Liesl, 7N

It will shortly be 2007, a time of renewal, of promise, of rebirth and throwing away of the old. What better opportunity is there to renounce the one thing that we could have all done without in 2006? CROCS. It is time, ladies, to say buhbye to the monstrosities of foam.

You've had your fun, you've dressed up your shoes with charms. You've worn the foam ickies everywhere from the opera to the gym. Now, let go. It's ok, you can do it. There is no shame in admitting that you wore them at one time; forgiveness is a beautiful thing. I will forgive you; Suz will forgive you. Throw them away. Now.

Don't you feel better? Yes, I knew you would.

Today's favorite shoe:

Lambertson Truex "Carlota"

Liesl, 7N

"Sex is in the heel."

I just watched the most wonderful movie, Kinky Boots. Yes, it is about shoes. The truly inspired story is set in Northampton, England in an old men's shoe factory that is about to go out of business. Instead of letting that happen the owner decides to find a new niche market to corner. Which niche? why, the fabulous drag queen market, of course! This got me to thinking: can men be fabulous in so called women's shoes?

Honey, if you can wear it, you can work it. If we tell women that no matter what size their feet they will look fabulous in fabulous shoes, why not men? Now, do I think MFP would look fabulous in a pair of Dolce's? No. Why? because he doesn't appreciate them for what they are: little pieces of fabulous. A drag queen, however, would probably appreciate the shoes, love them, and do right by them. It must take a lot of effort to find your true identity in a bit of glam, a bit of chiffon, a bit of leather, and a bit of lace. And what a fabulous identity that is to find! So I say, hell yes! men can be fabulous in fabulous shoes. The right men. The chosen men. The lovely men.

I wonder if this shoe comes in extra large?

Jimmy Choo

Liesl, 7N

Suz and I highlight fabulous shoes in this blog; often shoes that very few people can afford. While we do love these shoes and will continue to highlight them, it is often nice to stop and point out that there are some shoes that are fabulous because of what they do for the world. I would like to highlight just such a shoe company today: Toms Shoes.

For every pair of shoes you buy from Toms Shoes, he gives a pair to a child in need. It's that simple. It's as if you were to go out and buy two pairs of shoes and give one to a child, it is really that direct. I love shoes, this we all know; however, I love the spirit of generosity and giving even more. It seems like such a simple idea: buy one, buy a pair for a child. Why don't more companies do this? Can you imagine? Buy one turkey for your holiday meal, one turkey goes to a family in need.
Buy one toy, a toy goes to a child who does not have toys. It's such a simple, elegant idea. I know it is impractical for most businesses to operate this way and we look to the Blake Mycoskies ("chief shoe giver for Toms") of the world to do it for us; it's just a beautiful dream.

In this holiday season, may you give more than you receive and may you feel the benefit of a light heart, made so by the knowledge that you have eased another's suffering. Happy holidays, everyone!

I'm going to start a campaign to get Christian Louboutin to donate a pair of shoes for every pair bought.... to me.

Today's favorite shoe:

Carlos by Carlos Santana "Reckless"

Liesl, 7N

My friend Jen and I frequently shop together and we always laugh over the fact that we have such completely different taste in fashion and style. I was at her house the other night she happened upon the picture of the Louboutin shoe I featured last post and she told me that she didn't care for it. My first reaction is always shock since I can't understand how anyone could not care for the shoes I love, but then I remembered that it is Jen and we have very different taste. I teased her recently by telling her that I liked a very tacky shoe that cost over $1000. She believed me because she hated it. Well, even she gets it right every now and then.

I actually like the fact that Suz and I have different taste in shoes. It gives life a richer texture when there are such variations in beauty. I don't happen to like Monet but I do love Pollock. And you know what? that's perfectly fine. There is a philosophical school of thought that believes that tastes cannot be disputed. I think that may be taking things too far. If that were the case, then a child's hand print in purple paint would be as worthy of the Met as a color splashed Kandinsky. That is unfair, isn't it? So, the question remains: how do we decide who gets to decide what is good and what is not good?

I have a simple solution: let's do it by love and passion. If you love and admire velvet paintings, you get to decide which ones are good. If you love and admire shoes and your name is either Liesl or Suz, you get to decide which ones are good. When Suz and I disagree we can call it the difference between preferring Picasso to Renoir; they are both masters, both worthy of adoration, but they don't appeal to the same people. That's a good solution. So, are you a Lieslist or a Suzist?

How much do you want to bet Jen doesn't like these shoes:


Dolce and Gabbana

Liesl, 7N

I was at Northpark, yet again, yesterday and as I was noticing the shoes women were wearing to shop in, a question occurred to me: should we wear nice shoes to buy nice shoes? The majority of the women you see at Northpark Mall are dressed very well and have on nice shoes that compliment their nice outfits; every 10th woman, however, will be wearing tennies or flip flops or some other "comfortable" shoe. Do we expect to try on fabulous shoes with sweat pants?

I am of two minds on this issue: I want to be comfortable when I am shopping so that I can devote all of my attention to the important and life renewing task at hand: choosing shoes. However, I also want to be dressed well enough to be able to see those shoes in their natural environment, on me looking fabulous, before I take them home. How can this be accomplished in sweats and gym socks? There seems to be some sort of odd mingling of sweat and fashion when you combine tennies with a trip to Better Shoes at Neiman's. Dare we walk among the couture with our feet stuffed into heavy, white socks and sensible running shoes? I think perhaps the Manolos and Choos and Louboutins would shudder just slightly at the sight of their bastard cousins of foam and rubber.

