Footing the bill:

In just a couple of trips to the mall, Rosie Badillo realized shopping for that perfect set of heels had gotten a little harder.

It had become a painstaking decision at the register.

"Should I or shouldn't I," she asked herself.

In recent months, it was more of a "shouldn't."

Most young fashionistas, who simply need that perfect shoe for that perfect outfit are finding it difficult to maintain that costly habit.

Costs for manufacturing shoes haven't gone up, but the cost of shipping them has.

Nationwide, shoe retailers are blaming the price increases on higher fuel costs and the weak U.S. dollar, as well as higher costs for leather and other supplies in China, which manufactures about 85 percent of footwear sold in the United States.

Accessories such as hand bags could be next on the list of goods set to become more expensive.

So, Badillo, 25, is having to forgo her usual purchases of Jessica Simpson, Carlos Santana and Steve Madden shoes, most of which are already near the $100 mark.

"With prices going up on everything, my luxury of shopping for a perfect set of heels is a thing of the past," she said.

"It's disappointing. Being a girl is expensive enough."

Shoe prices started increasing a year and a half ago, experts say, with most manufacturers sending out notices earlier this year informing buyers of the price hike. Buyers in turn have become quite selective about which shoe they want on their shelves.

"I'd go to Target or Agaci and buy something quick because they were cheaper, but now I'm not so sure," said Kimberly Garcia, a 22-year-old college student visiting family in the Rio Grande Valley.

More affordable prices that once stood at $18 to $24 now verge on $30.

Payless ShoeSource company representatives have acknowledged an increase in their prices, though have declined to say by how much, The Associated Press reported.

"You know (the price increase) is there, but you don't want to admit it's there," Garcia said on a recent shopping trip at La Plaza Mall.

Still, traffic hasn't slowed down much at La Plaza or the Rio Grande Valley Premium outlets in Mercedes.

On a recent weekend, most shoppers said they would simply cut back on buying shoes if it became too costly.

And with school out for the summer, parents don't have to worry too much, yet.

However, once back-to-school shopping becomes a priority, that nonchalance may wane.

Downtown McAllen often serves as an alternative to mall behemoths like Macy's, Dillards or Joe Brand, where you'll find higher-end shoes and significantly higher price tags.

But even the little guys are feeling the crunch.

Patrick Whitworth has spent the last 35 years in the shoe business. From offering strappy evening heels to trendy flats, his downtown McAllen store, Pat's Shoe Box, is a retail staple.

But like many others, Whitworth has felt the crunch of a weakening dollar.

"If it costs us too much to buy, then we just have to drop that merchandise," he said. "People just don't have that disposable income anymore, but they still want the quality. These days you have to really want what you are buying."

Shoes have already gone up $2 a pair at wholesale, and that may change again by year's end for shoes ordered after June 1.

Retailers go to market next month for the winter/spring styles, which allows store owners to introduce new styles at a set price.

At Alternative Shoe Store on South Main Street, shelves run deep with the very popular Classified and Delicious brands that have maintained a solid reputation as inexpensive fashion steals. These days, a Delicious platform runs about $22, more than the previous $17.99 price tag. Some shoes at Alternative have even jumped to $30 or so.

"Raising the price is what I have to do," owner Gilberto Martinez said. "If not, you're the one that ends up losing.

"Some of my regulars have noticed the prices, others have not. But I'm sure within time they will."

Is there an end to this?

Some are more optimistic than others that relief is pending and believe it will come from a number of places.

Jim Biolos, chief financial officer for Farylrobin footwear which sells to more than 300 boutiques nationwide and major department stores, says it could come from the dollar strengthening or from new developing-country footwear manufacturing markets. China was not always the low-cost footwear capital of the world, he said.

It will also come from general economic factors: currency and the emergence of cheaper, lower-cost production markets.

Farylrobin, which adorned some of the most famous feet in Hollywood - including Halle Berry's, Jessica Simpson's and Lauren Conrad's - also felt the brunt of the economy's plummet.

As a result of the 15 percent price increase, some buyers have decided to pull the designer footwear line from their shelves.

"Farylrobin has stores they sold to five years ago and they still love us, but we're no longer in a price point where their store can really support the line and that's our challenge," Biolos said.

Hurting the little guy

Denial