Play footsie with me

These beautiful shoes are some Italian brand I’m not familiar w/ (Bellofatto?) that I bought at Winners on a bit of a spending spree a while back.

I came into a bit of money a little while ago and it had been a long, long time since I’d had any disposable cash to speak of, so I immediately went shopping w/ some serious determination.

I found these shoes and just couldn’t leave the store w/out them despite their price being rather over my usual shoe budget.  I reasoned that I was having a bit of a splurge and they were worth it.

They were and are.  They are not only beautiful but incredibly comfortable and can be walked and danced in w/ very little consequence. The suede is butter soft and they fit soooo well.  I simply had to have them.

They went out for the first time on a spring night w/ a bit of a “notice me” outfit of ridiculous “jeans” leggings (we’re not talking jeggings, these are spandex tights w/ a photo print of jeans on them) and a tiny, skin-tight tank top.  I was definitely dressed for trouble.

I took a cab out that night because I suppose I expected (or invited?) trouble.  I took the flat sandals below in my bag juuuuuust in case.

I’m not going to go into all the details, but let’s just say I did a bit of stumbling around in the heels and was intoxicated enough to disregard their delicate suede, taking them into dangerous territory, namely a wet, muddy, gravelly alley (!)

I ended up at a house party and I did, indeed, get into a little bit of trouble* there.

At some hour after dawn I donned the flat sandals (and was very glad I’d had the foresight to bring them along) and called a cab home.  Bleary eyed, clearly in last night’s clothes and carrying my lovely suede heels walking out to the cab, I was greeted w/ a stern talking-to.

My cab driver took one look at me and turned into Dad.  He questioned and accused and lectured me the entire way home.  I can’t remember his exact advice or scoldings but it started something like this:

Cabbie dude: “Have you been out all night?!?!?”

Hungover me: “Uh…yeah”

Cabbie dude: “What have you been doing?!?!?”

Hungover me: “Uh…well…I…uh…”

Cabbie dude: “Have you been drinking?!?!?”

Hungover (and now sheepish) me: “Uh…well…yeah, quite a bit”

Cabbie dude: “Tsk, tsk, tsk…young ladies like you…” *shaking head*

This continued for the entire 20+ minute ride home.

Now normally I’d be talkin’ back and being a bit of a cheeky ass w/ a stranger givin’ it to me like that, but I have to admit he got to me.

Maybe he talks that way to all his fares, who knows?  I’m certainly used to cab drivers being overly familiar w/ me, but usually they’re flirting w/ me or blatantly hitting on me and this guy was overly familiar in quite a different way.  I’m sure he’s a concerned father of his own daughter and maybe I was the 14th hungover, walk-of-shame he’d picked up that (sunday) morning, so it’s possible I pushed him over the edge of reason and he just lost it on me…but I’ll admit, he really did get to me.  I couldn’t just laugh him off.  Maybe it was the gravity of the moment, suddenly feeling far too sober, comparing the craziness of the night w/ the light of day…I admit I felt just a teensy bit guilty for my train-wreck-like behavior.

Looking at my beautiful shoes in my lap, lit by the harsh, morning sun as he drove and lectured me, I noticed a few spots of mud on the heels and voiced my regret at abusing them.  His response was rather unsympathetic, at best.

There at least, I agreed w/ him wholeheartedly.  I didn’t and don’t regret the night, but I certainly regret harming such wonderful shoes.

They’re still perfectly acceptable for general use, but they’re definitely tarnished by their wild night out…maybe a bit like my blackened soul ;o)

*Read: I’ll never disclose the details…ever.

photographed by letsgetindivisible

Shoes like these are a bit rare in my collection and they are certainly not what I look for when I want to add to my collection.

By now you’ve noticed that I generally tend to buy rather flashy shoes.  The idea of plain, basic, practical shoes is a bit upsetting to me.

In fact, when I am forced (against my will, of course) to shop for comfortable shoes, I lose all my enthusiasm.  It seems shopping is no longer fun when I’m looking for sad, everyday shoes.  I find I’m taken back to my yearly childhood shoe fittings when my practical Mom would take me to the same practical shoe store every fall for plain, boring, practical shoes. When I would ask why we had to go to this same practical shoe store year after year my Mom would explain that if I didn’t get practical, good quality shoes I would ruin my feet (Oh, the danger!).  I remember having my foot painstakingly measured each time and having the salesperson carefully ensure the shoes fit properly. Ugh!  As if that was the most important thing about a pair of shoes!

I’ll never forget the thrill though, of going back-to-school shopping for “indoor” shoes one fall…but to the mall (!)…and w/ my Dad (!) when I was probably 9 or 10. I was told I could pick what I wanted and I found a pair of completely impractical, cheap, trendy, bright red sneakers that I loved.  I believe they were L.A. Style.  I remember my Dad looking skeptically and disapprovingly at me w/ them on, asking if I would actually wear such shoes, such impractical shoes.

Would I?  Would I! I promised and pleaded and was finally granted ownership of my first pair of truly cool shoes.  Shoes that could never masquerade as boring or neutral, or practical.

But I digress.  The shoes you see here are Guess.  They are plain, boring, black leather, 4.5 inch heel, peep-toe pumps.

And they are incredibly comfortable…even, dare I say…practical?

