There’s shopping and there’s shopping, and there’s no better place than Paris except for maybe the good ole days in Hong Kong and Singapore, where you can find nearly anything you want, in any color, flavor or shape. The same goes for food in the streets of Paris. See our foodie write-up here and chocolate enticement here. And remember for those reading, the below perspective is from a woman in her forties who tends to have a softer spot than most for European design and shoes. 
I’ll continue to add to this ongoing list of shops, boutiques, streets and funky stores, as well as provide insights as new things emerge. Feel free to add your own experiences and insights to the comments to make the content fresh and alive.
Boutiques, Shoes and Designers:
- Rene Derhy with locations on rue des Rosiers, Boulevard Saint-Michel, rue de Rennes, rue de Sevres, rue Gal Leclerc and in the Galeries Lafayette department store.
- CLIF – I always end up in a CLIF shoe store at least once a Paris visit. There are three locations, 2 rue de Buci, 153 rue de Rennes and 127 Boulevard Saint Germain. They also have a fabulous selection of leather bags and rucksacks.
- Boutique Pataugas on 211 rue Saint Honore.
- Coup 2 Coeur for shoes on 4 rue Clement, 75006, Paris.
- Piscine, with locations near metro stops Odeon, Courcelles, Saint-Paul in the Marais, Abbesses, Rennes, George V. They have accessories and shoes and you’ll no doubt find something to go home with.
- Andre on 106 rue de Rivoli although they have other locations. I LOVE this store. Shoes, boots and bags. Shoes, boots and bags. And they’re all fabulous. The manager Jean-Pierre at the rue de Rivoli store offers incredible customer service. (at the time of writing this – December 2011).
- Moi Cani on 12 rue de L’Odeon with another location on 48 rue Saint Dominique (apparently his wife runs this one). Old school, homemade and very classic traditional clothing – pants, sweaters, shirts.
- Boutiques d’usine with locations around France, but the one in Paris 6th is on 12 rue du Vieux Colombier. Fun and creative.
- Galeries Lafayette is one of the most well known department stores not just in Paris but in Europe if not the world. Massive on several floors, it takes over the street and is particularly fun around the holidays since their window displays are colorful, creative and engaging. Whether you want perfume, jewlery, shoes, boots, accessories or clothing, its a must stop if you appreciate fashion and design.
- Monderer on 22 rue des Francs Bourgeois in Paris.
- Sandro – has a few different locations around Paris.
- Maje – has a few different locations around Paris.
- Kooples – has a few different locations around Paris.
- Paul Smith Shoes at Galeries Lafayette on 40 Boulevard Haussman. I LOVE his designs.
Objects, Houseware, Fun & Creative:
- Rickshaw Objets du Monde on 7 passage du grand cerf. I love this place. From Indonesia and India to other parts of Asia, you’ll find a ton of colorful objects, furniture, materials and more. And what’s even better is that its reasonably priced.
- Le Rideau De Paris on 32 rue du Bac in Paris. This boutique home furnishing shop is small and boutique, but warm and inviting and has apparently been around since 1924. I fell in love with a blanket “throw” a bit beyond my budget and while their prices are higher than a traditional department store, it’s not so absurd that you couldn’t find something fabulous to take home with you especially if you brought a second bag :-)
- ParoxysMe on 1 rue Tiron. This cute boutique in the heart of the Marais has jewelry, decorations and ceramics worth exploring. The closest metro stop is Saint-Paul.
- Compagnie Francaise de L’Orient et de la China on 260 Boulevard Saint Germaine. Not far from my hotel, I wandered into this small store that specializes in plates, cups, bowls and other pottery from Asia.
Shopping Streets:
- Rue du Bac
- Boulevard Saint Germain
- Rue de Rennes
- Rue de Sevres
- Rue Saint Honore
- Rue de Buci
- Rue des Rosier
- Rue du Temple around St. Paul in the Marais
- Rue des Saint Peres (higher end stores)
- Rue de Grenelle (rue de Grenelle and rue des Saint Peres intersect so you can do both in the same walk – both not far from Le Louvre or Musee D’Orsay (5-10 minutes walk). Higher end stores.
- Passage du grand cerf
- Rue du la pompe – Reciproque is a series of shops along Rue du la pompe that has used very high end designer clothing at discounted prices, including shoes. Closest metro is Rue de la Pompe or Passy and then walk about 10 minutes up a not so steep hill until you get to rue de la pompe and take a right. The Reciproque stores will be down several blocks on both the left and the right.
- Rue Berger in the 1st.
- Rue Sauval
- Rue de Louvre (also for food/restaurants)
- Little streets and passageways in and around Etienne Marcel metro stop.
Art Galleries:
- Galerie & Editions Roussard on 13 rue du Mont Cenis in Paris. This very old art gallery is probably the most serious one in Montmartre, at least from what I could detect from meandering around it and several others over a five year period.
- Carre D’Artistes. While lower end than Roussard in Montmartre, they tout 250 up and coming artists that are on display or available at any given time. The prices are all around the same for small, medium and larger original pieces, 10×10, 15×15, 20×20 and 20×30 formats. Reasonable and diverse, it’s worth a stop as the styles include mixed media, traditional acrylics and oils, water colors and sketches and the prices won’t break the bank: 59 euros to 298 at the top end for a 30×30. They remind you several times that each piece is an original and there’s history/background on each of the artists in their gallery.
- Le Capitale Galerie on 18 rue du Roule in Paris. They had a photography exhibition going on when I was there – Peggy Ford-Fyffe King although they obviously rotate. The closest metro is Pont Neuf/Louvre – Rivoli/Les Halles and they’re open every day except for Sunday.
Other Odd Things to Add:
- Puces just outside Paris in Saint ouen. Market with shops, including a Christmas market in December. It’s about 15 minutes outside the city and easily accessible by taxi.
- Photography shoots: if you’re after something a little more edgy than your classic Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triumpth, then head to the far east side of town or in the very south. There’s some interesting graffiti and other interesting things to look at and shoot on Boulevard Raspiel and Rue de Vaugirard (walk, walk, walk). Also check out the areas in and around rue Olivier de Serres and Rue de L’Abbe Groult in the south. These were recommended to me by a limo/taxi driver btw who has lived in Paris for most of his life.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