Besides, you don't want the shoe salesman (yes, man) to touch your sweaty socks, do you? You do? Perv!

Today's favorite shoe:


Christian Louboutin

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"

Liesl, 7N

MFP and I met a friend at Northpark again last night. We parked by Macy's so we entered the mall through the store and as we entered the store I inhaled deeply. I couldn't help but think: I love the smell of Macy's in the evening. I do love the way department stores smell, as well as shoe stores. I am most attached to my sense of smell because I tend to really love certain smells. Is it weird that I pick up and smell new shoes?

We met our friend Jen and her very smart son Braden. Braden is the one that yells "NO CROCS!" and tries to run away from them. Braden was allowed to pick out clothes for his build a bear and he went straight for the fabulous shoes; unfortunately, as we were walking around the mall he lost one of the shoes. What were we to do? We looked for it but couldn't find it; we did the only thing smart shoe people can do: we bought another pair. Whew, that was a close one!

Even teddy bears need fabulous shoes.

Today's favorite shoe:

Arche "Grigou"

Liesl, 7N

As Suz, MFP and I were walking down Rush street in Chicago on Monday Suz and I spied something shining in the distance. It looked like an ethereal beacon akin to what was described in Arthurian legend. Was it a grail of some sort? Indeed it was. The glow in the sky, the otherworldly shimmer, the unmistakable pull toward it, it all signified one thing: Nordstrom's shoe department.

We were walking through the rain to have dinner here because we wanted to have "steaks as big as our heads." (Suz) Imagine our delight when we spotted Norstrom's almost right across the street from the restaurant. Imagine our dismay when we realized we did not have time for both our reservation and a quick jaunt into the shoe department. This is how you will now know what magnanimous people we truly are: we opted for food because we knew MFP was hungry. Yes, we should be sainted, clearly. We put the needs of the man ahead of our own needs and we sucked it up for filets and twice baked potatoes. Oh, and wine.

Alas, Suz is back in New York and I am back in Dallas. Our brief idle in Chicago was just that, all too brief. We saw some fabulous shoes and were able to taunt people who love Crocs with some fabulous t-shirts but we were not able to go shopping together. We will live another day, fight another fight, just to be able to someday buy shoes together as god intended.

Chicago is for shoe lovers.

Today's favorite shoe:

Donald J. Pliner "Anu"

Liesl, 7N

Last week Bill O'Reilly called women and their shoe habits "ridiculous." I would like to address this assertion and argue the ridiculousness of his ridiculous statement.

Yes, women have more shoes than men, typically. Yes, women pay more for shoes than men. Yes, we have a wider variety of shoes than men. My question is: so? I would like to point out to Mr. O'Reilly that while he may find the shopping habits of many of the planet's women ridiculous, many of the planet's women find him equally ridiculous. Most of us learn at a relatively early age that if a man needs to bluster and blow to get his point across he probably has a small penis. Are you intimidated by our fabulous shoes because you know they could so effectively kick you in the small penis region, Mr. O'Reilly?

Look at it this way: Will shoes ever tell you they want to run a falafel all over your body? No. Will shoes ever lie about their party affiliation? No. Will shoes ever turn red in the face and do a good rendition of "Satan trying to speak to us from the other side through Bill O'Reilly"? No.

You don't get it, Mr. O'Reilly? Yeah, we know.

Today's Favorite Shoe:

Oscar de la Renta

Liesl, 7N

There is a crispness in the air that can mean only one thing: it's time to break out the boots! I was walking through Dillards the other day in my favorite boots on the first cool day in Dallas this fall. (the weather has gone back to hot, unfortunately) As I was passing the new fall sweaters a saleslady commented on my fabulous boots and told me she was so excited to be able to wear boots again. She said that her two favorite kinds of shoes are sandals and boots; I commented that those were my two favorite shoes, too. Isn't it fun when you meet a kindred shoe spirit? She somehow knew on first glance that she could talk to me about shoes. Smart lady.

Do you buy a new pair of boots every year? I do. I know this isn't remarkable since I buy new shoes every season, but it seems so much more of an occasion when I buy new boots. Maybe it is because boots are substantial and make us feel like dominatrixes in fabulous footwear. Or, maybe it is just the changing of the season from sun kissed sandals frolicking in the sand to sophisticated boots walking through the fallen leaves. Oh hell, I don't know. Whatever it is, I love buying new fall boots.

Yes, yes, I know... I love buying all new shoes.

Today's favorite shoe:

Kenneth Cole "Milkshake"

Suz 10N

I know, I know, I've been neglecting you all shamefully. I'm a bad person. But I always have shoes on my mind. Having not posted in so long, I've got a lot of thoughts saved up.

One thing that bothered me all summer is the construction of closed toe shoes. Pumps in particular. Now, I know, many of you don't wear pumps in the summer. You like your perfectly polished tootsies to be free. I understand. But sometimes, the toes can't be showing. That's when I pull out the pumps. I have a pair of red 3" heels that I love. I also have a pair of black round toe 2.5" pumps that I like a lot. In both cases, I find it disconcerting to put them on, and realize as I walk down the halls of my office that I squeak. Loudly. SQUEAK SQUEAK SQUEAK. People can hear me coming. Do you know where that sound is coming from? Not the leather of the shoes. Not the sole. It comes from my polished toenails rubbing against the inside top of the shoe as I walk. This is a dilemma! Polished and groomed toes are most important, but so is gliding silently down the hall. What to do? I have come upon a solution. I line the tops of my pumps with moleskin. Voila! (or walla as I've seen some unfortunates spell it) Problem solved. I can once again glide gracefully through my day.

