I wish I was better about wearing all of my beautiful shoes and I hope that one day my daughters will appreciate that I have saved a bazillion pairs of shoes for their benefit! They had better wear a size 7 1/2!!!
The day I was no longer a 6 1/2-7 was a sad day indeed. Goodbye, mom's closet of manolos, ferragamos, louboutins... I used to clomp around in her Ferragamo pom pom loafers when I was a toddler and I was always playing dress-up with her Stuart Weizman shoes. The last time I wore a pair of her shoes, I was 10! FREAKIN' 10, and I was borrowing mommy's Manolos for Christmas dinner! Did I even know what I had back then? God, nothing was more frustrating than buying a pair of shoes at Shoe Pavilion for an event (like my school's winter concert) and not even being able to FIT them a month later! I had such a pretty pair of heels (forgot the brand but they were nice) and I got to wear them once. I got away with borrowing her slingbacks/mules when I had size 7 1/2, but barely. Both of us wish that my feet had stopped growing because we'd have TWICE the amount of great shoes... but now we act kind of like sisters. I'm an 8 1/2 and she's a 6 1/2. She gets mad when I try on her right shoe (my right foot is a bit smaller) just to see how it looks on me (I'm curious!) but then I catch her trying to stuff the toes of my Matastrasse Velvet Orlato pumps to see if she could stand walking in them for a day!
Well, I think I've made up for lost time
. Until I was 16, I would pretty much have three pairs of shoes - one casual pair (think converse), running shoes for PE, and a pair of dress shoes. My first pair of shoes that cost way more than anything else were my Thierry Rabotin Wave sandals. If I remember correctly, they were just over $300. I got them when I was 14 because my parents wanted me to have a supportive and stylish sandal for school - they didn't want me falling on my face down a flight of brick stairs. They are totally comfortable. They kept my knees from becoming grapefruits when I was in Eastern Europe and walking everywhere.
I'm a total flats addict. In my dorm, I have two pairs of uggs (classic short, ultimate tall), a pair of converse hi-tops, Palladium mary janes, nanette lepore for keds flats, my old beater pair of Vans, my glittery Repetto flats, two pairs of revas (silver, black/ivory contrast), vintage Ferragamo Lillaz pumps in a metallic pearl, a pair of minnetonkas, three pairs of Pumas (Californias, 5000m, and Speed Cat), my red patent Birkenstocks, my Pucci Rainboots, a pair of ankle-tie Repetto flats (style is Demeter), two pairs of Rainbow sandals, two pairs of Havaianas, and my J.Crew capri sandals.
At home and off the top of my head, I have a pair of Jack Purcells, converse lo-tops (painted by me), a pair of vans (also painted), Miu Miu triple strap mary jane flats, Miu Miu flat suede slingbacks,
Gucci ballet flats, Ferragamo Varina flats, Lisa Nading pumps with an inch heel, Dolce Vita equestrian boots, impractical yet absurdly beautiful Dior D'orsays with a black lace overlay, patent
Prada sandals with white patent contrast piping, Prada linea rossa mary janes with a square toe and slight wedge, another pair of vintage Ferragamo pumps with little shoe medallions on the toes, a deadstock pair of Halston t-strap pumps, vintage
Bally spectators on a one-inch heel, two pairs of fabulous Dolce Vita sandals, Burberry Espadrilles, amazing Thierry Rabotin sandals that I need to get repaired, two more pairs of Rainbow sandals, Gentle Souls boots, Christian Louboutin Matastrasse Velvet Orlato pumps, and Christian Louboutin Graffiti Ballerines.
If I didn't miss anything, that's 45 or so pairs.
EDIT: Lordy, I forgot my Chanel cap-toe flats! I'm NOT recounting them all!