Shoe Versus Shoe: Rock & Republic Nikki Pumps Vs. Luichiny Fanta See Pumps

Okay everyone, how about we play a game? Just a little test on how well you can inspect shoes, maybe a test on how well you know your brands, and some people might even say a test on “how great is your taste” in footwear.

So – can you guess which of these two are the $300 shoes and which are the $70 ones? Logos have been edited out:

More angles:

One of these are the $325.00 Rock & Republic Nikki Pumps while the other are the $69.95 Luichiny Fanta See Pumps.

So which is which? No peeking and definitely no clicking on the links yet! The answer is below.

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Got your guesses? Here’s the answer:

The first pair , the top shoe, are the Luichinys. The second pair are the Rock & Republics.

Kudos to you if you got it right!

Don’t worry if you didn’t; I’ve been writing about these brands for quite a while now and I still got them confused. It was the shiny steel heel on the Luichinys that got me fooled! I’m sure the high quality leather on R&Rs are just divine and all, but it’s the kind of thing you gotta see in person to appreciate. Maybe I would’ve guessed right if Luichiny made theirs out of faux leather (no way can they make it out of real leather and sell it at just a $69.95 price point), but it’s such a good copy in faux suede that I would have a hard time even then.

I know, I know, some of you might say that I should be appalled that Luichiny made a total knockoff of the Rock & Republic pumps but hey, they’re over $250 cheaper and my wallet sings songs of joy at that much money saved. I also happen to like faux suede on shoes – they’re just so much easier to care for and I don’t have to mind my shoes all the time while wearing them.

Does that justify the design stealing? No, probably not. But it does give us more choices. It sounds heavy but it’s up to us which choice is right for us, and that should also apply to shoes.

Both the Rock & Republic Nikki Pumps and the Luichiny Fanta See Pumps are available at Zappos.com.