Speaking of my day, the recent end of one is something worth sharing. Early last week, I was walking up Park Avenue on my way to the E train at 53rd & Madison. Of course, I was checking people out. As my eyes shot back and forth, looking for something interesting to see, they stopped short upon spying a Manolo bag. Oh, to be that woman, walking down the street with a pair of the holiest of holies slung over her shoulder! What is she wearing? You expect her to look as fabulous as the shoes in her bag. Er, well, no. She was tall, willowly, and had no ass. She did, however, have a crack as wide as the Grand Canyon. How do I know? Because she was wearing a pair of chartreuse raw silk pants, and they were being sucked into it. And what wasn't being sucked into a national park was hanging awkwardly off her hips. It was the strangest thing I've seen. I can't recall what else she was wearing because I was so morbidly fascinated by her atomic wedgie.

I followed her down the street, reaching for my cell phone. This was important. I had to make the call. Not 911, although her wedgie could be construed as a medical emergency. I called the proper authorities. Liesl. Who had the nerve to be unavailable.

The only conclusion I can draw from this experience that there were no Manolos in that bag. She had the bag, but was probably carrying leftovers from her lunch in it.

Today's shoe:

Manolo Blahnik Satin and Lace Pump

Liesl, 7N

One of my former students came running up to me today outside of class to tell me that he had seen someone wearing a pair of Crocs and had thought of me. He told me it made him laugh to see someone so misguided. I asked my current students if they knew about Crocs and when I described them they all exclaimed in horror over those "plastic" shoes. I have such good students.

This whole exchange with my students got me to thinking about the power of influence. If I am able to influence my students enough to get them to not wear Crocs, what could we all do? Imagine! If you, you reading this blog, were to convince just one person not to wear Crocs we could rid the world of their plasticky badness within, oh... a year? Yes, I think that's possible.

I challenge you, shoe loves everywhere, take this pledge:

I, (your name), do solemnly pledge to convince at least one person to stop wearing or never to wear the plastic monstrosities known as Crocs. I will show people who wear these "shoes" the error of their ways and help them to see the wisdom of wearing pretty shoes. This, I do pledge for the remainder of my days of reason.

Nova seculorum ordo!

Today's favorite shoe:

Bettye Muller

Liesl, 7N

Here's a question: should our shoes match our hair color? I was thinking about this the other day when I realized that I do not have any pink shoes. I have black, green, blue, beige, and red but no pink. I have red hair and I don't like the way red and pink look together so I wonder if I have unconsciously shied away from pink shoes that would clash with my hair.

I have been looking at wigs lately and had decided on getting a pink wig. Do you think I should get a pair of fabulous pink shoes to match? I think so. Actually, I think I might need several different shades of pink to go with the varying shades of the wig. No! this is not just an excuse to get new shoes.

OK, maybe it is.

Today's favorite shoe:

Christian Louboutin

Liesl, 7N

I have a shoe conundrum. I have written about the fact that I believe it is tacky to have matching purses and shoes; where do we draw the line, though? Here's the problem: I was wearing this sandal yesterday with a black skirt and black top. When I was choosing my jewelry I decided on a leather and silver bracelet and a white shell and silver necklace. With me so far? good. The question is, if you have bling on your shoes, should it match your jewelry?

I hate yellow gold and silver together; I think it looks cheap for some reason. I do make an exception for my ever present, never take it off, medical ID bracelet. But, that isn't jewelry. Anyway, the shoes I was wearing have brown jewel tones that absolutely did not match my leather and silver jewelry; should it have? I honestly do not know.

I suppose the real question is: are shoes separate from the rest of your outfit? No, not really. But they do provide an avenue to bring in something unexpected to your look. Unless that unexpected thing is in the form of Crocs or white pumps. That's a bad unexpected instead of a dash of fabulous. In the end, I think my jewelry should have been of the same kind as the bling on my shoes. Live and learn, right?

I think I may need to experiment with this idea some more. Oh! that means I need new shoes. Dang!

Today's favorite shoe:

Vigotti "Dixie"

Liesl, 7N

I had a very bad experience the other day and I am afraid I am scarred for life. I have waited to blog about it because I was hoping I could get some perspective on it and be able to write about it with little emotion. That perspective has not come and I am still shaking from the experience. Please, read no further if you have delicate sensibilities.

I went to Nordstroms with my mom; she wanted to buy me a pair of shoes but I could not find anything I wanted. Oh sure, there were some fabulous shoes that I liked quite a bit, but none of those fit and the ones that did fit were not the ones I wanted. I have been searching for a shoe support group in the area but have come up empty; what else can I do to get over this trauma? Someone suggested valium and I think that's a good option but I don't have any. Someone else suggested an ascetic retreat but that person was clearly insane; you can't do yoga in a loincloth and Manolos. Someone else suggested that I voluntarily commit myself for a few days "rest," but have you seen the shoes they make the patients wear when they are "resting?" Nuh uh, not for me. I was at a loss; what was I to do?

I finally figured it out: Neimans.

