This Week in Shoes

Olympic withdrawal is already starting to hit me. So how about we extended the memories a bit more with a look back at some of this week’s Olympic shoe news:

• Shoe promise inspires Becki Adlington to Olympic gold – Via The Mirror
• Remember how Usain Bolt kissed his shoes after winning gold? Puma is denying that the kiss was deliberate – Via Times of India

Usain Bolt wore the Puma Theseus II shoes during the record breaking events. They are available in white and blue at Zappos for $104. Disclaimer: Individual results will vary

• Knowing the Chinese have a penchant for giant sized shoes, the Beijing Olympics would not be complete without Olympic mascot shoes. – Via The Official Beijing 2008 Olympic Games website

The dreaded return of the feather shoes

…is being hailed, as usual, by the New York Times (photo credit):

Go to the article if you want to find out more about these shoes.

I have mixed feelings about these flamboyant creations. On the one hand, they’re extravagant, surprising, and almost made me squeal with glee. Whee! Feathers! Colors! Whee! Definitely creative and the very opposite of “blah.”

On the other hand, however, I find them almost impossible to wear. Well, unless I’m working the red carpet to promote Flights of Glory: Big Bird’s Journey, or perhaps a fancy masked ball. Needless to say, the probability of my attending either events in the future is extremely dim.

If feathers became the acoutrements  du jour, I guess I’d probably go with these Louboutins:

The Rosazissimo feather shoes are $760 at Net-a-porter. But don’t hold your breath, as I don’t expect feathers to become mainstream any time soon.

Taryn Rose Sample Sale

Is there anything better than shoes that are both comfortable and stylish?   Apparently, there is.   It’s comfy, stylist  Taryn Rose shoes at sample sale prices!

Unfortunately, I won’t be able to attend Taryn Rose’s sample sale in LA this weekend.  But, for any ladies who do go, please let us know how the sale was so I can live vicariously thorough you.

Fall Trends for the Budget Conscious: Payless Shoesource

I love online-surfing at shoe sites to see what gorgeous shoes are being offered out there in world-wide-web-land.

This is evidenced by the favorites folder on my computer (which has at least 50 different online retailers and shoe manufacturers bookmarked for easy perusal). However, in doing so much online window shopping, I sometimes forget about retailers that have a local retail presence in my community.

So, here’s a little peek at some trendy styles that are accessible to tighter budgets. Today’s focus is Payless. In this price range, there may be certain materials substitutions to maintain a lower price-point; things such as glue and synthetics versus stitching and natural leathers which may be found on higher-end shoes. Over the years,  I have purchased and worn many so-called ‘low quality’ shoes; shoes that, incidentally, lasted through years of hard use. Although I love several brands that hover in the $90-200 range, I’m definitely willing to take a chance on an attractive shoe at a great price.

So, here’s some of what Payless Shoesource has to offer us this fall:

“Tate Oxford Bootine” $29.99 (on sale for $24.99); Trend: Booties, Oxford detail, Menswear styling.

“Jana Peep-toe Maryjane” in brown Herringbone or black/white Plaid $24.99; Trend: Maryjanes, Menswear styling.

“Flare Button Flat” $22.99; Trend: Fall Plaids, Oxford details, Faux Maryjane straps.

“Harley Oxford Pump” $24.99; Trend: Oxford detailing, Spectator, Peep-toe, Bootie, Menswear styling.

“Madison Button Ankle Boot” in Grey or Black $34.99 (On sale for $27.99); Trend: Ankle boots, Romantic/retro styling, Hidden Platform.

“Koko Gilley Pump” $24.99; Trend: Peep-toe, Platform, Oxford, Color-trend Purple.

“American Eagle Tattoo Splash Rain Boot” $37.99; Trend: Colorful Graphics, Tattoo Art detailing.

For those of you on budgets: Yes, you can look trendy without having to switch over to a diet of Macaroni and Cheese.

Friday Shoe History Corner: The fastest shoes in the world are … golden

The Olympics are winding down, so I thought I’d give another shout-out to the golden shoes (Puma, of course) Usain Bolt, now officially The Fastest Man in the World, kissed after winning the 100 and 200 m races. The shoes were customized to bear his nickname “Ugo” and were prominently displayed by a clownish, giddy Bolt after he won in style (also setting world records in the process). Apparently, there were complains about Bolt’s unabashed displayed of his sponsor’s logo, which Puma rushed to dismiss (“We didn’t tell him to kiss the shoes!”)–oh so much drama! Truth is, with or without the shoes, he’s a phenomenon any which way.

The History part of this post comes now: the previous world record holder in 200m was Michael Johnson (at the Atlanta Olympiad) also wore gold athletic shoes. He also won the 400-meter race, setting an Olympic-record, then tossed his gold shoes into the crowd. These are those famous gold shoes (Nike this time) which helped make Michael Johnson a legend at the Atlanta Olympic Games in 1996:

I believe it is clear by now what you’ve got to do if you want to run just a bit faster–right?