If I can pull it off, anyone can

As I've said previously, I'm severely lacking in style. But, I finally found a way to wear Barney-purple tall boots without looking like a dork or a street walker. Behold - Sheila from Just Fabulous.

Ignore the goofy expression - Hubby was trying to make me laugh.

She is Michael Antonio brand, fits tts with socks, and is horribly uncomfortable, but she's cute and I've spent literally months trying to figure out how to wear her. The answer proved to be as simple as- Jeggings: Mossimo from Target; Sweater: Express; Necklace: Tiffany; bracelet: Monica's Fantabulous Fashions!!!

If I can pull off wearing something as outrageous and in-your-face as these boots, then all of you can too. Try it, you may just surprise yourself.

UPDATE: After 3 hours in them, including a trip to the grocery store - the stiff toes have softened up a bit and now the boots aren't that uncomfy. 

Friday Late-Night Wrap-Up

Nothing worthy of a full post tonight - but there are a few updates:

• I got my Jessica Simpson Cheetahs in Powder Chloe Leather, and now, after 5 pairs of Cheetahs, I consider that collection complete - unless red or blue comes out. I really really really hope they do.
• I re-purposed a tie rack to hang my fashion necklaces on:

• Speaking of fashion jewelry - I've been getting most all of my bling from Monica's Fantabulous Fashions!!! on Facebook. Check her out - she's got awesome stuff, great prices and the best damned customer service you'll ever see!
• Speaking of cheap: I ended up ordering a total of 7 pairs of shoes, a bag, and a necklace set from ShoeDazzle's Holiday Sale. I can't say no to $20 shoes and accessories. There's still one day left and a few items still left in stock - we'll just have to wait and see if #10 gets ordered too. ;)
• I'm still not sure what we're doing for NYE, much less what shoes I'll be wearing. We're considering staying in for a quiet evening and some champagne.
• How many of you will be staying up for the new shoe club showrooms tomorrow night, or more likely, who will actually login and look? For me, it's going to completely depend on what we do and where I'm at come 1am my time. 

Good Night, everyone!

The New Kid in Town

What happens when a Hollywood Starlet, a big name stylist, and a legendary shoe designer get together and create a shoe club? ShoeMint is what happens - a club with higher quality materials, and a higher price tag than the competitors ($79.95/pair). But, what you get are shoes styled by Rachel Bilson and Nicole Chavez and designed and manufactured by Steve Madden. Ah, there's that name. The American shoe god. Even if you know nothing about women's shoes in the modern age, you know who Steve Madden is. And you know that other than the occasional wonky sizing, you'll hear very few complaints about Maddens.

When this club was first announced, there was quite a bit of buzz. Mainly, people were wondering if a shoe club could exist at TWICE the current standard price. The assumption was that the designs would be fashion forward, exclusive and that $80 would be a steal for whatever they released. Then, discount codes were sent out to reel in some true shoe addicts and it worked. A lot of us in the online world of shoes jumped on board. But there was a glaring issue: They were not exclusive designs - two of the original three debut shoes were almost identical to shoes already available under the Steve Madden brand. One more expensive, and one the same price.

I, and many other ladies shrugged it off and decided to give them a try anyways. They had sent out tons of discounts - for referrals, for surveys, as gifts in items from other BeachMint companies - so most girls got their first pair for either $1 or $40. For that price, it was worth trying out.

And so, I bought the blush Edith's for $1 in 1/2 size up as recommended. I really wasn't expecting much, they look kind of bland online, and way too tall with way too much platform. But for $1, I wasn't going to be too judgmental. Then they arrived. Holy High Heels! They're 6" tall. The tallest I currently own by 1/4". I was terrified to stand up in the damned things. But, the suede is so soft, and the quality is so good that I decided right then and there that I was keeping them - even if they had to be over-the-shoulder shoes. Then, I told my friends "Wish me luck!" and I stood up. And OMG! They are the most comfortable heels I've ever put on my feet. They're high, yes, but the platform makes up for it and they have a natural shape to the toe that makes them super easy to walk in. They fit perfect at 1/2 size up and are tinger-friendly. After walking in them for about 15 minutes, I decided I need the black, too. So, I found someone that wasn't using their $30 off coupon and I bought the black with it.