Today's favorite shoe:

Gucci Flat

Liesl, 7N

I went to Northpark Mall last night. This is the mall I grew up going to and it remains my favorite mall in all the world. Yes, I've been to the Mall of America. Anyway, there are many shoe stores at Northpark and there is a Nine West just down from the Lush store, the place I was headed. As I was walking by, slowly to peruse the shoes in the window, I stopped and saw this boot. I stood outside of the store with my mouth agape staring at that boot. One of the saleswomen came out and said, "fabulous isn't it?" I shouted "NO!" and jumped back. Have you ever been so full of emotion that you start talking in that high pitched voice that only rare breeds of iguanas can hear? And of course, when you speak like that you also have to speak so fast that your words run together. Well, that was me, last night, in the middle of Northpark Mall. HOWCANYOUSELLSOMETHINGSOUGLY! MAKEITSTOP! MAKEITSTOP! MAKEITSTOP!

And then? I ran away. Literally. I ran away from the ugliest shoe on the planet. My friend found me huddled on a bench muttering to myself. My friend wisely led me to Neimans where my nose led me right to the shoe section where I was able to spend some time with my true friends, Manolo, Choo and Louboutin. They calmed me right down.

I think some retail therapy is in order, don't you?

Today's favorite shoe:

Constanca Basto "Lombarda"

Liesl, 7N

I was shoe shopping a couple of days ago and found some very cute purple Cole Haan loafers. As I was checking out the lady behind the counter told me they had the perfect purse to match the shoes. I think I rather forcefully said NO! that's OK. She was a bit taken aback and just checked me out. Why did I have such a strong reaction? because accessories should.not.match. Ever.

Children wear things that match and it is considered cute. When grown ups try matchies it looks ridiculous. This holds true for purses and shoes. It is an old myth that your purse should match your shoes. Why? A well put together outfit will look good with complimenting colors and textures but too much matching just makes us look like we're trying to win the Lil' Miss Matchy state fair pageant. Wrong, so, so wrong.

My mother drags me to the Texas state fair every year so I know about state fair pageants. Pity me.

Today's favorite shoe:

Vigotti R1948

Liesl, 7N

People don't "dress" anymore. As I was waiting for my in laws to arrive at the airport the other day I looked around at the shoes of the travelers around me; I saw flip flops and tennies and not much else. I remember when I was a kid and we traveled by plane we would dress for it, as if we were dressing to go to church. I don't know why people used to do this and I think it is a little bit sad that we don't do it anymore.

I understand the need for comfort on a plane, absolutely. However, I miss the days when people always tried to look their best no matter what they were doing. When you saw women out of the house in a house dress you thought they were not right in the head. Men wouldn't think of wearing baseball caps outside of working in the fields, much less to restaurants. Flip flops were for the beach and tennies were for sports, never shoes you would wear for everyday activities.

We've lost some of our gentility in the U.S. (I can't speak for other countries since I haven't traveled internationally in years) We've allowed the caricature of the sloppy American to become our national identity. Again, I fully understand the need for comfort and am just as guilty of these things as everyone else. But, I hope this is a trend that somewhat reverses itself and we all start to "dress" again. I miss it.

Let's blame it all on Crocs.

Toady's favorite shoe:

Dior

Welcome, visitors from Boston.com!
Suz, 10N

There has been a rather amusing thread over at boston.com about crocs. People are very passionate about these fugly blocks. The croc lovers were up in arms that anyone dared criticize them. Defensive much? One person went so far as to say the thread was making her ill. If only people would be as passionate about things that really mattered as they are about their crappy $35 pieces of rubber.

Like how wonderful Nordstrom's customer service is, for instance.

I bought a pair of shoes the other day online that I've been eyeing for months. They were on sale for $45, marked down from $89. A bargain, I thought! I went back online to take another look at them and saw they had been marked down again to $26. What to do? What any smart shopper does. I emailed customer service and asked for a refund of the difference. And, within 24 hours, I received a reply, and a credit to my account.

The only fault I find with Nordstrom is that they sell Crocs. That is deeply distressing. My haven for shoe fashion sells those things. They are encouraging America's further slide into a void of stylessness.

What's a girl to do? I'm considering buying stock in Crocs. I can hate them all I want, but if fools want to buy them, I may as well make money off their idiocy. Better yet, all of you who like crocs, just paypal me $35 and we can cut out the middleman. More money for me to buy beautiful shoes.

Today's shoe of the day, proving style, function and comofort can meet:

Skechers Bikers 'Propel'

Liesl, 7N

I have discovered a good solution to the Crocs in public problem. Hear me out. I am currently sitting pretty in the hospital so I've been paying attention to the foot wear of the nurses, doctors and therapists. I've noticed that some people wear the little surgical booties we've all seen on shows like ER over their shoes even when they are not in surgery. So, my solution is this: if you MUST wear Crocs outside of your garden or outside of the hospital, why not wear the little surgical booties over them?

Everyone wins in this scenario; we don't have to see those awful shoes and you can protect them from dirt and germs. Hey! maybe they'll last longer! Don't you want your little pieces of hideous to last longer? I think this is an inspired solution.

Hey, I will even volunteer right now to send some of those booties to the first 5 people who email us at shoegirlz123@gmail.com. I'm nice like that.

Today's favorite shoe:

Sergio Rossi Murano

I love presies!

Suz, 10N

Especially the ones I buy myself. The ones that involve heels. The ones I bought because my buddy Liesl gave me a GC to Zappos. The ones I bought to congratulate myself on living another year.

There's a lot to be said for buying shoes online. Oh sure, you don't get the instant gratification that you get when you go in a store and try on the perfect pair, but since most stores don't carry my size, that's not relevant. Anyway, I enjoy perusing all the shoes available to me. I laugh at the ugly ones and shiver in delight over the pretty ones. I make long wish lists filled with shoes I may never buy, but like to fool myself that I will sometime.