I bought them because I realized I didn’t have a single pair of basic black heels in my closet and there had been an occasion or two when I was in need of somewhat plain shoes (to go w/ a somewhat flashy outfit).

I’m somewhat embarrassed to admit that they’ve seen plenty of wear, in fact, they may have gotten more wear than any of my other heels lately.

So I suppose I could concede that there may possibly be some situations when plain and boring and practical and comfortable can be a good thing.  Just maybe.

photographed by letsgetindivisible

Who doesn’t like picnics? Candy and I went to the park last week to laze around in the sunshine and eat some sweet treats. Then things got a little messy…

Guest photographer: Elle Emmeno

Again, a victim of peer pressure. 

These boots, as you probably can recognize by now, are very out of character for me.  I NEVER wear pointy-toed shoes and I certainly don’t wear bitchy, black, patent leather in the real world.  But something’s changed in my life.  I started pole dancing.  

Recreationally, of course.

It turns out, in the pole dancing classes I take, heels are actually REQUIRED at a certain level and I certainly wasn’t going to wear a pair of shoes I already had.  It was practically necessary to get something new, trashy and ridiculous, so I went totally out of character and got pointy-toed, goth, stripper boots.  I almost bought a pair w/ a platform that was slightly trashier, but I just thought that was going too far.  I settled on the above, modest, practical ones.

One of my pole dance instructors eyed my boots and commented that she thought these were more of a “modern stripper” look, as opposed to the more “traditional” lucite platform look.

I have to admit, my taste in clothing and shoes has already been irrevocably influenced by stripper-wear, since I started pole dancing.  I’ve noticed that ridiculous platform heels I previously thought were way too trashy for a classy girl like me are suddenly looking less gasp-worthy. 

Also, pole dancing has forced me to realize and test the case for platforms, even though I refused to buy platform boots to dance in (I’m tall enough as it is), I now get what platforms are all about. I always used to hate platforms, I always thought they looked garish and silly and it wasn’t until platforms turned completely “uptown” around 5 years ago, that I finally broke down and admitted they could look hot.  It turns out though, they’re actually practical too!  A higher platform really does allow you to wear a higher heel w/out the threat of falling over.  A 5 inch spike w/out a platform is much harder to walk in (and more dangerous) than a 5 inch spike w/ a 1.5 inch platform.  It’s true!  Your foot/ankle is forced into a much more extreme angle w/out the platform and that leads to unfortunate falls.  So platforms are like a safety net! 

The above boots have had a lot of wear, they are extremely comfortable, very easy to walk in and dance in (w/ their tiny 4″ heel) and they’re very supportive to the ankles.  To my amazement, I’ve discovered that dancing in 4 inch heels does wonders for your calves and ass.  You don’t need a stairmaster ladies, just put on those heels! 

So all in all, these have been one of the most used footwear purchases I’ve made of late, very practical indeed!

While trying these shoes on two women walked by separately and commented on them eagerly and w/ encouragement.  I believe one said “Oooh, those are hot!”.  The other something like “Wow, you should get those!” 

And so I’m really just a victim of peer pressure.  I didn’t actually want them at all! 

I found these beautiful vintage heels at I Miss You in Toronto.

I love how they zip up the back!

Photos by Blue Magic Photography

So…I’ve been on a quest for the perfect summer flats.

Cinderton and I took some photos on campus last week for an “urban landscape” workshop. This pic looks like a showdown between her red Toms and my white Lacostes!

We went wandering past the library…

…and through a patch of weeds. As pretty as the campus is during the summer, though, I’d so love to trade this tame “urban landscape” for a day among the tangle of grasses and saskatoon bushes out at the cottage.

I’d also trade the flats for flip-flops, or bare feet!

The above shoes are probably from the late 70s or early 80s.  I bought them from Value Village over 10 years ago for about $8 because I needed some going out shoes at a time when I was really broke.  These shoes had barely been worn when I bought them and I’ve gotten a lot of use out of them, they’re very comfortable.  I love the cut-outs and the super shiny patent.

In many moving shuffles I couldn’t find them and thought I might have given them away, so in a panic, I bought the shoes below (Bisou Bisou) as a replacement and I’ve worn them lots.  In the end I was relieved to find I still had the above ones because I think they’re superior to their replacement.

It’s funny how both these pairs of shoes look a little drab and boring to my eyes now w/ their lack of platform.  I was very much against platforms until rather recently, I thought platform shoes were cheap and tacky and I was pretty sure I was much classier than that.  Maybe that’s what makes the towering platforms of today so appealling, they often teeter carefully between raunchy and tasteful. 

These shoes are both classic, modest, ladylike standbys in my shoe wardrobe. 

These shoes are Steve Madden (starting to notice a theme here?) and I bought them because they’re just so pretty.  I’ve only worn them once but everytime I glance at them on my shoe rack I remind myself I need to find more occasions to wear them. 

I love the idea of metallics as neutrals and I firmly believe silver shoes can be worn w/ anything.  But these shoes demand something dressy, they can’t exactly be worn w/ jeans…dressy and feminine I think.  I’ve worn them w/ a cute, ruffled navy and white polka dot shirt dress and I think they’d like to go out w/ a lovely, yellow, A-line dress I have too.