Three short days later, the black Edith's arrived at my doorstep and this is where the trouble began. As soon as I took them out of box, I could tell something was seriously wrong. I put them on and about fell over because the heel was so crooked on the right one. I'm used to quality issues with ALL the shoe clubs, so I didn't really think it was that big of a deal. I'd just contact them, maybe send them a picture if they requested it, and they'd send me replacements while they're still in stock. Nope. Not how it happened at all. They informed me I had two options: 1) Send them back - which takes a week, let them process the return - takes another week, and then they'll issue me a credit with which I can re-buy them or 2) I can buy them for full price up front if I'm worried they'll sell out and they'll refund me that $80 in about two weeks once the damaged ones are processed. I won't go into the really gory details of that initial conversation since many of you saw the details on the ShoeMint fan page on facebook. That initial representative got me in touch with their Customer Service Manager. I sent her a long and cogent email about why an $80 shoe club can't possibly have worse customer service than the $40 clubs and expect to survive. She responded to me the next day, a Saturday, Christmas Eve, with an order number of the replacement pair and a promise to send them rush as soon as the holiday was over. I, in turn, mailed back the defective Edith's that same day.

Today, I received a flawless and beautiful pair of black Edith's via FedEx. They were worth the hassle and more. I paid $50 for this pair, and I think they were worth every dime, but I don't think I would have gotten either pair if I had to pay full price. But, as you know by now, I don't like paying full price for anything. If you have a discount code for at least $30 off, then get one of these. They really are magnificent and are honestly probably my favorite shoes at the moment. (That may change - my powder Jessica Simpson Cheetah's will finally be here tomorrow!)

As for ShoeMint - they've still got some major kinks to work out - as would any company at this stage. Their order system isn't syncing up with their shipping info so if you get a shipping confirmation at all, it's often after you've already received your shoes. For all three pairs received, I've had to contact customer service for tracking information. Their policy regarding defective products needs to at least be changed to match that of the other clubs because the current policy virtually guarantees that you will either be out $80 for a couple of weeks, or you won't get the shoes you want. It is my understanding that all of the BeachMint companies follow this policy though so they've apparently chosen this path intentionally. Their live-chat is a nice feature, but I get the feeling that the agents don't have much discretion or gray area in which to be able to handle issues on a case-by-case basis. Though I do want to give mad props to the manager, Claudia. She was wonderful and did everything in her power to correct my problem. And, in my honest opinion, they need to dial up the Wow! factor on their shoes, too. The January previews are looking bland and are also available elsewhere.

After all is said and done, I'm happy with the overall experience - I ultimately got two gorgeous, real suede, comfortable pairs of shoes for $51. Yes, there was a major bump in the road, but they stepped up and made it right. I wish I hadn't had to put so much effort into it, but I'm cutting them a little slack for being less than a month old at that point. I'm extremely happy with the shoes and I really hope that the customer service, shipping and policy issues get corrected soon before too many people get a bad taste in their mouths. As for me, I will continue my membership and see what the next few months bring before I make a final judgement call. The Shoe Squirrel is always looking for new sources, after all.

Minor Update: A few of you have asked me why I was so nice in this post considering the actual details. I wanted to show them that good customer service will be rewarded, just as bad customer service will be blasted. Here is the link to the whole sordid affair on facebook if you want to see how it all really went down. Even one good customer service supervisor can go a long way in my book, and I know that after I gave her contact information to others that had the same or similar problems, Claudia took care of them too. The company itself has major issues at this point, don't get me wrong. But I will give them another chance because I know that if it happens again, I have a contact that will rectify the issue.

