Put On Your Training Heels!

Hey, foot fashionistas! There’s a new set of tootsies in town. I’m TrainingHeels, and I’ll be sharing my secrets for keeping it stylish on a budget, sassy in boring business zones, and comfortable and upright on difficult terrain. I split time between San Francisco, LA and New York, so I’m always prepared for a walking, dining, driving, stairclimbing, running to an appointment, see and be seen challenge. (More on my tips for walking, driving and dancing properly and stylishly in each city in a later post).

I have an interesting shoe heritage, having grown up in my parents’ shoe sales and shoe repair shops, watching the most beautiful Prada heels and Gucci loafers shuffled in bruised and broken and paraded out proud and gleaming, good as new. If you’ve got repair questions, I’m your gal, and if I don’t have the answer, I will inquire with the best of cobblers.

I’ve had the unfortunate diagnosis from a host of podiatrists (I kept hoping one was wrong and seeking another opinion!) of having plantar fasciitis, also known as the bubonic plague that wipes out your stilettos in one fell swoop. I haven’t let that stop me from participating in the art of shopping for and wearing delectable foot candy.

First off, I stretch my feet regularly and roll them over a foot massager nightly. For the long dashes across the Meatpacking District’s cobblestones or Russian Hill’s slopes on nights out, I place a pair of Scoop ballets, Born arch support flats, French Sole leopard slippers or Tory Burch Revas on my feet (which one depends on how big my bag is that night) with fantastic Pedag insoles, then put the 4-inch curvy Chloe black leather crosshatch-strapped toe cleavage stilettos that have been dangling from my hands back on. How many of you ladies do this bait-and-switch on going out nights or even before and after work? Here are some of my bait-and-switchers:

If you’re dedicated to funky statement shoes that take the outfit’s cake like I am, you’re in luck, because tis truly the season of the shoe. “It seems like the shoe is really the fetish item that has taken the place of the ‘it’ bag,” Mickey Boardman of Paper Magazine heralded at the closing of the Spring 2009 fashion shows. “It’s all about who has the sickest shoe.”

Hallelujah! The shoes at the shows were incredibly creative and I’m sure some of that will trickle down to pret-a-porter and bargain basement!

Even the fiercest Iman would need a set of training heels to teach her how to walk in these Spring 2009 Dior embellished platform heels with a fertile goddess figure on the heel. You can’t be lukewarm on these babies if you love shoes! So what do you think? Would you wear them? If not, because of the height, the likelihood of snagging someone’s dress on the heel, the appearance, or something else? I’m not saying what I think of them till you do!

Everything’s coming up roses

I was sighing over the perfect Zanotti rose sandal a few weeks back; in the meantime, I’ve discovered that it also comes in blue, wanna see?

Yep, still pretty, still out of my price range at $550.

But! Never fear! Rose seems to be a popular sandal flower this season. Poetic Licence has issued this pretty version that’s selling like hotcakes (plus, it’s double the rose!):

The red version is $80 at Piperlime or Endless, $88 at Anthropologie; and if you want it in gold, Zappos is barely holding on to their last pair in a size 8.

Anthropologie also has this pretty-pretty raffia rose sandal, for $188:

Then there’s this adorable French Sole “Serenity” sandal, $202 at Zappos (also comes in a black/cream raffia combo):

But wait! There’s more! How about this darling Moschino sandal, available in yellow or red? ($354 at Zappos):

My, my, roses are really in season this spring, aren’t they? Go grab a fresh one while they’re still in bloom!

25% off French Sole Shoes at Barefoot Tess

Our friends at Barefoot Tess continue the tradition of their fabulous discounts, this time offering 25% off French Sole shoes with coupon FSFW (enter at checkout). PLUS, there’s free shipping for all orders of $75 or more–score!

The “Stoned” style is both original and stunning, with the vinyl strap studded with rhinestones–though, at $309, they’re a little pricier than usual French Sole prices (the discount will take a little off that edge):

The “Salsa“ is versatile and timeless, at $239:

And the “Rebel” is spunky and electric, definitely a shoe with presence–price before coupon: $205:

In case you didn’t know, the French Sole are a staple of chic comfort (I can personally vouch for the comfort factor). They make the type of ballet shoes that will never go out of style–you should probably have one in your wardrobe.

French Sole: Finally, a ballet flat worth the trouble!

I’m not a huge fan of ballet flats because, apart from their being too flat to comfortably accomodate a high arch, they are often cut narrow and shallow (out of less forgiving materials), ostensibly to replicate the elongated, elegant look of a ballerina’s foot. Which is all fine in principle, until I have to walk in them and suffer. Wincing and grimacing do NOT make for a graceful ballerina, I tell you what! I have this problem with a beautiful pair of Delman flats (kiwi suede and patent cap), which rank high on the discomfort level (I wore them once, last year, and then relegated them to a dark, quiet corner of my closet. Sigh.).

I complained about this issue some time ago, at which point someone directed me to French Sole, basically the only ballet-flat makers on the market who knew how to do it right. At $200 a pair, though, without being able to try them on (I was unable to find this brand in stores), I balked at the idea.

However, this morning, after I had to run some errands downtown Philly, I stopped by the local Daffy’s, one of our two big discount stores in Center City (the other is Loehmann’s). I have never purchased shoes at this store for some reason–I was too picky, I guess. However, this a.m. I was delighted to find and buy this Passport quilted nappa/patent toe style, for only $63 (down from $225). I found them to be super-comfortable, with good arch support, and a soft, supple leather upper that rendered them practically weightless–like I was wearing nothing, I swear! The craftsmanship and materials were also pretty good, and the quilted style, harking back to the famous Chanel flats, is also adorable.

The only word of caution: they are sized big. I am ordinarily a 10, rarely a 9.5 (and that mostly in sandals); however, the 10 in these ran very big, while the 9 fit perfectly. A 9! I can never wear a 9! I’m guessing that’s because the upper leather is so permissive (yes, even to those of you with wider feet). All in all, a happy purchase I can’t wait to wear.