Cat in Heels

We all have those moments when you feel utterly victorious and suddenly invincible. I want to thank Nordstrom for helping me with that feeling last week. A colleague of mine needed a new pair of black pumps, and she was looking for something very specific. Classic, small platform, stiletto heel, but nothing too crazy. Classic toe so it wouldn't wave in and out of style. Something that is so easy, yet so hard to find. As we wandered through Nordstrom we found a whole bunch of "almost" heels. The ones that are almost perfect except for the platform being too high or too low, the toe being too pointy or the heel being too skinny or too fat. Finally we stood on the threshold between regular shoes and Salon Shoes. "Let's just look," I nudged. And so we took the fateful step, and there it was. The perfect pump. And it was Gucci . Found: The perfect black pump "Just try it on," I suggested. And there was the salesman. Immediately hel...

Oxblood is the “it” color of the season. Or maybe it’s red. How about crimson? Or Rouge? Or…. Or who really gives a shit? The important thing is that red shoes are finally easy to find again. Emerson Fry dream heels Seriously, this was once an issue. I had one pair of red shoes. They were a pointed toe pump with a double strap from Chinese Laundry and I wore them to death. Their death anyway. I wore them until the leather straps threatened to snap and the soles were wearing thin. I even bought red shoe polish so I could cover the scuffs on them. When they finally died, I mourned and spent years looking for the right red shoes. Finally I found a couple pair, though nothing that quite took the place of that original pair. This week my sister decided to ask for my assistance in finding a pair of oxblood pumps. She fell in love with a pair from Emerson Fry , and was looking for something comparable that’s a little less than $200. Lucky for her this is the season ...

Years ago I wandered into an eccentric little shoe store in my up-and-coming neighborhood and fell in love with a heel. The Fluevogs that were my obsession and rent money Actually I fell in love with a designer, but it was the heels he put on shoes that really made my heart race, and made John Fluevog shoes the first pair of designer heels I splurged on.  (I spent my whole bonus check to get these shoes, and didn’t pay any bills). What makes them so unique? Aside from John’s use of color and cut, often creating a modern take on classic and Victorian styles, it was the fluted heel that took my breath away. Featured on shoes, boots, booties, dressy and casual heels, I would wander the store tracing the curve of the heel in a way that probably bordered on pornographic, and wish all my shoes were as beautiful as the ones Fluevog made. Alice and Olivia So you can imagine my surprise when wandering through Nordstrom Salon Shoes when I started seeing fluted heels...

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...

Chicago has finally started to decide to act like spring, and assuming it ever stops raining at random intervals, it's going to be sandal season soon. Changing seasons means that I break open the blue bin of forgotten shoes and rediscover all the shoes that I didn't take out last year, the shoes I forgot I owned, don't like and don't know why I own, and everything in between. Some of the forgotten shoes Last night I got a sudden burst of energy and curiosity, coupled with the annoyance of not being able to get through my closet, and I busted open the blue bin to put away the boots and break out the sandals. And I'm pretty sure that I didn't go through this thing in like two years, because there were shoes in there I totally forgot I owned. Zebra kitten heel sandals by Kenneth Cole , silk dragon print heels from Aldo , Prada mules, another pair of Kenneth Cole sandals, red sandals, black Nine West sandals, my beloved Bakers wedges that go with everyt...

Every few years the classic loafer (this season it's called a spectator) makes it's way back into the stores and hearts of the world. There's something about that round shape, too much stitching, tassels and/or fringe that doesn't move, that people gravitate towards at least once a decade.  My heeled loafers and spectators A few years ago a friend of mine managed to find me a pair of blue patent leather loafers that had fringe, tassels, a bow, and a wood stacked 4 inch heel. He bought them without even asking. He knew I'd love them.  Around the same time I bought a pair of loafers/spectators (with a heel) from Steve Madden . I saw them and loved them. The color combination paired with the narrow toe and wooden heel made the shoe look a little 1930s and a lot corporate chic. This season spectators and their monotone brother, loafers, seem to be everywhere. Unfortunately, they're all flat. Kenneth Cole and Cole Haan boast beautiful spectators in v...