Foot Candy - 50 Shoes From Fashion Month

Photos: YoungJun Koo / I'M KOO

Thank you to The Cut for this slide show. A fun peak into a world of what shoes fashion-obsessed women are wearing! Fun to consider which shoes could be mine. Maybe the Nike's? The Acne oxfords? The Céline slip-ons?

Shoe Humor: How do you say “Teva”?

I bring my shoe blog back to life with this video from ShoesontheWeb. Apparently I’ve been saying it wrong all this time. The brand agrees with the video; it’s “Teh-vah.”

Actors for "Comfortable shoes"

"[English actor] Alec Guinness used to say, 'Start with the shoes. Be in comfortable shoes.' I used to think, what frivolous advice. But now it makes absolute sense."

Gabriel Byrne, talking about how to get into a role.
Wall Street Journal, by Amy Chozick, October 23-24, 2010.

Merrell or Teva?

Three days before my Caribbean trip, looking into my closet, I detected a serious lack in sporty yet stylish shoes. I raced to Sierra Trading Post, bit the bullet on shipping charges, and two days later received the Merrell Allegro Leather Flat in Mahagony and the Teva Koral Mary Jane in Wood Rose.

During the long night of packing before my 6AM flight, I walked many times to my suitcase, dropping in items that had passed inspection, wearing first the Tevas, then the Merrells. Merrells, Tevas. Tevas, Merrells. Both tempting in different ways.

Merrell: the brand that started with a cowboy in Utah in 1981.

The Merrells were sleek, a little understated, and really comfortable. A printed insert about Merrell’s Q-Form midsole, which you can see a video about and which is geared towards a woman’s gait, gave me just enough plausible science to feel good. I could see myself happily trekking all over the island, although I wasn’t sure how waterproof they’d be and the dark color scheme was a little gloomy for the Caribbean. But then the sizing, particularly the too-roomy heel, turned out to be the sad dealbreaker.

Teva: the brand born on the Colorado River in 1984.

The Tevas had slightly cooler details: A stripe up the heel ending in a pull-on loop. The muted pink color scheme. The double elastic insole straps. But the gel heel pad turned out to be an annoyingly sticky two-inch oval. Since I am between sizes, I ordered both an 8 and an 8.5, but neither fit. And I had no idea if the strange “micro-perforated” leather upper would stretch, since it had a very artificial rigid quality. I noticed tiny cracks in it, as if it was a painted pink leather.

So sad to say, now that I’ve returned from my trip, both styles are returning to Sierra. (Which is really OK, since new and better styles are always coming out.)

Link Love: Surprise! Snow Boots Sell Well!

Photo by Courtesy Photo, for WWD

Tarek Hassan, owner of The Tannery in Boston, said his stores recorded strong sell-throughs of Hunter and Sorel boots in the inclement weather.

“We love the storms because schools are closed and people take the day off from work, [so] it absolutely drives traffic. The snow [has helped] the boot business tremendously [because] the ticket price on those boots [is] high, so it drives sales.”

—From Snow Banks Boot Sales, a WWD article by Michelle Tay.

Photo by Courtesy Photo, for WWD

The Tannery at 711 Boylston Street opened late 2009 and is one of my regular browsing haunts. I think it is the second most beautiful shoe store in Boston, with a long sleek showroom, beautiful wood floors, a dramatically huge mirror (although more mirrors would be more practical). It has an incredible range of brands, many of which are comfortable. Its outrageously steep prices are softened by more reasonable sales.

Link Love: Willing to Damage Her Feet

photo by Jake Rosenberg

I will have osteoporosis, hip replacement, knee replacement, scoliosis, plantar faciitis and all other body ailments that come from wearing heels, but I must wear them everyday [sic]. Beautiful heels give me confidence and I rarely go a day without wearing them. I think the silhouette of a long leg is stunning. My feet actually hurt in flats, and I have this whole fear that I look like a boy in flats.

..........................................
From a pictorial collage of Mary Kate Steinmiller's closet (the Fashion Market Editor of Teen Vogue) on the "new" Coveted website, which is a visual delight. (By "new" Coveted site, I mean it's in the process of being sued by the "old" Coveted blog.)

Mismatching Shoes: Fashion fun or shoe crime?

photo from stylebistro.com

Helena Bonham Carter wore two different colored shoes to the Golden Globes. She defends herself in People's Stylewatch.

"Why not wear mismatching shoes? Who says we can't? I was just having fun," says Bonham Carter. “For me, fashion is all about fantasy and putting unlikely things together. That’s what I love."

 A missed marketing opportunity for Camper. Who better than Helen Bonham Carter to represent the spirit of Campers Twins collection — asymmetrical but complementary. Like all twins, each shoe has its own personality, yet together the pair harmonizes to create a whole new work of art.