I’ve been craving a pair of tan suede ankle booties for awhile now — actually since last fall, when I should have picked up a pair. I’ve been holding off on buying them because I already have a pair of black ankle-boots and a pair of gray oxford-like booties, but now that I’m working in a more casual office, I’m really feeling the need for a more casual pair of tan booties to dress down my skirts and dresses or to give me some height with jeans.

Isabel Marant Booties

Like everyone else (including half of Hollywood), I’m obsessed with Isabel Marant’s Dicker booties.

Miranda Kerr in Isabel Marant booties

Kate Bosworth in Isabel Marant Booties

Celebs Love Isabel Marant Booties {via RCFA}

And even though I’m trying to move toward a new way of thinking — i.e., investing in fewer, nicer quality items that I’ll wear all the time — because it’s spring already, I don’t know if I can bring myself to spend over $600 on a pair of shoes I know I won’t really wear in two months (running sneakers are pretty much the only non-open shoes I wear June-August). Plus, I have a creeping fear in the back of my head that it would be just my luck for these booties to go out of style by next fall after years of being in style.

Isabel Marant “Dicker”

Although APC (left below) and Rag & Bone’s (right below) slightly more rugged versions are a bit more affordable, they still feel a little steep to invest in just before summer.

Rag & Bone

APC

I am loving Tory Burch’s “Lindsay” bootie in Ash, which clocks in at the more reasonable, but not significant $300 range.

Tory Burch

There are a bunch of other copy-cat styles as well that I rounded up below that look very similar, but none that are exactly the heel height, cut, color of the IM ones I want.

The less-pricey options would certainly be easier on my wallet, but I’m not sure they’d ease the potential buyer’s response that’s been keeping me from pulling the trigger on any pair of booties. As much as I’d like to save some money, I’d rather not spend $400 or $200 on a similar pair of booties if they’re not similar enough to satisfy my Isabel Marant bootie craving. There have been plenty of instances where I’ve gotten the cheaper substitution only to find myself still craving the real deal months later and eventually giving in to that for an even bigger money suck. Has that ever happened to you?

Kate Bosworth in Isabel Marant “Dicker” boots

Anyway, what do you think? Worth the splurge on the Isabel Marant booties, or should I opt for one of these lower-priced version instead?