There's that moment of making the decision to buy. Click. Size: 10N. Click. Color: Black. Click. How do you want to pay? Visa. Click. Is the shipping address the same as the billing address? Yes. Click. Complete purchase. Click. Then,the next day, you receive an email telling you your shoes have shipped, and a tracking number so you can follow their progress to your house. I knew my shoes were delivered at 12:55 PM today. All afternoon at work, I thought about them. I thought about them on the train. I also thought about those Jimmy Choos. A girl's gotta have her dreams.

Bruce picked me up at the train station. We get to the house, and he says, "oh your shoes are here". I didn't tell him I knew already. I sped into the house and picked up the box. I grabbed a pair of scissors to cut the tape. Bruce is standing by, saying "don't get excited, if they don't fit, you'll be pissed". I ignored him, and opened up the box inside. My shoes were nestled in the box in individual little cloth bags. So special. I gently lifted one from the box. Bruce starts rolling his eyes and saying "just try them on!" I gave him The Look. I had to explain to him that half the fun of a gift was opening it. And with new shoes, bought online, especially. The anticipation makes me all trembly. I took the shoe out of it's little cloth bag to admire it. This is almost as important as trying them on. How do they feel? What is the structure like? How does the leather feel? Do they live up to how they looked online? They did. They were better.

By this time, Bruce has lost interest and has gone back to playing Madden 2005 on the Xbox. I try the shoe on. It fits like a glove. It's perfect. I try the other one on. It, too, is perfect. I commence prancing around the living room in them. I interrupt Bruce's game to make him look at them. His pronouncement: "hey I like those". Duh. Of course you do, dear. I prance around some more. Then I IM Liesl to tell her how fabulous they are.

I've taken them off, and put them back in their little cloth bags. I can't wait to wear them. I'm already figuring out what to wear them with.

Today's shoe. My present, of course.

Vaneli 'Caylee'

Liesl, 7N

First of all, today is Suz's birthday. Happy birthday, Suz! Send her a birthday greeting at shoegirlz123@gmail.com.

I had another shoe dream last night. Suz and I were fugitives from justice in fabulous shoes. We had helped someone kidnap kids out of an abusive situation and we were on the run from the law. You know how in dreams you often do things literally? Well, we were actually running from the law in this dream... in black strappies. I remember looking down at my feet and thinking my fabulous shoes were surprisingly comfortable for running.

Somehow, we managed to stop running long enough to check out Steven Spielberg's new line of Christmas shoes. It didn't seem odd to either one of us that a Jewish film maker would have a line of Christmas shoes. He had a picture of a Christmas tree in his childhood bedroom that was made to look like the place Santa left from to deliver his toys on the shoe label. The shoes weren't even particularly Christmasy. If I remember correctly, they were mostly boots with faux sheepskin lining. Which I support since I like sheep. Yes, I know I am a hypocrite. Anyway, they weren't cute and they were cheap looking, yet we were admiring them. Oddities so far:
1. Steven Spielberg had a line of shoes.
2. They were Christmas shoes.
3. Santa Claus was small enough to live in a Christmas tree.
4. That tree was in Steven Spielberg's childhood bedroom.
5. We were admiring ugly shoes. That really is the oddest part.

I had a pair of Christmas shoes when I was a teenager. I had tied a pair of patent leather lace ups with red and green ribbons and attached bells to those ribbons. I would make a bad fugitive from justice in shoes like that.

Today's Favorite Shoe:

BCBG Max Azria "Zahida"

Liesl, 7N

I would just like to point out that Zappos is having their huge clearance sale this week. Yes, I've already bought a pair of Pliners and I have my eye on a pair of Bass loafers. They're light green! how could you not love light green loafers? Anyway, I encourage everyone to go to Zappos and spend your paychecks on fabulous shoes. Might I suggest:

Cherry red never looked so fabulous.
Basic black with a bit of a peek a boo.
These are too gorgeous for words.
Strappies are my favorite.
Can't you see this with a gorgeous cocktail dress?
I don't think I can express strongly enough how much I need these.
You can't go wrong with something so beautiful.

You get the picture. I only went through the first 10 pages of the clearance section and I found these gems. I give each of you permission to treat yourself to little pieces of fabulous this week.

Today's Favorite Shoe:

RSVP "Alexis," which happens to be on sale at Zappos this week.

Liesl, 7N

As I was sitting in my doctor's office waiting room today I looked around me at all of the shoes women were wearing. I was struck by one woman in particular; she was in a wheelchair and she had not a tooth in her head. She was quite old and probably quite sick since this was an oncology office but I'll be damned if she didn't have on her satin dancing shoes. It got me to thinking: is there ever a time when we should not wear our fabulous shoes?

I would surmise that this woman felt better about herself and her situation by wearing these shoes, even though she could no longer dance in them. I think that is an incredibly valid reason to have and to wear fabulous shoes. I was wearing my sandals with bling, though I had originally planned to wear sweats and tennies. (don't tell Suz!) As I was rushing out the door it dawned on me that I would feel better about sitting in a doctor's office for however long if I was wearing some fabulous shoes. I think perhaps insurance companies should write a shoe clause into their policies.

Fabulous shoes as a cure for cancer? Hmmmm!

Today's Favorite Shoe:

Stuart Weitzman "Open Fire"

What Liesl Said

Suz 10N

I was just reading about Liesl's experience with the girl in the pink shoes. Liesl is right on in her assessment. If you love shoes (and fashion), when someone compliments you, that opens up a whole world of communication.

