New bowling shoes

Style matters just as much, if not more than the game!

I'm back

These shoes inspired me to post!!!

They are fan-tab-u-lous!!!

Celebrate!

So, this week started a little hard.  I was exhausted with a LOT on my plate.  But making it to Thursday was a reason to celebrate.  Yes, I celebrate lots of things!
What better shoes that these for a - pre-determined, celebratory day!

From Shoe of the Day

These shoes are not new to the blog (post) and this will not be the last time they are featured!  I love they way I feel when I wear them, so I wear them OFTEN.

AND - It does not hurt that I have never worn these shoes and NOT received at least one compliment.   (Feel good shoes!)

A simple sandal

On these early days of spring, nothing is better than a simple go-to sandal.  This pair of Nine West brown sandals have been in my rotation for years!  They have a great wedge heel and enough 'foot coverage' to be appropriate for anything.

From Shoe of the Day

I found this pair at DSW (many moons ago) and it's sandal season, so there are SO many choices.  DSW.com is showing all of these great 'wedge sandals' and of course Zappos has plenty, too!  As you might have figured out by now, I prefer to head to a store and wander around, but whatever your method... if you don't have a go-to sandal... it's a good time to go get some!

From ShoeShow

I have to do what...

So, I knew today was going to be a long day with lots of trips up and down the stairs and plenty of moving around.  Flats were in order.  But not just any flat... Spring has started... bring on the flowers!

From Shoe of the Day

THANK YOU Dr. Scholl's... "feel crazy good"... and it is so true.  I did find these at DSW, over a year ago.  They have been a great addition to my collection.  All the details, the floral trim that looks painted and the laces across the top make these flats unique and a great conversation piece.

From ShoeShow

I'm over it...

But you don't need to know it!  OK, people... I woke up this morning and really did not want to get out of bed, get dressed or go to work.  BUT... life is life, so I have to do these things.  And I have the perfect shoe for it.

From Shoe of the Day

These BC Footwear wedges are the perfect shoes for comfort and a little motivation!  I had a pep in my step, thanks to the comfort and the wedge.  I got a compliment, that brightened the day.  And I looked great even if I felt like a bum. :)  You need cute/comfort shoes to pull this off.

my SHOE MATH the class

This was a great experience!  I got to talk to people about my shoe shopping plans, budgets and strategies.

From math

Teaching this class was the most exciting thing I have done in a long time.  It was TOTALLY worth the time it took to prepare.

I shared my history with shoes.  The key moments in my life that might have encouraged my 'shoe loving' behaviors.  I talked about my budget, where I keep my 'shoe money' and when I like to spend it.

By the end of the discussion, I feel that I shared something really useful with the group.  I shared a way to be responsible and have FUN with your obsession!


Of course, I had to choose which shoes to wear to my class.  I chose what I consider a BAD example of shoe math.  

From Shoe of the Day

These shoes are beautiful and fun!  BUT... I got them before I had a plan... before I even had a job... AND I paid FULL PRICE!  They are the most expensive pair that I own.  The good news... I have 're-discovered' them by wearing them in class.  So, they might have a second chance!

Sharing the Passion

So, as you can imagine... if I can write about shoes.. I can talk about shoes...
I have talked shoes to so many people that I have been asked to teach a class.
I am not really a shoe specialist.  I can't drop tons of brand names... BUT I am really proficient at getting the most for my money!  I have a strict shoe shopping method that I call My Shoe Math.  And for the first time, I am putting it into presentation form and sharing it with others!
I will talk about my favorite places to shop:

From Shoe of the Day

I will talk about how I make decisions:

From Shoe of the Day

How it all adds up in the end:

From Shoe of the Day

AND MORE!

Stay tuned for the full curriculum.

Shoe Sort

In preparation for the new shoe shelves I just ordered, I decided to do a shoe sort!
I finally separated my shoes by color.  Then seriated by shoe type, heel height and foot coverage.
When I finished, I had these fabulous rows of shoes!

Black ones:

From shoe sort

Gray ones:

From shoe sort

Brown ones:

From shoe sort

And RAINBOW ones:

From shoe sort

 I immediately thought... I don't have any yellow shoes!  I will have to add that to my list for future target shoes.

Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe...

Catch a slipper by the toe,
If you love it,
Don't let go,
Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe.

So, shoe lovers?... How do you choose?  When you walk into a shoe store faced with choices... How do you choose?

From Shoe of the Day

Do you have a method?  A plan?
Do you browse?  Do you target shop?  I am curious... I have MY SHOE MATH. :-)

Form and Function...

I fell in love with these BCBGeneration pumps as SOON as I saw them on the shelf at DSW, thank goodness they fit!

From Shoe of the Day

The cool buckle give me a great shoe view!  The wide toe ensures comfort as I walk around during the day.

From ShoeShow

These BCBGs have form and are functional, but today - like many was a two-pair-shoe-day for sure!  I had to switch to my bowling gear... it's league night.

From Shoe of the Day

I used to have a simple pair of white bowling shoes, but had to upgrade for fashion purposes. 

From ShoeShow

These provide a great look for the lanes.. whether I am bowling strikes or gutters... I get great slide and look good doing it.

CUTE.... just cute!

Over and over today.... I just looked down at my feet and thought... how cute are these shoes!

From Shoe of the Day

I take photos from this angle because, this is how I see my shoes!  And I like the view.
These are my first pair of BareTraps and I am loving them.  Well clearly, I think they are cute.  They are also crazy comfortable.

From ShoeShow

 Of course, I got these off the clearance shelves at DSW.  I found a similar pair on QVC and a cute BareTraps sling back on DSW.com.

Most Recent Shopping Trip

I had a VERY successful shopping trip today!
My best friend and I hit DSW with a purpose.  I never walk through the doors without a goal or purpose shoe... this time... PINK!  I was looking for a shoe with a pink tone.  I LOVE colorful shoes, so I decided I should add pink.

From new shoes

SUCCESS!!!!  Once I found the goal, I could enjoy shopping and exploring the aisles, with nothing but my budget in mind.

Take a look at what I found.
I now have SEVEN new pairs of shoes... and I am thrilled with each and every pair.
AND - based on my shoe calculator - I spent about $38 per pair... WHAT A GREAT DEAL!!!!

Ready to Run

What do you wear when you are faced with a day of moving boxes, running up and down stairs and constant movement?  Nike Air Rifts.

From ShoeShow

These shoes are stylish, mostly because they are purple!  They are unique, so I am excit

From Shoe of the Day

ed to wear them any time.  And most of all - they are COMFORTABLE.  Thanks to the split/camel toe, they really move with your foot.Looking at the Nike site, I only see a few colors.  I found mine in the clearance section of DSW over a year ago. Sneakerhead has an orange and grey version.  I saw these when I was shopping.  Tried them on before I decided on the purple pair.

Birthdays and Shopping - Weekend Shoes

These are the shoes that carried me through this weekend.  Saturday was all about a birthday dinner party for three friends, with a casual after-party.  These shoes, which were shoes of the day on 2/4/10, were a great choice.  Easy to walk around an find the restaurant... they look great, like I spent time getting ready for the party and I can wear them all night.
You know.. if you have great shoes and fun accessories... you can dress a simple t-shirt and jeans into something really cute.  This is something I live by!

From ShoeShow

On Sunday, I needed to cook for a dinner party, then take a friend shoe shopping!!! YES - pure bliss.. I got to take someone else shoe shopping.  It was great to share my love of this activity with someone else.
We started at my place!  I invited her here to see my shoes and talk about how and why I pick shoes.  We talked about the purpose for your shoes.. the goals of your shoes... practical.. fashion.. work... party... etc. We sat on the floor.. with my shoes and just chatted and enjoyed.

From Shoe of the Day

 Then we got in her car and headed to DSW!

I have a strategy at DSW... and I normally head there alone.  But it was fun shopping with someone else.  And shopping for someone else.    So, what are the perfect shoes for shoe shopping?  These work well!

