Alicia Rainbolt, 26
New York City
A last-minute hunt for party shoes in her hometown paid off big-time for Houston native Alicia Rainbolt when she came upon these crimson ballet flats. The public-relations executive, whose beauty signature is red-lacquered lips, was unsurprisingly drawn to the shoes. And given their vivid color — and $30 price tag — who could blame her? They would heat up anything in her closet.

Alicia slips on her beloved flats two or three times a week. “I’m instantly happy when I put them on,” she says. And as with that more celebrated wearer of ruby slippers, Alicia’s red flats gain her plenty of attention. “Everyone calls them my ‘Dorothy shoes,’” says Alicia. She’s flattered that people have taken notice, especially since many of her friends now incorporate red into their looks. Even so, she feels the shoes set her apart: She has never seen their doubles in New York. “I love that no one else has them,” she says of her Texas treasures, proving again that there’s no place like home.