I can attest to this because I had that very experience on the E train the other day between Penn Station and 5th Ave/53rd Street.

I got on the train, and as usual, took a look around. I always check people out on the train. Standing right in front of me was a woman with short, chic dark hair, glasses, a gorgeous teal wrap dress, and teal wedge sandals with a cork heel. She looked great. Really great. I pondered for a moment(it's often not a good idea to speak to strangers on the subway), but decided someone who looked that good couldn't be bad.

I leaned over, and said "excuse me, but I just have to tell you, you look fabulous!" A big grin lit up her face, and we immediately started chatting. Turns out she was feeling somewhat insecure about her outfit. Silly girl. This, of course, led to fashion talk. What Not To Wear, specifically. We worked our way through various horrors we'd seen on that show, and then I told her about this blog. I told her about my Choo experience. She oohed and ahhed. She complimented my shoes (Linea Paolo flats). We kept chatting and chatting, and nearly missed our stop. We had to part ways at that point.

I've thought about that conversation with pleasure over the past few days. It's a fine example of how fashion can open doors to new experiences. If she looked like crap, I never would have spoken to her. Why compliment someone who doesn't bother to look good? You don't walk up to someone on the E train who is wearing sweats and crocs and tell them - "gee you look so comfortable!" You probably would avoid them, thinking they were a heroin addict. Instead, because this woman took the time to look good, I ended up with a good memory, and a good mood that lasted the whole day.

Judith, if you're reading this blog - I thought you looked great. And I hope your date that night went really well. I'll see you on the E train sometime.

Today's shoe:

Rene Caovilla Ornamental Wedge

Liesl, 7N

As I was sitting in traffic court today (ticketed for having too much style in traffic) I noticed a young woman next to me and her fabulous pink shoes. I tapped her on the shoulder and told her that her shoes were nice; she sort of nodded and grunted a thank you then went back to reading. I had to wonder if she was a faux shoe lover.

Women who truly love shoes want to talk about those shoes. If you compliment a woman on her shoes and she has real shoe love she will want to tell you all about where she got the shoes, how much she loves them, where she wears them and how they make her feel. It is very similar to being in love only shoe love is far more solid and obvious. You can always count on your shoes, right? Notsomuch so with a lover. Would your shoes leave you sitting at home while he goes out with the guys? Would your shoes cheat on you? Your Choos wouldn't leave you wondering if they are going to call. See? it's a much more solid relationship.

Anyway, women who don't want to tell you all about their shoes are not true shoe lovers. They may pretend to love them when they buy them, but really? they are just buying shoes for their utility, for what the shoes can do for them. True love is reciprocal, you know.

My case was dismissed; the judge knew you can't fault people for being fabulous.

Today's Favorite shoe:

Christian Louboutin "Yoyo Zeppa"

Liesl, 7N

I had another shoe dream last night. The houses of Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent had teamed up to make a slide with their logos all over it and I was positively euphoric because it was affordable and I was going to be able to buy it. I remember what the shoe looked like and so I must only assume that aliens kidnapped me last night and implanted the idea that such an ugly shoe would be something I would want. There is no other explanation.

As I was eating lunch at a very fashionable restaurant yesterday I noticed a woman next to me in evening shoes, complete with spangly snaps. The problem was, she was wearing Capri pants and a casual top. Pretty shoes are only pretty when they are worn appropriately, ladies. The combination of lime green strappies with bling and Capri pants is just horrifying. We were in such close quarters in that restaurant that it was all I could do to eat my fabulous chicken salad lunch. Green beans in chicken salad? yes, please. I ended up having to turn bodily away from that table so that I could look at the kitchen door, my husband, my mom, anything other than the wrong combination eating a different version of chicken salad next to me.

We like our chicken salad and strappies in Dallas.

Today's Favorite Shoe:

Rene Caovilla "Edna"

It's A Fine Line Between Pleasure and Pain

Suz, 10N

I did something special today. Something I have never done before. Something I've only dreamed about, but never actually acted upon.

Today, I tried on a pair of Jimmy Choos. And they were good. My feet have now been shod in the most fabulous of fabulous.

I popped my Choo Cherry.

The day started out innocently enough. Went to work, dealt with a couple of problems, and then it was time for lunch. My friend R wanted to get something to wear under the bridesmaid dress she has to wear on Friday. Spanx. If you don't know what Spanx are, you need to learn. But that's another topic for another day. Anyhow, the closest location that sells them to our office is Saks. So off we went. As we stood in the elevator, the shoe department was calling me. We took care of R's errand, and then indulged ourselves. We went shoe shopping at Saks.

You might think people would find us odd, as we cavorted through the displays, picking up Yves St. Laurent here, Christian Loboutin there. Cooing over them. Gasping in delight. No one seemed to find it odd. I don't think we were the only ones.

And then...

we spied the sales racks.

First, I tried on a beautiful pair of Stuart Weitzman evening sandals. Magenta silk. Peep toe. 4" heel. Next, a pair of Pucci espadrille thongs. My hands stopped of their own accord over the Choos. Gently lifted them from the rack. They were a pair of platform sandals. In denim. 4" heels on these, too. Ankle strap. I stood there, balancing on one leg, while I slipped my foot into one. It felt like I had come home. R ooohed and ahhhhed. They looked so good on my feet. Let me tell you, the thought of a 4" heel may sound painful and scary, but dear God, these felt like slippers. I shit you not. I stood there in them for a good couple of minutes. Mentally trying to find the money somewhere. They were originally $575, but on sale for $350! Finally, R got practical, and reminded me we had to get back to work. I reluctantly took the shoes off and returned them to the rack.

