Saturday, December 02, 2006

Lament About Shoes

I was commenting on Sarah Cool's blog last night, and totally went off on a tangent about shoes and my lack of desire to even look at pretty shoes right now. I decided it was a blog worthy subject!

Is it clear that I love shoes? I adore pretty shoes, high heel shoes, cute Mary Jane style shoes, round toed shoes, patent leather shoes, Merrel shoes, Nine West shoes, Pierre Dumas shoes, and well, basically anything that looks good and is of decent quality.

Now, to be honest, I used to be a Payless kinda girl. Don't get me wrong, I still love Payless, get some of my greatest bargains there. Some of my cutest shoes are from Payless, because that's what that kind of store is good for--- cute cheap shoes that are fashionable, but not necessarily keeper shoes. Oh, you didn't know there's such a thing as keeper shoes?

Shoes are an important part of your wardrobe, ladies. I don't know about y'all, but I have a few different styles in my wardrobe. Of course, there's the maternity wardrobe, which by now, is getting a tad boring.... But there's also the "in style" wardrobe, the "comfortable" wardrobe, and of course, the "classic-keeper" wardrobe. Shoes fall into these categories as well. There are items in my classic-keeper wardrobe that I have had since I was 14-15 years old. They are timeless things, like tailored wool jackets, A-line skirts, simple blouses. Of course, I do update the classic-keeper wardrobe to fit the sizes that I've ranged in the past 15 years.... but still, these are items that I have a hard time parting with, because they are the basics of any wardrobe of mine.

In the shoe categories fall things like espadrilles for the "in style" (well, from summer anyhow) and Merrel mules for "comfortable" and black or navy heels for the "classic-keeper" style (though to be honest, these heels are not more than an inch in height, as that would regulate them to the status of cute shoes, and not classic keepers). There are also "cute" shoes--- shoes that you wear just because they make you feel cute, or they look so wonderful on your feet. They may not be comfortable, but you feel like a new woman when you wear them. These are my favorite shoes. They are also the shoes that I cannot even look at right now.

Typically, my cute shoes tend to have a decent heel on them, tend to be a bit dressy, and are usually expensive. And right now, my feet are so swollen, my legs so tired, and my balance so off, that I cannot look at these shoes in the store without wanting to cry. Because a part of me wants to try these shoes on--- but I know that in order to get them to fit my toes right now, I'll have to go up a size. And then I won't be able to walk in them, because they're too big in the heels-- and I can't keep my balance or walk gracefully in them. And I am a firm believer that one should be able to walk gracefully in your shoes, especially high heels. Nothing worse in my mind than watching some of these women who wear cute shoes stumble around and drag their feet, or else stomp along as if they were elephants. One should glide and give a slight sway of the hips when one walks gracefully in cute high heeled shoes. One should not stumble nor should one stomp. And alas, I am at the point where I stumble. Frequently.

So I have bid adieu to cute shoe shopping until after this baby is born. I have narrowed my personal wearable shoe collection down to comfortable-- which means Merrel mules, flat Mary Janes, and tennis shoes. If you see cute shoes, try them on for me, caress them gently, sniff the leather, admire the arch. But do not tell me about them.


Wow. A whole post about shoes. I'm really not that girly or that shallow. :)

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey GIRLY girl!! :-)

Your tiny little feet are precious in the sight of your family, even if you think they are swollen and tired! HOW HAPPY ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING NEW LIFE! (yes, I took some liberties with that scripture, didn't I...)

We'll go shopping when you pop Steak Diane out.

I don't know why you call her that, or why other people call her that, but it's pretty much the best thing I've ever heard in my whole life.

Anonymous said...

the older i get the more i'm into shoes too (i'm NOT saying your old!!)...just yesterday...during church...i lean to andy and whisper (as i'm admiring how my new shoes look on my feet with my outfit...)..."i really do have some nice shoes...to bad i always wear floppy walmart leather sandals..."!!! you'll have to teach me your shoe expertise!
mindy

Anonymous said...

I can't really comment on the whole shoe thing... i wear one pair to work-the same boots i have worn since 1998. the right is a different color than the left...but i can't find a suitable replacement so i keep wearing them. other than that...tennis shoes. boring i guess.
BUT, a movie quote did come to mind when you were describing walking ...
"It's all in the buttocks, don't I look pretty!"
can you name it?? :)

Anonymous said...

Sandra Bullock in the Miss American movie?! That is my guess.

Jenette said...

see, I was thinking Sandra Bullock too-- Miss Congeniality? One of my favorite movies!

Chris said...

This post reminds me of the Scrubs episode where the women distract the men by saying "shoe shopping".

Anonymous said...

yes, it is Miss Congeniality, but not sandra bullock. it was michael caine-as vic. i know you were all dying to know that. :)

Anonymous said...

hehe yay for cute shoes! :)
I had fun last night,
Lovelovelovelovelove,
Lisa