Monday, February 23, 2009

Shoe-vo-lution

Once upon a time, I wore really sexy-HAWT, CFM shoes...it was my claim to fame that I could wear 4", spike-heel, ho-shoes anywhere, and I did.

My first "real" job out of college was at a (now defunct) little "hotel" called The Torrey Pines Inn. It was a little shithole, overpriced motel, that was ideally situated on the gorgeous Torrey Pines Golf Course, so the owner could charge an arm and a leg for a really awful, run-down room, with a completely gorgeous view. Now there's a 5-star beautiful (but probably still overpriced...I mean, I know I can't afford to stay) hotel there, but the first place was really awful.

I was the General Manager's "administrative assistant" (glorified secretary). He was an ass, but I had to take the job because I discovered that getting a job in journalism wasn't going to be easy, and I had bills to pay. The property covered about 5 acres, and I walked them all.

In shoes like this:


Did I mention that I eventually became the Director of Catering there...so I'd lift and carry banquet trays and walk them down long hallways in these shoes...yeah, I was fearless then.

Then I started teaching, and red stilettos seemed, somehow inappropriate for teaching high school, so I adjusted to shoes like this:

or this:

or occasionally, when I was feeling "kicky" this:

In the past few years, I've noticed how my foot no longer really fits into the shoes above...or at least they don't for very long. Maybe this was due to pregnancy (I've read that the extra lbs can also add to the "footage,") or maybe it's just the number of MILES I've run, which has added to the WIDTH (I wear wide shoes now. I NEVER wore wide shoes when I was younger.)

So, for the past couple of years, my shoe collection has evolved to include shoes that mostly look like this:

or this:


Do you see a trend here?

It's the heels, people...the heels!

The truth is, I'm short, or at least my legs are...and the extra 3" gives me a longer, leaner look...and let's face it, if I'm going to go eye-to-eye or toe-to-toe with some belligerent 15 year old, I'd just as soon have some height...

So, that my recent shoe purchases look something more like this:

is really rather jarring... I mean they're cute and all...and LORD KNOWS they are comfortable...sorta like wearing slippers to work, but they're not sexy-HAWT (I don't care what you say).

But, that's about all I can wear right now. I can barely even manage something like this:

I have a pair of these Born mules and I *heart* them completely because they're so comfortable, and yet they give me a little bit of lift, but can I wear them now with the PF and the bum hip?

NOOOOOOOOOOO

So, I'm making the best of it, and I am a lot more comfortable as I trudge around campus, but I miss my pumps and my high heels...and those extra inches...

16 comments:

  1. i have short legs too, so i totally understand the extra few inches thing. funny post! :)

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  2. I wish I could wear heels like that, but I can't and so instead I bitch and moan about how the patriarchy has established beauty standards that require women to wear shoes that are bad for their backs and feet. But secretly I am just bitter that I would trip and fall...

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  3. I can wear shoes like that for one "evening out" and then I always regret it. Can you say "bunions"?

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  4. Ha ha! Thanks for a little humor at the end of my stressful day!

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  5. I'm 4'11" and I can't wear heels to teach. I only wear them on days we have to give a prompt and I know I'll be sitting most of the day...

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  6. How fun to learn your shoe history! i LOVE heels, but my life as a trainer and mom does not allow for them on a regular basis. And as I get older, I care less and less about shoe appearance and more and more about shoe feel, which had led me to some pretty flat choices -- my ego may not like 'em much, but my feet are deighted!!!

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  7. Truthfully, I don't wear high heels anymore. That Purple Rain Prince look is soooo out. ROFL.

    But you go girl! You are a "well heeled" HAWT-eee fashionista who can carry off the look better than me!

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  8. LMAO! Is it a Mom thing? My shoe-vo-lution is definitely going the same route.

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  9. Awww. Sorry you can't wear the CFM pumps any more. :-(

    My shoe-volution has gone somewhat opposite. I can't really wear heels to work, but I do wear heels a lot more than I ever did before- outside of work.

    I always used to hate towering over people, but the older I get, the less I care.

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  10. I have a closet full of heels that I hardly wear and when I do....I can't walk and my feet hurt so HOW IN THE HELL did you wear those red stiletto heels? OUCH!

    I only wear flats...well nearly only....so I commend your newest choice-they look super comfy!

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  11. Ain't nothing wrong with a CFM pair of flats!

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  12. Oh, I can so relate to this post. I broke my foot in half about six years ago and can't wear heels anymore. What I quickly realized is your shoes dictate the entire look of an outfit. Ever notice that?

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  13. I wish I could wear those big heels, but alas, I would tumble right over. I mostly wear low heels, but because I have to walk all over kingdom come on my campus, I often pull a Mr. Rodgers and change shoes to walk from building to building.

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  14. i know what you mean about flats - they don't make them in CFM, probly becuz then everyone would wear them and there would be no envy.

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  15. Hey, sporty is sexy-hawt too and you can't wear those shoes because you are too SPORTY!!

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  16. OMG....I was just looking at my shoes and I could have written this post. I had 3" heel boot that I was in love with and I even wore them knocked up. Now I wear running shoes, crocs, or other foot friendly shoes. They are comfortable but I miss my heels.

    I hope the PF is getting better.

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