Shoe-Limia
Between reconciling my Christmas spending and hearing about market panic, I've been really trying to reel in my spending. I've held off on my typical "OMG, it's January, and if I don't get something now, I'll be stuck until spring comes" binge, and with the exception of a rather smart piece of furniture, house expenditures are way down. And nothing is more indicative of this than the fact that I haven't bought a pair of shoes since August (ah, but what a pair they were!). So that's six months avoiding my own personal Waterloo of shopping. And then yesterday came.
It was inevitable, really. Along with the holidays came my mother's visit, which was nothing if not a week-long eating extravaganza. Add that to the first few weeks of school, and let's just say that my loose pants are no longer my loose pants. So I've been to the gym (or at least vowing to go) far more often than last semester. But there are only so many times your toes can go to sleep on the elliptical machine before you realize that it's time for new trainers, eh? So yesterday, I bit the bullet and headed to the DSW. Because if I'm going to spend money on shoes, I'll be damned if I'm buying $120 sneakers, for god's sake!
After trying on many, many kinds of trainers (running? walking? cross training? why doesn't someone just make a generic "gym" shoe?!), in every brand conceivable (New Balance, Ryka, Adidas, Nike, Mizuno, for crying out loud), and taking practice laps around the store in each pair (yup, I'm serious about this stuff), I finally found a pair of Adidas that seemed appropriate. My feats of athleticism, however, led me to consider all of the weirdnesses of my feet (wide like paddles, pronation problems, etc.), and the ways in which my regular (read: cute) shoes might exacerbate these issues. At the top of the list: my favorite black ankle boots---the ones I wear weekly, have heels that now look like they were cut on the diagonal. Did I mention the pronation problem? And here I was at DSW, and maybe I should just look around, and gosh, look over there! The exact same boots I have now, except with a zipper! And heels that don't look like they've been chewed by a very precise dog!
Here, then, is a pic of my spoils from yesterday:
"But wait!" I hear you say. There are THREE pairs of shoes in that picture! Yes, well. Last night Senor Fluff wanted to blow his Barnes and Noble gift card on some Agatha Christie novels (there's really just no accounting for taste). I went along for the ride, since I had to return some items to Macy's, which is conveniently located in the same mall. Since the local Macy's is obviously run by Capitalism Satan, however, it was in the midst of its winter shoe clearance. On my way to housewares to take back pillowcases, then, I just took a quick peek at the over-run sale racks. I was strong, I tell you. I resisted red patent leather pumps, metallic flats, green satin peep toed wedges (that one hurt, I gotta tell you). But then, I had a moment. I haven't worn lace-up shoes for years, but it's clear that somehow Victoria Beckham and her bizarrely-alluring bitch-goddess/schoolgirl look has seeped into my consciousness. Because since when am I interested in suede oxfords with 3 1/2 inch heels? Oooh, since last night, apparently. And even more interested when they were 75% off. Here they are, in all their glory:
Those will be just the thing with tights and dresses, no? Break up the monopoly that knee-high boots have had all winter? Let me play out my professor=modern victorian fantasies?
Sigh. I've apparently become a shoe-limic. Last night's binge has necessitated today's purge. If you drive by a pile of shoes left out in the snow, you'll know where to find me.
It was inevitable, really. Along with the holidays came my mother's visit, which was nothing if not a week-long eating extravaganza. Add that to the first few weeks of school, and let's just say that my loose pants are no longer my loose pants. So I've been to the gym (or at least vowing to go) far more often than last semester. But there are only so many times your toes can go to sleep on the elliptical machine before you realize that it's time for new trainers, eh? So yesterday, I bit the bullet and headed to the DSW. Because if I'm going to spend money on shoes, I'll be damned if I'm buying $120 sneakers, for god's sake!
After trying on many, many kinds of trainers (running? walking? cross training? why doesn't someone just make a generic "gym" shoe?!), in every brand conceivable (New Balance, Ryka, Adidas, Nike, Mizuno, for crying out loud), and taking practice laps around the store in each pair (yup, I'm serious about this stuff), I finally found a pair of Adidas that seemed appropriate. My feats of athleticism, however, led me to consider all of the weirdnesses of my feet (wide like paddles, pronation problems, etc.), and the ways in which my regular (read: cute) shoes might exacerbate these issues. At the top of the list: my favorite black ankle boots---the ones I wear weekly, have heels that now look like they were cut on the diagonal. Did I mention the pronation problem? And here I was at DSW, and maybe I should just look around, and gosh, look over there! The exact same boots I have now, except with a zipper! And heels that don't look like they've been chewed by a very precise dog!
Here, then, is a pic of my spoils from yesterday:
"But wait!" I hear you say. There are THREE pairs of shoes in that picture! Yes, well. Last night Senor Fluff wanted to blow his Barnes and Noble gift card on some Agatha Christie novels (there's really just no accounting for taste). I went along for the ride, since I had to return some items to Macy's, which is conveniently located in the same mall. Since the local Macy's is obviously run by Capitalism Satan, however, it was in the midst of its winter shoe clearance. On my way to housewares to take back pillowcases, then, I just took a quick peek at the over-run sale racks. I was strong, I tell you. I resisted red patent leather pumps, metallic flats, green satin peep toed wedges (that one hurt, I gotta tell you). But then, I had a moment. I haven't worn lace-up shoes for years, but it's clear that somehow Victoria Beckham and her bizarrely-alluring bitch-goddess/schoolgirl look has seeped into my consciousness. Because since when am I interested in suede oxfords with 3 1/2 inch heels? Oooh, since last night, apparently. And even more interested when they were 75% off. Here they are, in all their glory:
Those will be just the thing with tights and dresses, no? Break up the monopoly that knee-high boots have had all winter? Let me play out my professor=modern victorian fantasies?
Sigh. I've apparently become a shoe-limic. Last night's binge has necessitated today's purge. If you drive by a pile of shoes left out in the snow, you'll know where to find me.
Labels: shopping; sartorial goodness
posted by kfluff at 10:43 AM
4 Comments:
those are all very cute! well except the trainers since i don't really care about those. but yes, just commenting to say please don't throw out any shoes, no need for carnage. my shoe loving heart weeps at the thought of some cute shoes dying in the snow.
Oh, such cute little suede oxfords! I love the lace-up action and you KNOW how I feel about the heel. Nothing like some fun shoes to improve one's winter blues. Enjoy!
JM--I'm with you; there's no such thing as cute trainers. I don't care about them either, except to note that they were the gateway drug, for sure.
FF--ooh, yes, they're chasing away the winter blues, except that the waiting will be long. Snow and ice and rain=no suede wearing. Sigh.
LOVE those shoes! Now I am desperately jealous!
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