The Official "Hump Day Enabling" Post

Because a good deal is nothing if not shared:

• ShoeDazzle is doing 50% off everything in their Holiday Shop until the 31st. I've bought four pairs of shoes and a jewelry set so far. My wallet is really hoping they don't add more stuff, but my closet is hoping they do.
• Using my link will get you $10 off at Shoebuy.com  - or code SAVENOW will save you 15% if that gets you a better deal than the $10 off.
• At Jessica Simpson's site,  Code NEWYEAR will get you 25% off your entire order through January 8th.
• Betsey Johnson is doing 50% off all sale apparel, 40% off all regular priced apparel, and 30% off all jewelry - no codes needed
• Express.com has started their big "End of Season" sale - up to 60% off a ton of styles.
• Victoria's Secret is doing their Semi Annual Sale
• And as always: use eBates for free cash back on most all your favorite shopping sites.

It appears we're in a bit of a lull when it comes to big sales other than the usual end of year sales. If you know of any big sales or discount codes, please let me know in the comments. I'm really hoping we get some better sales for New Year's!

Progress on the spreadsheet

It's getting there. All the data is collected and entered. Now, I'm just working on formatting and adding pictures. Feel free to use this as a template for your own collections.

Apparently I need to spell out this disclaimer: Though I don't mind if you use this for your own collections, or even share it with your friends, I do have a MAJOR problem with anyone who distributes it as their own work when it is actually my work. 

This may not be such a good idea afterall.

Hubby won't let me line the bedroom with bookcases for my shoes, so I'm cataloging them in a fancy schmancy little spreadsheet. It was going well at first, then I realized I hadn't even made it to the closet yet and I'm already surpassing 50 pairs. This may be a bit painful, and even eye opening. I'm breaking my no-counting rule with gusto! Woops.

I'll let you all know how it goes. In the meantime, blogging will be light as I come to terms with the magnitude of my problem. (Not THAT problem - the lack of storage issue.)

UPDATE: (4 hours later) All the initial data collection is done and entered in the as-yet unformatted spreadsheet. Now, I have to decide what to do about pictures and decide how I want it to look/function. Oh, and Justin walked up behind me as I was entering line item #84. It may take him a few beers to come to terms with this.

UPDATE #2: 3 beers and a pound of crab legs later and he still hasn't quite digested how many pairs there are. Though he did say the boots I'm wearing (Amy in brandy from Sole Society) are nice and didn't freak out when I said I NEED the black ones too. So, that tells me he can handle a few more pairs invading our space. 

Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas from the Hills.

The Sad Truth

I don't have 'style'. There, I said it. My standard outfit is a t-shirt or sweater and jeans or simple skirts. I don't do accessories, my hair is au natural, and most all make-up breaks me out. I carry one Coach purse for an entire season and have worn the same diamond Citizen watch everyday for 7 years. I like ordinary, bland, and simple. Sure, I have my moments when I shine. I do really well on date night and I polish up like a new penny for dressy occasions. But in my every day life, I just can't or won't do it. It's just not 'me'.


Except for shoes. That's where my entire arsenal of style lies. I will throw on a Zac Brown Band tee with a pair of skinnies and toss on some tall boots and I rock it. But most days, I wear a polo or button down, boot cut jeans, and heels. {Side note: I'm fortunate and cursed in my work attire - my company provides us with nice-ish polos and button downs in dozens of colors, but they expect us to wear them and they don't go with much more than jeans or khakis.} I often wear long jeans that cover most of my shoes. My office isn't really skirt-appropriate, and being construction, I really don't like wearing clingy tops or pants around the crews. So half-hidden heels are my standard look. Even at that, though, my shoes get noticed. Since they do get noticed, I think "Why bother?" when it comes to changing up my look.

It's huge and gorgeous!

I'm trying to change this though. I've slowly been adding some accessories to my wardrobe and been trying some new shapes of shirts and pants. Unfortunately, because I'm so top-heavy, I'm limited in the styles I can wear and not look silly. I'm also a creature of habit when comes to purses - I have specific requirements for size, weight, style, pockets, etc. and I can't stand changing purses so I'm sticking with one statement bag per season. That leaves jewelry and other such accessories as my only option. I've begun to collect big, blingy, and attention grabbing jewelry - necklaces, bracelets and rings - and trying to incorporate at least one piece every day. So far, it works and I haven't had a hard time putting the thought into it. But my new worry is that the accessories will detract from the shoes - which are barely visible on most days. And the shoes are my priority.

