My love affair with beautiful shoes started with a pair of hot pink, ostrich feather adorned Manolo Blahnik satin sandals. I had always wanted a pair from the famed Spanish shoe designer, but never thought it was something I could realistically own. I stumbled upon them on sale at Neiman Marcus and they only had one left in my size. After hemming and hawing about purchasing them, I finally pulled the trigger. After all, only one size 39 left in the whole company! I convinced myself it was meant to be. I didn’t want them to become “the shoes that got away”.
At the time, in my mind, spending a lot of money on a pair of shoes would certainly bankrupt me. I had a modest income and bills to pay. However, much to my surprise, I was able to buy the shoes and continue to eat and pay my rent. How was that possible? It’s rather simple actually – I just didn’t buy other non-necessities for a while. Instead of browsing Nordstrom Rack multiple times a month, buying stuff I didn’t need or even really like all that much, I simply enjoyed my new Manolos. Less really can be more.
I now wear heels everyday. It doesn’t matter if it’s to work or the grocery store. I find they elevate even the simplest of outfits, and give me the confidence to get through any situation. Honestly, I feel completely naked wearing flats. That being so, if I had a dime for every time a woman asked me, flabbergasted, “how do you wear those shoes all day?”, I’d have enough money to buy all the Manolos I ever wanted. Probably even a pair for you, too.
So how do I wear those shoes all day? Well, for me, buying quality shoes makes it possible. I know that some people cannot wear heels for various reasons, and I fully understand that. I also never push the idea of wearing them onto other women. But I will say that for me personally, and this is based off experience, when I started investing in well-made shoes, I discovered I was able to wear heels all day without pain. The quality of the materials, the balance, the fit. Everything adds up to make the overall experience much more comfortable.
I’ve also learned to really take care of my shoes as a result. They’re an investment, and they’re meant to last. I wipe them down after every wear before stowing them away in their perfect little boxes in my closet, each shoe stuffed with tissue to retain their shape. When they start to show excessive signs of wear, I get them resoled or the heel tips replaced. A little bit of care can go a long way in making great shoes last for years. And the best part is nowadays with consignment websites such as TheRealReal and department store sales, you can get fantastic shoes without dropping the cash for full retail. Owning comfortable, beautiful shoes has never been easier.
Back to that pink ostrich feather pair. I’ve had them for a few years now and I still can’t get enough of them. I even wore them to my wedding, not caring that they were a couple years old and had the infamous black toe marks that all open toe shoes develop overtime. They’re comfortable. They’re pretty. They are still talked about by my wedding guests. And I could dance in them all night.
No wonder Carrie Bradshaw was able to effortlessly run around Manhattan all day long.
-Shelby
