Monday, September 25, 2006

Your daughter wouldn't be caught dead in these shoes.

But that doesn't keep me from wanting them. They're in my shopping cart at Arthur Beren's.

I love Arthur Beren. LOVE IT. They stock shoes in hard-to-find sizes. If you wear a tiny size or a narrow size or a size 11, you will love this place. My friends who wear narrow widths are always whining about not being able to find shoes that fit. Well, I wear a C-width, when I can get it, which isn't often. And mostly, wide-width shoes are sold at places like PayLess. And they're made of pleather. Which, I guess, befits my lumpen proletariat feet. But three words: No, no, no!

So ... Arthur Beren. With a very, very nice selection of shoes. Some of which are even fashionable (check out the boots!)

But that's not what I'm about today. Today I need replacements for beloved shoes that are getting worn out. And I need shoes for when I'm singing, which unfortunately, means low, sturdy heels that I can stand in for long, long periods of time. And wear with pants or skirts. And in black, with black hose or black pants, to go with my choir robe. Not exciting.

These, My Girl by Stuart Weizmann fit the bill:

SW0740_zoom

Or these, which are so classic and old-ladyish that my gorge rises a bit: Salvatore Ferragamo's Lillaz in black. Perfect with a choir robe. (Or to wear when I'm robbing a bank. My God, they look respectable! Maybe I'd better skip them.)

FA0120_zoom

And then these, for knocking around in when I'm wearing jeans but want something a little sleeker than old skool Pumas or my beloved clogs, Ferragamo's Trim in brown calf:

FA0602_zoom

And then, because I'm not always wearing flats or low-heeled shoes, I also need something a little dressy, but not ridiculously glamorous. For those occasions, Stuart Weizmann's Stretch Limo.

SW0751_zoom

And these. I really need these. The ultimate ladylike dress shoe, the classic slim-heeled slingback with a slim heel and a closed toe. Nothing is more irreproachable, yet--dare I say it--sexier. For those occasions, Calligarius' Balux in black/black.

CG0007_zoom-1

OK, I need to get this off my chest. I'm not crazy about the beige/black combination. In fact, I kind of hate it. I don't care if Chanel popularized it long ago, or that Rene Mancini, my favorite shoe designer of all time, originated it. I don't like the combination of beige and black. Beige and brown, yes. Gray and black, yes. But warm colors combined with cold colors do not look good to my eye. In fact, they look like ass. (Like a black thong on a beige ass, to be exact.)

Finally, Stuart Weizmann's sumptuous and elegant Clara in black peau de soie with a three-inch heel--lovely, lovely, lovely, even if the more tasteful and discerning fetishists will love it, too:

SW0723_zoom

I think I need to decide between the two low-heeled choir lady shoes. Because I don't want to waste perfectly good purple suede platform peep-toed ankle-strap money on two pairs of choir lady shoes. I may be a middle-aged choir lady with a wardrobe full of clothes from the Talbot's, but I have my limits.

7 comments:

blackbird said...

peau de soie...

three words I love.

Sarah said...

The Stuart Weizmann My Girl shoes look suspiciously like the Stud Muffin's girly opera shoes.

And perfect for the choir. Subtly elegant, no bling and they almost look like Pilgrim shoes.

BTW, I covet them!

Hope you and yours are okay.

Spring, Ph.D. said...

Um...I have a wide foot, and I do shop at Payless (can't afford anything else), and it's slim pickings there for wide shoes, I promise you. When they do have a 'W' after the shoe size, it's in some gawdawful thing that looks like an orthopedic something-or-other, not a pretty mule or slingback. I wind up buying even when I'm almost literally broke, because I know I won't find them again. Or going to a half-dozen branches of Payless in one day to find something I wouldn't be embarrassed to wear.

Poppy B. said...

The Payless store in Hyde Park had lots of wide width shoes. I guess Hyde Parkers have ping-pong paddles for feet!

Most of the wide footed ladies I know depend heavily on the following:

1. clogs
2. Birkenstocks
3. flipflops
4. Chinese slippers
5. Saucony or New Balance trainers

It's the dressy stuff that's hard to find. Everyone swears by Nordstrom's, but I've never had any luck there. Have you tried Zappos?

Spring, Ph.D. said...

Oh my gosh, I won't wear any of the shoes you mentioned, lol. Well, I do have a pair of saucony, but they are running shoes for the gym.

I love the pointy-toed pumps and slingbacks, they are my absolute favorite. I actually have a good dozen or so pairs of them, but I've managed mostly because -- thanks to living in a large metro area -- there are 6+ local payless stores within driving distance. And I hang onto the pretty shoes for 3 or 4 years, even if they are slightly out of style. They work for everyday shoes, and my newer ones are for special occasions.

My newest problem is that I can't find a pretty pair of boots, because if I do find them in a wide, I can't zip them up at my calf (and I'm only 30 pounds overweight, so that kills me).

I will definitely check into Zappo's and see what I find, thanks.

Anonymous said...

god, all the shoes look so sofisticated!
ofcourse, i am more into the "funky" shoes, but then i am a little bit younger i guess. :)

Selva said...

wow each one is good..I dono which one to get for me.Each has its own peculiar fashion.Now am in confusion .This is very much different from my nike product........Thanks for publishing this site........