Striving to Achieve the Big "S" in New York City

Come for the Shoes

I've not been inside the walls of this footwear establishment nor do I have any idea about the quality or longevity of its offerings but a store with a name like this surely speaks to shoe-horny women everywhere.

Even those who aren't seeking sole satisfaction can appreciate a title like this.

I am in the latter category here - when it comes to shoe shopping, that is. I have to make a genuine effort to outfit my feet and I expend as little energy as possible doing the deed.

On occasion, I do feel the urge to embrace my inner Carrie Bradshaw and try to experience the euphoria of purchasing an exquisitely crafted, impossibly elevated, shamelessly expensive, and delightfully impractical new pair of shoes.

After all, I do love fashion and wearable art and I get it: the jaunty way they stand with their perfect matches, perched seductively on the shelves in rhythmic order. I like seeing them on models stepping all over the pages of Chatelaine and Vogue, and I marvel at real women who can sashay alluringly around the ballroom or the bar or the mall properly elevated and confidently upright. There’s something so alluring about a woman who is comfortable in her Blahnik’s (or her Jessica’s if that’s your arena – like all facets of sex appeal, it’s less about the cost and more about working with what you have). I appreciate the sensual effect of a high-heeled shoe, how it arches the feet in a way that just doesn't happen when feet remain parallel with the floor (although the barefoot approach does have its place). There is that slinky, stimulating shape and clever construction that defies gravity and demands attention.

But generally, I avoid the whole exercise - the ordeal of shopping for them, trying them on, paying for them, even storing them. The less time I have to spend before rows of shoes seductively whispering  "buy me" - even though they are out of my league - the better. As long as I have something structurally sound protecting my feet, I am good to walk. And since I am not afflicted with height-envy, I am okay with where I am. I don't need to walk in anyone else's shoes - I'll just be content to appreciate what other women do with theirs.