Cat in Heels

As you get older some things in life seem to become an ineviatibility. Like the text I got today about bunions. "I think I have a bunion and I have to go to the podiatrist!" Taryn Rose shoes that don't make you hate your feet. This came in from my hair stylist friend who stands day in and day out making the world a more beautiful place one head of hair at a time. I offered sympathies and told her to rock a pair of combat boots all 1990s instead of giving in to the suggestion of orthopedic shoes. I got some sort of half-hearted response that pretty much told me to go to hell. This all made me wonder, is there such a thing as a "good" heel and are heels really to blame for all the world's bunions? The Internet is wildly divided on this issue (because it's the most reliable source ever ). Apparently narrow shoes cause bunions because they push your big toe in against your other toes, so I guess that could include flats. And as for heels being go...

I once had a sales associate at at shoe store tell me that I would ruin the sole of my shoes if I wore them outside. On the list of dumb shit I've heard in my life, this ranks up there. Aside from the obvious fact that a main purpose of any kind of footwear is to protect your feet from the elements, I was unaware that there are shoes that have soles not meant for outside. Sure, there's a billion different materials, accouterments, designs, styles and materials that can make shoes a little more difficult to wear in various outside weather, but to not be able to wear them on concrete seems a little insane. One of the first ways I break in a new pair of heels is to take them on a stroll around the neighborhood, wear them on my commute to work, or walk the dog around the block in them. It helps the shoe conform to your foot, gives you an idea of where the problem points will be (if any) and tears up the bottom a little so when you are inevitably inside on carpet you don...

Apparently going out to dinner with me is stressful. This week I was scheduled to have dinner with a friend. The night before our dinner my friend posted that she was stressing out about which shoes she was supposed to wear to dinner with me. Really, am I that judgmental? These are "big girl shoes." I assured my friend, via Twitter and text messages throughout the day that she could wear whatever shoes she wanted. We hadn't gotten together for months, and if she wanted to wear one gym shoe and one slipper, I still be happy to see her. I would also probably make fun of her, but that's because it would be funny looking. After work we met up, and true to her word, she was wearing her "big girl shoes." Normally a statuesque blond, she now towered over six feet tall, making any added height I had totally inconsequential. At my best I can get to 5'8", which is her height in flats. The "big girl" shoes she was so proud of? A nude...

Traveling for work as much as I do (which is still a lot less than some people) I have gotten pretty good at packing light. This usually means only bringing one pair of heels (gasp!), plus my gym shoes. The trip I just got back from was to Miami for three nights, witch turned into four thanks to a snowstorm in Chicago, and the only heels I brought were vanilla patent pumps. They matched the gray pinstripe pants, beige and tan pants, and the black dress with the beige cardigan. They even go with jeans What they didn't really go with were the sweaters I bought at Zara on total impulse my first day there, or the shirt from Banana Republic with the giant bow over one shoulder. By the time I left Miami, I had bought enough clothes to stay in the city another 7 days without repeating an outfit, but the fact that I had been wearing the same heels for days was killing me. Seriously, I don't know how people only own two or three pairs of shoes. Only a couple of days and ...

Last week I went for snow boots on my lunch. Because I haven't done that 1,000 times before and not found a damn thing. This time I was particularly determined to find boots. I had scouted ahead, found them online, priced them, and all that good stuff. I decided this trip would be to Aldo , and if all else failed, I'd go to Nordstrom after work. So I walked through the cold and snow of Michigan Avenue and realized that Aldo was much further than I thought it was, and by the time I arrived my shoes were a mess, my pants were wet and I was again cursing winter and determined to find snow boots. I love these more than snow boots I went in focused. I found what I was looking for, asked to see it, and then while I was waiting I start perusing the sale racks. This is such an amazing time of year for sales.  By the time they arrived with the boots for me to try on, I had an armload of heels to try on. I don't even need to explain that the boots didn't fit right ...

A couple days ago I got a shipping confirmation on a pair of sandals I ordered. Yeah! New shoes. They were silver sandals with a wooden heel from Qupid . Very last season, but I figured they were on super sale and I needed something to replace my silver sandals, which probably should have been disposed of last summer. Then yesterday I got another email: These are not my new silver sandals. I'm contacting you with regards to your recent order number XXXX. Unfortunately the Saydie Silver shoes you purchased were out of stock when our warehouse tried to ship them to you and we will not be restocking them. Unfortunately this means that we are not going to be able to fulfill this part of your order. I have cancelled this part of your order and requested a refund be issued to your card. Please allow 5-7 business days for this to clear. Our sincerest apologies for any inconvenience caused. Kindest regards, Bridget Thanks Bridget. So if you're canceling my order, what t...

I am about to commit shoe-lover blasphemy. I have an opinion that goes against everything you've been told by bloggers all over. I don't care for ShoeMint . I'll give you a moment to clutch your pearls and call me some horrible names before proceeding with my argument. Wedge booties I've been wearing for months. First, let me say that I don't own any ShoeMint shoes, and I know nothing of their construction. They're probably great. I generally like Steve Madden  and I have plenty of his heels. In all honesty I had great hopes for ShoeMint . Steve Madden is great. Shoe clubs are cute, and I kind of love the idea of a celebrity collaboration. I let all my readers know, bought into the hype, and waited with bated breath for the big launch. At which point I then made a face and went, "That's it?" Almost everything was freakishly close to stuff I already own. A pair of teetering Mary Jane stilettos, lace up wedge booties I didn't li...

I totally lied about getting winter boots today. I'd wear them, but not in snow. Well, I didn't lie. I just didn't get around to it. And once I looked at the weather forecast in Chicago for the next 10 days and saw that today is the coldest day we're having for a little while, I decided I can hold off on spending obscene amounts of money on hideous things for just a little bit longer. Maybe in the meantime I can find something cute. Which is really my problem. I struggle to find something cute that also serves any kind of function at all other than to adorn your feet with fabulousness. @GlamB0t asked me on Twitter what are cute boots that are warm and can withstand snow and rain. After thinking and thinking (and struggling with this myself), I have come to the conclusion that the answer is they don't exist. Sure, there's the Hunter heeled rain boot, which isn't awful, and you can add a liner to it for the instant snow boot, but that heel will se...