The Black Pump Problem

It's well known that I keep a couple pairs of shoes at the office. And by a couple, I mean a drawer full. So it's never really a surprise when I'm looking for a pair of heels and it turns out they're in my filing cabinet and not any of the 100 different places scattered about my house.

Sometimes that can be a problem though. Like when I was packing for a business trip the nigh before I left and realized I left my black pumps at the office. I posted a Facebook message about it, and my mom (who loves to tease me via comments) said, "You have ONE pair of black pumps-no I don't think so."

Well, she's right and wrong, and my black pumps made me have a total meltdown in Nordstrom last week where I tried on a ton of heels and then decided they were all kind of like something I owned, and instead bought nothing.

These were left in a drawer.

Ironically, I now also have buyers remorse over one pair. In the sense that I didn't buy them.

My black pumps, that are work appropriate are a pair of square toe Aldo heels that I got a few years ago. They look awesome, and also happen to be one of the more uncomfortable pairs of shoes I own. But I love them and they're a reasonable heel height, and easy to walk in, so they win for the office. 

I also have a pair of black patent and suede Mary Janes (also Aldo) that are so wonderfully broken in they may actually be breaking. They're sky-high stilettos and look just a little too porno with pencil skirts and button downs, so I keep those for going out.  Then there's the gold platform Fergie Footwear 'Olivia' heels, but since I was going to be walking through airports in these, I knew that wasn't the best choice either. Island platforms and moving walkways seem to be a disaster waiting to happen. 

So there I was, staring at my suitcase wondering what the hell happened to the black patent pumps I bought a few years ago specifically because they were boring enough for work, and wondering why I didn't buy those black suede Sam Edelman 'Cilela' pumps at Nordstrom. 

This is what happens when I go to Nordstrom. 

When I was there it seemed like an OK idea to skip them. They're suede, a moderate heel, cute without being ostentatious. I also tried on a pair of Michael Kors that looked a little too much like the shoe I wore into the store (but in a different color) and a pair of Joan & David 'Quimberly' pumps, which are Mary Janes with a muted gold platform (just like two pairs of shoes I have melded into one). 

I'm trying not to buy shoes just like what I already have. It's a new goal I made for myself.

It also seems to be something I should just stop trying to do. If I had just bought a pair that day then I wouldn't have had to unpack and repack my suitcase so I could wear a different pair of shoes. But then I also wouldn't have anything to bitch about. 

I just need to go back to Nordstrom and buy a pair of black heels. Then at least this won't happen again. Unless I somehow manage to leave two pairs of black pumps in my drawer. Or I guess I could just clean out my drawer.