I was sad.

Fast forward to tonight. I get home from work. I kick off my ballet flats, and go on a search for my slippers. I love my slippers. They're called Zaks, and my sister-in-law gave them to me for Christmas years ago, swearing they were the most comfortable slippers ever. She's right. I have worn them out. They are in a sorry state. They have holes in the toes, and the fleece lining is popping out. So my husband Bruce looks at them, and says "you need a new pair of slippers for your birthday" (which is July 29, if anyone is interested...) I responded - "no, what I need for my birthday are the Choos I tried on today at Saks!"

Bruce: WHAT were you doing trying on Choos at Saks?!!!
Me: I HAD to.
Bruce: $350 is too much money to pay for a pair of shoes.
Me: Are you high?
Bruce: That's as much as 2 8 balls cost!
Me: I'd get more enjoyment from the shoes for longer than I would a couple of 8 balls.

There are two things here that stand out. One, I have found grounds for divorce from Bruce. Speaking against the cost of the Choos is sacreligious. Yet, I have found another reason to love him.

My husband knows what Choos are.

I'm a lucky girl.

Today's shoe. The Choos, in all their glory. Except not in denim, because I couldn't find a picture.

Jimmy Choo - Velvet Platform Sandals>

The Colors! The Colors!

Suz, 10N

"You can tell a woman likes shoes if she's wearing bright blue loafers"

This keen observation was made by one of my colleagues yesterday. She was talking about me, of course.

She also was wearing a fabulous pair of peep-toe, black suede pumps with a wood platform wedge. To die for!

Anyway, her comment got me thinking. What does your choice of shoe color say about you? Do you play it safe with neutrals, or do you break out the bright blue loafers? I like shoes of color. I have a pair of red snakeskin boots, my blue loafers. silver slingbacks, gold ballroom dancing shoes (yes, you read that right), burgundy suede ankle boots, well, you get the picture. I still don't have as many colorful shoes as I think I should, though.

I notice when I wear any of the more colorful shoes in my wardrobe, I feel better. There's a spring in my step, a little sashay to my stride. Conversely, when I wear my more staid and boring shoes, I tend to slump a little. Not that I have many staid and boring shoes, mind.

I'm not knocking a fabulous pair of black pumps. Not ever. They are always right and always in good taste. But a fabulous pair of red pumps is right up there. Or black patent, which is a whole 'nother animal.

The only exceptions to my colorful shoe love are the ones you know I hate about all others. Crocs. Those suckers are hideous. I hope that is a trend that dies a swift and horrible, painful death.

So bust out the color, my dear friends! Your feet and your pscyhe will thank you for it!

Today's shoe:


BCBG Max Azria 'Mallies' Sandal

Liesl, 7N

Seventeen years ago I was just leaving Dallas to spend the summer in Tours, France. I was going to live with a family and immerse myself in the language at the Institut de Touraine. That also happened to be the summer of the 200th anniversary of Bastille Day. I really don't have words enough to describe the party in Paris that year. As always, my summer was about shoes as much as anything else.

I was with a group from SMU in a study abroad program; we spent the first week in Paris just having fun and touring the city. I had left for Paris with two pairs of shoes because I knew I wanted to buy shoes and clothes there rather than bring a huge suitcase with me. Unfortunately, the walking shoes I brought were woefully inadequate and I didn't have time to search for shoes in the first week we spent in Paris. I ended up borrowing another girl's Keds and tooling around Paris looking like a bobbysoxer. That was OK for the time being; I would have time for shoes later.

When we left Paris and moved to Tours we went our separate ways to separate families and were free to spend our time doing whatever we pleased. On the first day in Tours I headed to the Place (one of the oldest in France) to look around in shops and get the feel for Tours, a lovely old town. As I was strolling through the Place I spotted something in a shoe store window: a pair of bright red ballet flats with bright red satin laces. I immediately knew that I had to have those shoes. Unfortunately, they were $200 and that was too rich for my student's budget. All summer I cajoled and pleaded with my mother long distance to let me use her Amex to buy those shoes. Finally, as the summer was ending she relented and I rushed to the store to buy them. They were Fiorucci and they were fabulous.

I never wore those shoes. I finally broke down, twelve years later and took them to the Goodwill. It was a huge mistake and I regret it to this day. I was moving from Los Angeles to Lubbock (gack!) and trying to start anew. Trust me ladies, giving away your little pieces of fabulous to the Goodwill is never the way to start over. Never.

Today's Favorite Shoe:

Jimmy Choo

Liesl, 7N

I had a dream the other night that I was shopping for fabulous shoes at Bergdorf's. I was trying on impossibly high stilettos and trying valiantly to appear stable in them but failing miserably. I finally gave up and tried to convince a chic looking woman to buy a pair of Escada sandals. She told me she couldn't because she had children. I woke up and thought, now there's a valid reason not to have children.

Most people dream of flying; I dream of fabulous shoes.

Today's Favorite Shoe:

Charles Mang "Miss Jones"

Liesl, 7N

Crocs are taking over the world, aren't they? I was shopping at Dillard's the other day and noticed that they not only have them in the shoe department, but they also have them on display in other parts of the store. As my friend Jen says, shoes should never come on a hang tag.

