Shoe Whore

Yes, yes, yezzzzz, as a vagina American it is my duty, NO -- it is my biological imperative to have a thing about shoes. I won’t call it a shoe fetish because....ewwww, ick!

Exhibit A

Exhibit (sort of) A: When I was 14 I traveled from my small, western Pennsylvania coal mining/college town out to visit a friend who lived in Detroit. Our fathers had been students together in Bloomington, Indiana -- we’d all lived in Tulip Tree House/married student housing together. In cramped apartments, just a few floors apart.

In any case, she and I went shopping and I found a pair that I COULD NOT go home without. Six inch heels with a 2 inch platform -- yellow plaid with a big obnoxious bow on the toe. Naturally, they were irresistible. Hey, it was the early ‘70s -- of course I had to have them! And I wore them everywhere too -- including, (geek alert), marching band practice. I stayed upright too. My abysmal balance was years and years, seeming lifetimes, off.

Exhibit B: I got these babies in the early ‘90s when there was a resurgence of, mostly sad and regrettable, ‘70s fashion. They were perfect for when I went out to see bands -- The Middle East and T.T.’s did NOT have great sight lines and, boy howdy, I just love to watch musicians in action but am horribly short, just 5’4”. With these suckers I was a good 5’8” or so and LOVING it.

Exhibit B

Exhibit C

As time went on, I started going for  comfort versus the wild style thing.  These are now known as the Clog Years. The best of this time are these -- Exhibit C. Black Texas tooled boot style. I still wear them on occasion but, yeah, I even fall off of these Low Heeled Boys now.

As I moved into the Flats Acceptance phase (I got to pass on the high heel 12 step program since my return to earth was due to big unavoidable medical shit), I tried out moccasins.

Exhibit C

Exhibit D-1

Now, on the whole, these things are utterly pointless if you live in an urban area and spend any time at all walking...and I do. Moccasins, asphalt and cement do not coexist happily. Still and all I HAD to get these, Exhibit C. Lavender, suede mocs? Duh, OF COURSE! Besides that, I knew my beloved Aunt Mary Ann would love them. Yeah, they’d be on my feet not hers but she’d get a real charge out of them. And she did. Totally worth it.

Exhibit D-3

I've been a Chuck Taylor babe for eons and, lately, a Vans fan too -- see Exhibits D 1-3. These are my footgear du jour.

Exhibit D-2

I’ve never been a Manolo Blahnik or Jimmy Choo gal but, in my way yeah, I’ve lived up to the Shoe Jezebel reputation that my gender is famed/blamed for. Biology is, in some spheres, destiny.

Low Spark of High Heeled Boys -- Traffic