Liesl, 7N

Whenever I update this blog I put the picture of the shoe I featured in my Delphiforums signature. I do that because we don't update on a schedule, just when the fancy strikes, and I like to remind people to check out our fabulous blog with fabulous shoes. I generally get several, "Oh! I must have that shoe!" comments and a few, "Fugly!" comments as well. A few weeks ago when I was featuring the purple Will's Fancy shoe one of my friends told me her son was sure the shoe was a butterfly. This post is dedicated to little Kevin. :)

I think the thought of shoes as naturally beautiful as something like a butterfly is a good one. I can't think of something else in nature that so ably describes a shoe: what starts out as raw, often ugly material turns into something so breathtaking we hesitate to touch it for fear of spoiling its beauty. This is true of butterflies and shoes. To have a butterfly land near you and let you see its beautiful markings feels as special as finding that perfect pair of pumps; it's a bit of luck mixed with a bit of nature and a bit of ingenuity. If you sit still long enough the butterfly may stick around for a bit; if you try on enough shoes you may find that perfect pair. It's all in what you make of it.

When nature and art collide the result is a fabulous pair of shoes.

Today's favorite shoe:

Emporio Armani Suede Butterfly

Liesl, 7N

I would just like to mark this day as a sad day in the McQ household. Robert Altman, pioneering film maker, has died. What Manolo Blahnik did for shoes, Robert Altman did for the character driven film.

We salute your genius, your style and your abiding class, Mr. Altman.

Today's favorite shoe:

Charles David "Surprise"

Liesl, 7N

I had the opportunity to people watch the other day so I, of course, looked at their shoes. There was woman who walked by who really caught my eye; I know that was her plan, to catch the eyes of people around her, but not in the way that it actually happened. She was 60 if she was a day and she was wearing a tight fitting sweater, a short, short miniskirt and platform hooker heels. She also had bleached blond big Texas hair and pounds of make up on. For a moment I thought I was back in L.A. looking at Angelyne. This woman and her outfit got me to thinking about age appropriate fashion, er, shoes.

Aside from the obvious constraints of age and heels, should we ever stop wearing a certain kind of shoe? If you can still wear 4-inch heels when you're in your dotage should you be forced to parade around in sensible flats? I think the answer is no with a caveat: if the word "Candy" is anywhere in the brand or name of the shoe it should not be worn past the age of 15. And that's pushing it. It's not that we expect women to become boring but we also don't expect them to look like they are advertising the latest Tag body spray. People age, things change, gravity will out. Isn't that wonderful?

You cannot step into the same fashion age twice.

Today's favorite shoe:

Kenneth Cole New York, "Boxed In"

Liesl, 7N

I went to Northpark again today. I met my mom at Maggiano's for lunch; it doesn't hurt that the restaurant is right next to Dillard's, which has a fabulous shoe department. What else could we do but browse through the shoes and try some on? A woman remarked on how lucky I am to be able to walk up to the display shoe and try it on. Did you know that retailers usually put out the smallest size they have in the shoes they display? I guess they think the smaller sizes make them look more attractive.

I wanted to go to Dillard's today to try on the new Cole Haan heels. I am a big Oprah Winfrey fan and when she talks about something being good on her show I will invariably check it out on my own. Cole Haan has teamed with Nike to create what they think are comfortable heels. Oprah agrees with them and she asserts that they are, in fact, comfortable. Obviously, I had to try on these heels. I chose a relatively nice looking pair of 4-inch heels and slipped my tootsies into that concoction of leather and padding. The result was not pleasing.

When will shoe designers realize that you can put a mountain of cushioning in a shoe but it doesn't mean diddly squat if you don't also support the foot? Yes, these shoes had more cushioning and were a smidge more comfortable than your regular heels, but they wholly lacked any kind of support. How could that ever be comfortable? Someday Suz and I will have our line of fabulous yet functional shoes. I swear it!

I have a pair of Cole Haan/Nike loafers that the dogs chewed before I ever got to wear them; sensing a pattern there?

Today's favorite shoe:

Isaac Mizrahi "Varana"

Liesl, 7N

My friend Stacy posed a challenge for us to discuss on this blog. Here is the challenge: The shoes in that link are fine Italian, technologically advanced marvels. Can a self professed shoe lover love such a shoe? It is superior to most other hiking shoes out there, the design is based on many years of refinement. The materials represent the latest and the greatest. The comfort factor is extreme. The likelihood they will wear out or fall apart is remote. They are amazing. However they will not flatter you calves, make your feet look dainty or make most men say ooh la la. (My hubby loves the way I look in hiking boots-heh) So here is the question: do "shoe lovers" love all shoes that represent fine craftsmanship and engineering or do they really only love dainty stuff that makes your feet hurt?

I think I have an answer: form and function are not equally important in shoes. We're not trying to convince anyone that 4-inch heels are comfortable or even practical; we're also not trying to convince anyone that comfortable shoes are always unbecoming. However, when it comes to true shoe love, form will always win over function. Does that mean we eschew all functional shoes? No, of course not. However, given the choice between the two for everyday living? A true shoe lover will go for form over function every time. Now, if we are talking about hiking in the outback, yeah, function will win. Big ass snakes don't care if your feet look dainty or cloddish, right?

In the end, the Aristotelean mean will always tip to form for shoe lovers. Which means that we should overshoot toward more and more fabulous shoes just to reach that golden mean. I can get down with that.

Today's favorite shoe:

Will's Fancy "Celeste"