I guess I'm just stuck in fashion limbo-always have been, always will be. I'll keep trying to look more 'put-together' and I'll keep failing, but it won't matter, really, because my shoes will be great!

Inserts: A discussion of comfort and fit

High heels are uncomfortable. That's just the way it is. Sure, some are better than others, and some downright hurt, but it's all just varying degrees of discomfort. A few rare pairs are truly 'comfortable' in the sense that you can wear them from when you get up to when you go to bed, but your feet will still bug you. In this context, I really don't like heels. I can walk in them, wear them for 16-18 hours straight, and even run in them in a pinch, but the fact is, they suck. If you don't believe me, go put on your most comfortable heel on one foot and either a running shoe or an Ugg on the other. Go on...I'll wait. Am I right? Exactly.

Foot Petals inserts

Now, all that being said, I will not give up my heels. I like them more than they like me. Much more. So much more that I have searched high and low for various ways to make them less painful. About a year ago now, I discovered foam inserts, specifically the Foot Petals brand. Though, the brand is not the important part - generics and other brands are readily available at Target, DSW, and various online retailers. The important part is the material they're made of and the shape of the insert itself. I avoid the gel style inserts like the plague. In heels, they do nothing but cause my foot to sweat and make my foot slide around. No bueno. So, I use only foam style inserts. I primarily use three different types - the ball-of-foot insert, the full insert, and the heel grip. These each solve specific problems.

Ball-of-foot insert in a shoe.

In ALL my heels - Every. Single. Pair. - you will find a ball of foot insert. These are mainly to pad the part of your foot with the most pressure and stress - and the comfort difference must be felt to be believed. There are a couple of other advantages to these particular inserts too. The keep you from sliding forward in your shoes, which is HUGE when wearing peep toes. But the biggest advantage, at least for my super narrow foot, is that they help you fill out the shoe just enough that it can make a too wide pair, or slightly too long pair fit like a dream. The advantages of these inserts are so great that I literally buy them in bulk. I'm not partial to the Foot Petals brand on these, but they turn out the cheapest when Amazon or HSN runs them on sale. I just bought 27 pairs of these. Hopefully I'll get a month or so out of that supply. hehe

Foot Petals Killer Kushionz in a shoe

In some heels, a simple ball of foot insert just doesn't do the trick and I need either more cushion, or need to raise my heel up in the back of the shoe. There are heel only inserts for this, but I personally don't like them. What I wear instead are full inserts. In these, I AM partial to the Foot Petals Killer Kushionz. They are the only ones I've found that also properly pad the ball of foot as well as the heel. The only time I wear these though is when I've got a pair of shoes that the back just hits too high on my heel and makes it hard to walk. They lift me up in the shoe just a hair and usually defeat that issue. I've only got this style in a few pairs, but they have made many otherwise unwearable shoes tolerable.

Heel grip

The insert of last resort for me is the heel grip. I will try the first two before I go to the heel grip style. I just don't like the way they feet against the back of my foot, honestly. BUT, they are lifesavers in brands that simply don't fit me in their sizing. I don't have these in many shoes, because the ball of foot or full insoles will solve most problems. I've also found that cutting these in half lengthwise helps them feel better. If you absolutely love a pair of shoes and they just keep slipping, then these are your inserts.

There are also other types of inserts that are immensely useful. There little grip strips that help keep sandals and straps from rubbing wrong. They are also good for when a shoe just rubs oddly in a certain area. You can cut one to fit the area you need. Moleskin is hugely helpful for rubs also, and you can get the padded style and make your own inserts. Don't worry, it's not made of real moles. At least I hope not. I get my moleskin at Walgreens in the same area that they have shoe polish.

Clear sole protector on pink sole

Sole protectors aren't exactly inserts, but are made by the same companies that make inserts, so they deserve a mention. They typically come in clear or black. These help with sole grip on slippery shoes and protect colored or designed soles, which is the current trend. (Thank you, Louboutin). For these, I either use the Foot Petals Sole Stopperz or their Fab Feet brand at Target. I do not like the ones from DSW. They get gummy after wearing them for a while and tend to let things stick to them.