Speaking of Jen: we went to Target (happy place) the other day to look for something. What was it? I don't remember. Anyway, I didn't know Target had knock offs of designer shoes! How did I not know this? We were walking past the shoe department and there, in the middle of the first aisle, was a Manolo knock off. Granted, it wasn't nearly as elegant and really didn't look like a Manolo, but there it was in all its glory. Unfortunately, there were also Croc knock offs. However, we proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jen's son Braden is the smartest kid on the planet. He saw the Crocs, yelled, "No Crocs!" and tried to run away. Oh yeah, I love that kid.

I know I obsess over Crocs, but people! a shoe that can go in the dishwasher has to be something we all reject. Has.to.be. And for the record? the last time I was in the po po none of the nurses were wearing Crocs. I checked!

Today's Favorite Shoe:

Pedro Garcia "Doris"

Suz, 10N

Absence makes the heart grow fonder

Or something like that. I haven't been blogging much because I started a new job, and it's taking up all my time. I haven't even shopped for shoes. The HORROR.

One of the many good things about my new job is that there are many women there who love shoes. A lot. There are fabulous shoes walking around that office on a regular basis.

Which leads me to the story I must tell. One of my new colleagues told me this story the other day, and I knew I had to share it. She graciously has allowed me to post it here.

R is Columbian. She travels there regularly to visit family and friends. When she was a teenager, she was taking a bus trip with her father, her friend, and her friend's mother. So they're driving down a mountain in a bus. Apparently, the bus had brake problems. The driver knew this, and was being careful as he drove down the mountain. Not careening at a high rate of speed, or anything like that. It was raining. The bus hit a slick spot, the brakes failed, and the bus flipped over into a ditch filled with water.

R remembers getting out of the bus. Her friend was out of the bus as well, screaming for her mother. R realized that she couldn't walk properly. "Was she hurt?" you ask. No, thank God. She had lost one of her shoes. Shoes she was fond of. So she did what any of us would do. She started to look for it. Which involved crawling back into the bus to search for it amidst the muck and detritus of the accident. She finally finds it floating along and puts it back on.

She then sees her dad draped over her friend's mom, passed out. Her friend's mom is trying to push him off her. Her friend is still screaming for her mother. But R has her shoe.

Her dad woke up, he was fine, got off her friend's mom, and everyone got out, none the worse for the wear, just bumps and bruises. And a recovered shoe.

R is my kind of woman.

Today's Shoe:

Charles Daved 'Whist' Sandal

Liesl, 7N

My very good friend from Los Angeles came to town last weekend; she is marrying a local boy whose family has a lake house and we all went there for Memorial Day weekend. On the way there we stopped over at Shelley's future mother in law's apartment to get a new suitcase for Shelley. Imagine my utter delight when I opened a hall closet in a search for a suitcase and instead found the closet full of Manolos! Needless to mention, Shelley and I got them all out and oohed and aahed over them, making sure not to get any drool on their fabulousness.

Here's the thing: this was a coat closet full of fabulous shoes; imagine this! they were spillover! I didn't open her bedroom closet, though I was dying to, but I assume it was also filled with fabulous shoes. I'm having a hot flash just thinking about it. I need a mint julep. OK anyway... when we got to the lake and told Debbie (future mother in law) that we had found her coat closet shoes she looked at us with a puzzled look on her face. I described exactly where they were and she finally realized which closet we were talking about. She had forgotten about those shoes! It got me to thinking: why is it excess to some and something we covet to others?

I know some people who have several luxury cars, though there are only two people in their family. I have always thought it was complete excess and just ridiculous. But I know that if they had a walk in closet full of $800 shoes I would think it was simply fabulous. Who is to say one is more excessive than the other? We all have something we would collect or buy if we had the money to do it that others would think is silly. My husband would buy Katanas, which seems odd to me. I would buy shoes and art (same thing, right?) which would seem odd to some of my friends. Who am I to judge others for spending their money on the things they find to be fabulous? After all, I've pressed my nose to the Chanel store window more than once; if I could afford to go in and buy? you're damn straight sure I would do it.

Now stop picturing me as a poor waif being chased away from Chanel.

Today's Favorite Shoe:

Manolo Blahnik

Liesl, 7N

I have to wonder how much I would really spend on a pair of shoes. As I peruse the Manolos and the Choos I start to get used to the prices; I get so used to them that when I come across a beautiful pair of shoes for $300 I think they are reasonably priced. Why are beautiful shoes so expensive?

I think they are really expensive because you're not just paying for the shoe and the name; you're also paying for something fabulous to escort you into the world. When you walk down the street to go to your job or to lunch or to Chanel, doesn't it feel better when you have slices of fabulous on your feet? Your feet are literally the things that carry you through life, they should be celebrated. All of the best things we do are on our feet. We dance, we marry, we toast, we hug. And when we talk about doing the right thing we say we stand up for what is right. Our feet are our ambassadors to life.

When you kick that man to the curb, do it while wearing some fabulous Gladstones.
When you stand up to the neighborhood bully, do it while wearing some fabulous Charles Davids.
When you walk away from a bad situation, do it while wearing some fabulous Manolos.
And when you walk into the rest of your life, make sure the shoes that carry you there make you feel as fabulous as you know you are.

So yes, expensive shoes are worth every penny.

Today's Favorite Shoe:

Vera Wang

Liesl, 7N

There is now a very good reason not to shop at Payless: you might get rabies.

I was right! That is all.

Today's Favorite Shoe:

Alexandra Neel Castel