The first time I remember falling in love with a truly great pair of shoes, I was working at my dad's office on Hollywood & Vine.
Across the street was a Broadway department store and they had a shoe window. This was the late Sixties, the shoes were a medium mustardy brown pump with a stacked heel and a dark brown thin leather trim around the toe that did a curlicue. They were to die for. But they were also $25 and I couldn't afford them. I thought about and looked at those shoes for days, maybe weeks. I wanted them but I didn't buy them. And I've never forgotten them. Perhaps that unrequited love was the start of my romance with shoes.
If there is one aspect to accessorizing I love, it is shoes. I don't love them the way the ladies in "Sex and the City" love them but I can truthfully say I have bought a lot of shoes in my life. The biggest difference between my thirties and fifties is, I had more money then, was younger, in better shape and four inch heels didn't bother me. I reveled in them. In those days, I bought shoes for every outfit. I bought purses to go with the shoes.
I remember one favorite pair, snakeskin, several different tones of cream and beige. They were pumps, probably 3 inch, with pointed toes. There was a matching purse and it was adorable, sleek and elegant. I kept those shoes til they were no longer wearable.Then there was the Joan and David outlet store I discovered. Once a year, they had a sale, $25 per pair. I went every year and one time picked up five pairs. Now mind you, that is nothing by today's standards but, for me, not a shopaholic, it was extravagant.
Those shoes were divine. I had one pair re-soled twice. I hated throwing any of them away. Another pair I wore maybe twice but kept telling myself I'd find something to go with them. They were black & white patent leather in a tiny tweed pattern with black patent leather heels. I never did find the proper outfit for some reason. But I kept them for years.These days, I wear low heels or flats. My feet don't mind the heels but I need a knee replacement and that sucker cannot tolerate high heels. Oh no.
But, I still have to have cool shoes. They aren't the gladiator sandal heels that are so popular. I'm more into wedges and ballerina slippers and I do have this one pair, black leather lace ups that look like granny shoes but the stacked heel makes them sexy. Love those.
Oh yeah, I could go on and on about shoes.