As for pricing - I've discovered that Amazon is the cheapest on most of these in both name brand and generic. The exception is when HSN runs their "Perfect 10" set on sale for $20. That's 6 sets of ball of foot inserts and 4 sets of heel grips. It's a helluva deal. If you're new to inserts, I recommend starting with the ball of foot insert and go from there. There are combo packs that you can get that are basically sampler packs with one pair of each type, but apparently these retailers think they're made of friggin' gold because they're outrageously expensive. Feel free to try the gel ones, but I've not met anyone that they work for and often make the situation worse.

Before I discovered inserts, I wore heels to work once or twice a week and had maybe 25 pairs of them. Since I've discovered inserts, I wear heels (really high ones usually) seven days a week and refuse to count how many pairs I have now. $3-$10ish per pair has made me love shoes all that much more. It really does make that much of a difference.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

And I, like most everyone else, am in full holiday-stress-mode. Blogging will be light for the next week. I just don't have time to upload and edit all my posts.

It's all in my head

A couple of little things. I've got about 5 posts floating around in draft form and just can't decide what I want to finish and publish first. Help me choose between:

1. A discussion on various shoe inserts and their unexpected uses
2. The maddening inconsistency in Steve Madden's sizing recently
3. A review of some random shoe that I either love or hate and why
4. The pack mentality of online shoe groups/forums.
5. Something else that my wine addled brain hasn't figured out how to summarize in a bullet point yet

Basically, not believing in delayed gratification, I seem to be forgetting blogs are forever and I don't have to post EVERYTHING at once. I need to pace myself and post one thing at a time. What would you gals like to hear me wax poetic about first? One of those items? Do you have some topic that you feel is hopelessly neglected on shoe/fashion blogs? I am trying to post daily so I need 360 posts just to get me to the one year point. I've got exactly 5. I don't think I thought this project through to completion. lol

Also, with all blogs, not necessarily mine, remember to occasionally click one of the ads on the margin or between the posts. I'm not anywhere near the level that it matters one whit to me (it takes multiple clicks for me to even get a penny), but there are bigger, money making, bloggers that each click may mean another day of ramen noodles instead of a packet of ketchup for lunch. Those obnoxious little ads to pay the bills for some people.

I'm going to bed. I've got 2 pairs coming in from ShoeDazzle tomorrow, and two from elsewhere coming in on Friday. I'm sure one of them will be worth some type of review. I hope - or else I'm completely screwed for blog content this weekend. :(

Deserving Souls

I'm dead tired tonight or else this spot would be filled by a discussion on shoe inserts. I'll bet you all were just itching for that fun and exciting topic.

I did want to take just a minute to remind everyone that it is the holiday season. Before you decide to try and sell that gently worn pair of shoes, please consider donating them instead. There are women looking for jobs that desperately need those shoes for interviews and work and would be eternally grateful to have access to them for little or no cost.  I boxed up several pairs today to take to our local poverty outreach center. They need them more than I do, and even more than I need the money. It's a pain in the ass to sell worn shoes on eBay anyways. Besides, if you donate to a non-profit, it's tax deductible.

Okay, I'm done preaching (I promise it won't happen often). Good Night!!!!!

The Deets on Dita (and Ditan)

These are my girls. Where the Jessica Simpson Cheetahs are my everyday go-to shoes, the Betsey Johnson Dita(n)s are my sexy go-to shoes. If I need a shoe that's gonna give me an instant self esteem boost - then one of these are what I grab. They're 5.5" with just over an inch of platform and good internal padding so they're easily wearable all day. The round toe is natural shaped and tinger-friendly. Even my mondo long toes are comfy in them.

