…two words that make beautiful music together!!! Really, is there anything more satisfying than that? The New York Times fashion columnists pick up on that trend below (and while I’m at it, let me frown upon the word ‘trend’ in this context. Patent leather, or oversized belts, or flared sleeves are ‘trends’ bound by historical and geographical limitations; comfort as well as style are timeless constants that transcend any trends). So behold Bill Cunningham’s collage of what women are wearing right now–a thing of beauty, no?

Though my favorite has got to be the horse with purple glitter hooves!

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You know how sometimes outfits just don’t come together the way you want them to?  Like, the pants you want to wear are too long for the fun flat boots you want to pair with them.  Well, your solution is here!  It’s made by 80%20, a company founded by Ce Ce Chin on the principle that we wear our favorite 20% of our wardrobe 80% of the time (sounds about right to me).  She’s known for her adorable sneaker designs, and I’d highly recommend checking them out.  But the secret weapon is the Tammy boot.

This ingenious little bootie is in either brown or black canvas and… get this… it has a hidden 2.5 inch wedge heel.  You can see the outline of the wedge a little bit if you look closely at the shoes, but when you put them on, it looks like you’re wearing a flat boot.  Plus, they’re really not all that expensive.  At Shoes.com you can snag a bunch of 80%20 styles including the Tammy’s (for only $110).  At RevolveClothing.com, there’s also a nice selection, and the Tammy’s are only $101.  And at Urban Outfitters online, they’re only $98.

Now you can have your flat boots and be taller, too! 

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Check out this beautifully inlaid Arabian sandal from the 19th century.

I want it as a piece of furniture, it’s so gorgeous. Doesn’t look particularly comfortable to wear, per se, but as a piece of art and culture, it’s fascinating.

(It’s in the collection of the German Ledermuseum/Schuhmuseum aka the German Leather and Shoe Museum).

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Rubber has suddenly become a favorite designer material, and I personally can’t imagine why.

Here are the famous Marc Jacobs ‘Mouse’ shoes in a low-cut, round-toe, rubber incarnation…

…in silver:

…in black:

…in red:

…in transparent:

…in white, in transparent yellow….well, you get the idea. The thing is, these are not even lined–like rain shoes are. I’m a little….baffled.

But I tell you what! If you really like the look and feel of rubber shoes, don’t feel like you have to shell out the $150 for the Marc Jacobs shoes. These Crocs ‘Prima Ballet’ are only $30!!!

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Ok, so I didn’t say it–your local CBS station did!!!

WCCO.com (Minneapolis) has a story (complete with a video) detailing the danger of wearing heels. Granted, it’s not up there with, say, greenhouse emissions, or even avian flu, but–it’s real, and it’s part of (y)our everyday life.

On my erstwhile blog I pontificated long and hard about how you can, and have the right to, be stylish AND comfortable. Usually, high heels are not comfortable. Are there exceptions? Perhaps, but they only constitute about 0.001% of the totality of high heels worn by women.

Don’t believe me? Believe this podiatrist. Or just about any podiatrist or orthopedist you care to ask. And if that fails, believe your tired, aching, blistery feet, which can’t carry you farther than a few blocks when forced to teeter unnaturally on high heels.

Granted, high heels are by no means the only enemy of comfortable feet. Pancake-flat ballerinas with flimsy soles are pretty bad too, though for other reasons. But that’s for another story!

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