Cat in Heels

I have a pair of cork heels that have made me become obsessed with navy blue pants. Not any specific pair of navy blue pants, more like the idea of navy blue pants. Mostly because I didn't own any and I decided they are the perfect pant to go with my cork Sam Edelman Novato heels.  Most of the pants I own for work are black or some kind of beige or tweed (in shades of black), so I was really struggling with these damn cork shoes, which I obsessed over for months, and finally got from DNA Footwear (thanks again guys). I wore them once or twice, loved them because they’re comfortable and fabulous, and then didn’t wear them again.  My reasoning was because I didn’t have navy pants, which would obviously go with these better than black or beige.  Perfection.  This weekend I finally fixed that problem. I went strolling into Banana Republic , intent on buying a dress for my nephew’s baptism (which I didn’t), tried on a million things, was totally ignore...

I have some really tall heels. Some of them so tall that I don't wear them very often because my feet hurt in like 10 minutes, or I have a high chance of falling over. The dinosaur heels are changing all that. Named so (by me) because of the spikes running down the back of the heel making them look like a prehistoric animal, these things are five or six inch heels. They were part of my shameless Bakers shoe splurge a couple of weeks ago. I'm a sucker for red and black anything, convinced myself I really needed a pair of red heels (even though these are not work appropriate) and bought the monstrous heels from Wild Pair simply because I wanted to. Logic has no place in my shoe collection. Urban dinosaurs Saturday I finally got to wear them out of the house. Paired with cigarette pants (or cropped pants for those who hate cigarettes), a red button-down and pinstripe Gaultier  vest, I managed to stab myself with the heel of the shoe while I was putting it on. That r...

I’m fascinated with women’s interactions and relationships with their shoes. Some love them, hate them, wear heels for power, prestige, comfort, height or fashion. Jennifer Lane, Tina Weller, Julie Benasra and Maria Smithsburg i n front Thierry Daher Photo by Maureen Schulman All this and more was delved into in the heel-centric documentary, God Save My Shoes , written and directed by Julie Benasra . The Service Club of Chicago  organized a fundraiser, and excuse to get dressed up and wear your best shoes, by premiering the film downtown, complete with a red carpet after party, and Ms. Benasra and producer Thierry Daher  (in an amazing pair of custom shoes) in attendance. The film looks at heels and women’s relationships with their heels from the point of view of designers, historians, fetish experts, celebrities, and a couple people that may be celebrities but I had never heard of. Overall it was fabulous, informative, and interesting. I loved seeing Christia...

There’s a reason they call it “retail therapy.” Seriously. I don’t think I’ve ever really appreciated the term as much as I did on Saturday when Bakers on State Street and their Grand Re-Opening calmed my nerves, one pair of heels at a time. Life has been insanely busy lately. Not bad, just that kind of non-stop, soul draining clipping pace that leaves you without a moment to yourself and even your dreams are filled with projects at work, things you didn’t get to do at home, and sudden panics that you somehow missed giant event like a birthday or baptism. (True story. Freaked out about both, though neither one was missed). So after waking up at dawn on Saturday, and running around to various places, I took a detour between errands to drive downtown, spend $5at a meter (damn downtown parking), and hoofed it over to Bakers Shoes , praying that it was worth my time to go over there. Maybe it was the humidity, the walk, the throngs of children and tourists, or the stress,...

I blog about shoes. A lot. My own shoes, other people’s shoes, shoe style, fashion, and make fun of it all too. That means wherever I go (assuming people know who I am) they are looking at my shoes. And judging them. Generally that’s totally fine with me, because I don’t really have bad shoes. And if someone thinks my shoes are bad…well…they’re just wrong. Now the pressure is on though, because on April 17 my heels and I have a chance to attend the Chicago premier of “ God Save My Shoes ,” a documentary about women and their relationships with their heels. I’ve never met the filmmaker, Julie Benasra, but I’m pretty sure she and I would hit it off.   Lipstick and heels. Kind of what my house looks like.  “ God Save My Shoes ” features interviews with designers, including Manolo Blahnik and Christian Louboutin , and celebrities such as Dita Von Teese (loves Louboutin), KellyRowland (names her shoes) and Fergie (has her own footwear line). Women love ...

Mules are part pump, part clog, part slipper, and all the rage again. Last popular in the 1980's this hybrid heel has managed to sashay back into the fashion limelight and will be popping up all over again soon. Loving these Vivenne Westwood mules with a bow. The mule seems to be the distant, and infinitely more wearable cousin to the chopine. Characterized by its lack of back and high heel, it's a shoe that can either be so wrong, or so right, and it's all in how you wear them. Mules are not meant to be paired with any old thing. Best paired with cropped pants, skirts or dresses, it's the perfect summer shoe. The closed toe version is especially nice if you're between pedicures. Wearing these with pants can work, but a pant tends to hide the open back and the fact that it is a mule, and can create the awkward problem of getting your pant hem pulled under your heel and into your shoe. Mules are hard enough to walk in without pulling your pants into them. ...

Easter always meant new shoes for me when I was a kid. I can't even remember getting shoes at any time other than Easter (although I'm sure I did). Every year I would get a pair of new, white patent leather shoes and would somehow instantly wander into the grass and stain them up. Bad for chasing children, but I want them. I remember one year I even tried to polish them myself with some white shoe polish I found under the sink. Needless to say that didn't work out well. Now as an adult I no longer get new shoes for Easter, or any other holiday. Sure, I may treat myself to a new pair of Christmas shoes, but not specifically for the holiday. But I think maybe I should start. Both my sisters showed up at Easter dinner in some awesome shoes and dresses. I was wearing a pair of white jeans, black top and my black Blowfish sandals. Immediately I wished that I had treated myself to new shoes for Easter like I was five again. Although maybe not white patent leather this...

People ask me a lot about socks and heels. How do I feel about it? Under what circumstances is it OK? What about sandals and socks? Meh… This is a trend I want to like. And sometimes I do like it. On the right people it looks amazing. Unfortunately, I am generally not the right people, so it’s not something I personally wear often. But it looks like it’s here to stay, and if it’s a trend you’re dying to try then jump in. If you can pull this off, it can look good. A lot of designers have taken us back to the 1980s with the slouchy, colored socks, dress shoes and skirts. Please don’t layer it up and pair these with tights and add the socks over it. Go bare legged, pick a sock color that matches your clothes, and make sure the heel of your sock isn’t pulled up onto the back of your ankle, looking all stupid. To truly pull off this look you have to make sure you have a good sock that fits well. Buy socks just for this look. Don’t just pull any old loafer sock out of the dra...

Cap toe shoes are all over the damn place this spring.  Seriously, I can’t wander through a store without those fun little shoes and their contrasting toes peeping out from under racks of clothes like colorful little bunnies.  Lucky me I like cap toe shoes, and own two pair (although they’re both kind of uninspired), which makes me think I really need to add a new pair to my collection.  I love the metal toe caps from Zara. The ones I have are the coveted and classic Banana Republic heels I got a few weeks ago, and a pair of Steve Madden heels that happen to have a cap toe, though they were designed and bought far before cap toes became a “thing.”  What is the obsession of the cap toe all about though? It’s just building on last season’s color-blocking explosion, and really isn’t even that different, it’s just a little less color. And it’s certainly not a new look. Cap toes were originally popular in the 1940’s and were perfect for polishing off t...