I've been trying to figure out the difference between the Dita and Ditan, but there doesn't seem to be a common theme. Both have patterned soles, both are available in solids and patterns, patents and not. What you see here is navy Dita, floral Ditan and red Dita. The navy and red are a fantastic marbled glossy patent leather with a non-contrasting corset lacing. Both have a hot pink sole with rose buds on them. The floral Ditan is like a pearlescent watercolor painting that picks up what ever color you wear with them, though the main undertone is pink. The corset lace and sole are both powdery pink. They all have the signature Betsey Johnson heart medallion on the shank in gold.

These run perfectly true to size on me. There is no extra room and no pinching, rubbing, or pressure anywhere.  They are a tad on the heavy side, so novice feet will tire easily in them. There is an interesting feel to the platform - it has a little of a 'roll' to it. I guess it's to make walking more natural, but it doesn't help me. I don't walk like Bambi on ice like some heel wearers do though, so that may be it. (Side note - do they make training wheels for heels? If not, someone should invent those.)

As for pricing - they retail for around $90 a pair, but deals can be had if you grab them during one of the store-wide percent off sale at somewhere like heels.com, endless or Amazon. Using Ebates with one of those sales can help dramatically. I paid full price (with a courtesy credit, so not really) for the navy ones on Amazon, the red ones were 30% off on Amazon which I paid for with a gift card from a dear friend, and the floral Ditans were gotten during heels.com's Cyber Monday sale at 30% off, and I got another 20% cash back through ebates for them. The other option is to keep an eye out on Hautelook, Beyond the Rack, Ruelala, or Ideeli. They all occasionally run these in the $50 range with shipping.

If you only have two pairs of heels, (are there creatures like that?) then one must be a pair of Jessica Simpson Cheetahs and the other a pair of Betsey Johnson Dita(n)s.

Footnote: I've been asked how these compare to the Marryls from ShoeDazzle. They don't. Beyond the pink sole and the corset back, there are no other similarities. I highly recommend waiting until you can either splurge on these or until you can get them for $50 instead of getting the Marryls if you are solely wanting them because they're similar.  If you truly like the look of Marryl or that fit or material (that material IS dreamy) then get those for $40. But don't expect them to be a Dita replica. I did and was sorely disappointed.

To Wear or Not to Wear

Yes, that is a mirrored metal heel.

Believe it or not, I've worn 99% 95% of my current shoe collection. There is a pair of dressy purple Steve Maddens that I've had about a month without wearing yet and I'm honestly not sure where or when I'll wear them (Shut Up! They were $30 and they're real suede!). There's an unworn pair from ShoeDazzle that have ribbons up the back - too sexy for work, and well, pretty much anywhere - but they're gorgeous and I love them. Then there are the pink Poetic Licence that are pegged to be worn with a cute skirt in the spring - I just got them too late in the year to wear them now. Other than that, there are a couple few four five pairs that aren't yet worn (two of those are for sale so they don't count) because they just have gotten here and it's been colder than a witch's titties the last week or so.

I always try to wear the new stuff before re-wearing anything older. This brings up a couple of problems though - by wearing them immediately, I don't always have time to regret buying them and it's a pain in the rear to try and sell worn shoes if I decide an hour into wearing them that I don't really like them. The other problem is that if I wear them immediately, I may force an outfit to go with them that may not look all that hot. I could wait until I have more time to put something together, but I don't because that would mean wearing something else in the meantime. I'm not a fan of delayed gratification. If I don't wear them immediately though I'm always terrified of the inevitable question from my hubby - "How many of these have you actually worn?" He doesn't have an issue with my collection of shoes, but he would like to make sure I keep it in control and actually wear what I buy. I don't think it would sound very good for me to have to tell him all but 10 or 15. His eye might twitch if I could wear a brand new pair of shoes everyday for two weeks and not have to buy anymore.

I'm trying to come up with a more happy medium - where I try to wear everything within a reasonable time but don't force myself to wear the new stuff first. Of course, I do run the risk of never getting to a pair just because there are so many new and coming at any given time and if I'm doubling back and re-wearing stuff, then I can't ever get to the new stuff. If they languish too long, I'll throw them on eBay <---I've got a backup plan for everything...don't you, too?

