Shoes are a woman's best friend, or so the saying goes. Does this hold true for men? I do not know, for I am not a man, but I have seen a lot of my friends who simply fall to pieces at the sight of a new pair of shoes.
This is how it goes:
Girl is talking amicably to me. Girl happens to look at the window display. Girl stops, shrieks, grabs my hand so hard that her fingernails are permanently embedded in my arm. Girl runs over to the display, and utters a dozen exclamations that are wasted on me. What is it that excited her? Nothing more than a pair of hopelessly mundane shoes.
Luckily, I am not inflicted with this rather common obsessive disorder. It is therefore my great pleasure to try to help those of you who need help - therefore, this review will contain tips on what kinds of shoes you need, what kinds of shoes you should avoid wearing, as well as some useful tips and tricks.
What do you need?
The average human man needs a minimum of three pairs of footwear - slippers, sports shoes, and dress shoes. Of course, most own more, but these are the bare necessities.
The average woman, on the other hand, is far more complex(sigh). She will need slippers, sports shoes, semi-formal shoes, formal shoes, flip flops, fuzzy bunnies, and so on. If you do not fall into this category, I apologize. It is just a generalization, do not take it to heart.
So, here's the advice.
Slippers - these are the items of footwear that you'll be wearing around the house and in the bathroom. For heaven's sake, get something sensible. Anything with a rubber sole is good - prevents you from slipping and spraining your ankle in the bathroom or on the wet porch. I've seen those horrendous furry-pink-monstrosities that pass as bedroom slippers - sure, they look cute, but they're not really practical, in my opinion. They're a huge breeding ground for dust mites and bacteria - and the cuteness wears off soon enough.
Sports shoes - get something light weight, easy to fasten, (laces, etc.) easy to clean, and most importantly, COMFORTABLE. Those new Nike trainers may look good - but do they cleave to your foot? This is rule number one for your feet - common sense should ALWAYS prevail over fashion sense.
Rule number two: Try before you buy. There is absolutely NO sense in picking off shoes from the rack - try them, see if they fit, walk around in them, jump around in them, stretch around in them, examine them with a magnifying glass, and then buy. Phew.;)
Dress shoes - black always seems to work, unless you are required to dress in crazy colours. Choose something that looks good, but is comfortable for long hours! If you're female, and you attend long parties, don't get those horrendously spiky heels - instead, opt for something a little more low-heeled and flat - remember, you only have two feet! Spare them!
Finally, if you live in a cold climate where it snows, get yourself a pair of good, sturdy snow-boots. They don't have to be a mountaineer style, just something that has good grip and will let you walk on ice without getting a concussion along the way.
What should you avoid?
It is always a temptation to buy cheap shoes or sandals, but trust me, they fall apart very soon. The rule of thumb is that the more you pay, the higher quality you get - but this doesn't mean that you should go around buying Gucci and Prada. No siree. Just get something at a regular mall shoestore. Nothing fancy. Don't go blowing your budget on these things.
Secondly, avoid fussy clasps. Shoe laces, although annoying, are much more sensible than Velcro, which wears out fast. Zippers on shoes don't seem to be a very bright idea - although I haven't tried them yet.
Finally, my rule of shoe sensibility applies here as well - never let fashion prevail over common sense. Remember, no matter how good those spiky heels look, it's not worth it if they cause you pain and suffering!
Tips and tricks
If you have leather shoes/expensive shoes, you'll probably get a drawstring shoe bag with them. Store them in those bags - it really helps.
If your shoes are getting smelly, try this tip I read in a book once - all you do is take a fabric softener sheet that you use in the dryer(for the laundry). Slip it into your shoe and leave it there overnight - the next day, the odour will be gone. Voila!
If you're a shoe-a-holic, and you can't seem to find any more space for shoes, here's a tip - everytime you buy a new pair of shoes, throw an old pair away. Or better still, donate them to Goodwill. That's the third rule: One in, one out!
Buh bye
Hope this helped. It's really quite easy when you think about it. Don't forget the three golden rules of shoes:
*1. Common sense prevails over fashion sense.
Try before you buy.
One in, one out.
Good luck, and may you shoe-addicts find some salvation.;)
Comments and criticisms are always welcome.
Ciao,
