage and new, but Steve Madden got so distracted by Carrie Bradshaw’s shoes, he forgot to copy one of the coolest summer trends.

Which gave GoJane time to make what they call the “Stripe Colorblock Heel”. The drip is almost exactly the same. The problem is the high cut toe, the chunky-too-short heel, and the plastic looking sheen.

And for $18.99? We dare you to wear them more than once.

Except for the shape of the buckle and a slight roundedness of the toe, we can’t imagine how someone would tell the difference between this Alexander McQueen peep-toe and its evil Madden twin.

So when reader Marianne sent them in for our archives, we immediately thought the following:

1. If it weren’t for the Steve Madden label in the shoe at right, could anyone tell which is which?

2. When did Steve Madden get so good at these carbon copies?