I know women who have massive collections of shoes and don't even wear heels. I'm not one of those. Not by a long shot. I wear heels to the grocery store and to Lowe's. Even though I wear them all day, every day there just aren't enough days to wear them all. I believe I have a problem. No, not THAT problem. I need to start wearing TWO pairs per day. That's it! That's the solution! Problem solved. Just don't tell my husband. ;)

The Air Up There

“I Love your shoes!!! Where did you get those!?!?!?!” That’s how it begins.  Some random female compliments my shoes and it’s like a hit of crack(not that I’d know what a hit of crack is like). I can’t get enough. I need more and NOBODY better get in my way, yo! I discovered, years ago, I have a talent. That talent is the ability to walk in 5”+ heels. Surprisingly few women have this ability. I started with just wearing the occasional “catch me – screw me” heels but wasn’t brave enough to wear the stilettos every day. Then I discovered the shoe clubs and realized I could get glamour for $40 a pair and that’s all-she-wrote.  When men, who are inevitably taller than me, ask why I wear them, I tell them that it’s because I like the air up there better. But really, it’s because I like the way I feel up there better. I see more people eye to eye – I’m 5’3.5” – and I know other ladies envy my shoes.

Tell me, why do you wear heels? Is it for self esteem, or just what you see as normal. Do you have chronic pain or discomfort that is lessened by wearing heels? Do you just like the way you feel in them? Why do some women feel naked without 5” heels, and others think we’re crazy? Why don't all women wear 5" heels everyday?

UPDATE: 12/11/11 10:44pm- Apparently it's too dangerous for me to wear flats. I just tripped going up the stairs and sprained my wrist while catching myself. I don't fall in heels. Only in flats. I hate those insidious little things.

Run Cheetah, Run!

I LOVE the Jessica Simpson Cheetah Mary Jane pumps. I have them in 4 colors and am valiantly trying to trade my left arm and left ear for a pair of the Powder Chloe Leather in my size (7.5, but am willing to chop off some toe length to squeeze into a 7). I'm so desperate for these particular shoes that I'm almost tempted to pay <gasp> full price for them. Those of you who know me know I pay full price for only two things - Uggs and ShoeDazzle. That's it. I feel like I'm being shit on by the retail gods if I pay full price for anything else.

Anyways - back to the Cheetahs at hand. I cannot describe how comfortable these shoes are. They are in the 5.5-6" range according to size and I can wear them for 16 straight hours. They have a nicely padded insole and natural shape in the rounded toe. The toe box is short, so most women do have to go up 1/2 size to combat that. The strap will hold you in place nicely without the need for inserts if they end up a little on the large side. The outer materials are soft and well made. The neutral colors are extremely versatile and the colors are bright and vivid. The Mary Jane styling feels fresh and though the platform is pretty thick, the shoe just wouldn't be the same without it. 

Unfortunately, as the winter moves in, it appears that these are on sale everywhere now, which leads me to believe they've reached the end of their run. Though, they released new colors in the Waleo pump just as I thought that line was winding down so I'm hoping that I'm wrong. From what I've seen and found - the Cheetahs were released in 13 colors already - but never a blue or red. That gives me hope that maybe they saved the best for last.

Anything less than 5.5" need not apply.

I haven't blogged in a while. I've never actually blogged about shoes or fashion. Politics, I get that.  I've blogged the hell out of some politics over the years. I was even the "official" blogger for the local Democratic party at one time. But, I've moved onto shoes and fashion related interests. I've become a more girly-girl, I guess. Presidential politics isn't nearly as sexy as a pair of bright red corset-back 5.5" Betsey Johnson Dita's and I'm at the point in my life that I want sexy - and a minimum of 5.5". lol

So...here's my thought. Because I'm the 'girl who knows how to get things' - I'll post deals, bargains, reviews, and loud mouthed opinions about shoes and fashion. All I ask of you is to keep it entertaining, light hearted, and please tell me if the puce green, keyhole, leather fringed heels are a bad idea.

I am the Shoe Squirrel, hear me roar!!!! Tch tch tch tch tch tch tch tch