From ShoeShow

If it was up to me, I would not wear shoes.. easier to try new shoes on!  But these are easy to slip off.. of tuck in my purse while I walk the aisles in the shoes I am deciding on. :)

We spent about an hour in DSW and then went to Nordstrom and Macy's.  We did not find shoes that spoke to her today.  That happens... but we had fun.  I know I did!  I even tested myself.  I found a pair of shoes early on at DSW, put them on a wore them while we were shopping.  But, I put them back.  Today was not about me.  So, I resisted.  It seems that I can walk into a DSW and walk back out without shoes.  AND still have a blast!  That is good to know.

Then I got home and had about 40 minutes to finish my dinner party dish, so I did not even think of changing my shoes.. I hit the kitchen.  Got the cooking done, and headed out to the party.  Had a great night with my friends and even received two unsolicited shoe compliments!  That's a great day!

More than one way to wear shoes!

When I saw this shirt in the boutique, I had to buy it!  When I can't decide what to wear... I put this on! 

From Shoe of the Day

This tee is super casual and confortable and a way to pay homage to super cute, possibly impractical shoes while wearing these...

From Shoe of the Day

This red flat from what's what by AEROSOLES.  I got these at DSW a few years ago.  So the toes are a little worn, but they are still in good shape and incredibly comfortable.  Perfect for a relaxed Friday at the end of a long week of work!

A Stitch in Time... great black boots.

When I can't decide... I go for a black boot!

From ShoeShow

I have 3 pairs of solid black boots.  I like the subtle stitching on this pair.  They remind me of old high button boots without the buttons, of course.  These are Kenneth Cole Reaction boots that I picked up for a steal at DSW!  These are pretty comfortable, they have a 2.5 inch heel and are perfect for a work day with a few errands to run or dinner after work. 

From Shoe of the Day

Ode to the Ballet Flat

So, you wake up in the morning with a plan... then the phone rings and you know your plans have changed and today will be a day you might have to hustle and be on the run.  Well... sure you could throw on some sneakers and call it a day... OR....

From ShoeShow

Super Cute Ballet Flats! - I can plié, glissade, or arabesque with the best of them... well maybe not, but I feel like I can.

From Shoe of the Day

These flats are by Nine West and I got mine at DSW.
Ballet flats are a FANTASTIC way to add fun and color to your shoes collection.  Look at all of these on DSW.com.
You can probably tell that I like a heel, but I am a practical girl!  So, bless the fashionista who decided flats are IN again!

From Shoe of the Day

Fun with Brown - Shoe of the Day

Here are a great pair of brown leather shoes - with a great espadrille style wedge.  This pair is made by AEROSOLES, my go to shoe for comfort and style.  These shoes have a great buckle feature and a 'peek-a-boo' toe, not quite open, but you can see them in there!

From ShoeShow

This pair is great with jeans, pants or skirts and PERFECT for the seasons in between.  Not warm enough for sandals, but it is not cold any more... so give a little toe.

From Shoe of the Day

Yes, I got these at DSW!  Here is a similar look from Aerosoles and here is a fun pair on 6pm.com.

Salsa... Bollywood... Cocktails...

SATURDAY NIGHT SHOES!

From ShoeShow

It is hard for me to explain my love for these shoes.... to me they are so unique and so fun.  And to make it better... they are comfortable.. oh.. oh.. oh AND PURPLE!!!  These 3 inch heeled shoes by Two Lips spoke to me.  I saw them on the shelves of DSW once and when they were still there on my next trip - months later - they called me...it was my destiny to buy these shoes.  The full name of this shoe is "Two Lips Martini Mary Jane Spectators".  And the great news... it seems they are still available out there in the world.  I found pairs on 6pm.com, onlineshoes.com and Amazon.com.  Of course the sizes look limited, but there are still out there.  And there are lots of great color combinations. 

I wore these shoes to a Salsa, World Dance, Bollywood dance class, then to dinner and out for cocktails and dancing. 

From Shoe of the Day

Wear Red Day

In honor of National Wear Red Day and shiny shoe week... here are today's shoes.

From ShoeShow

The big gold buckle on these Me Too flats makes these shoes easy to dress up or down.  I wore black 'dress pants' to work today

From Shoe of the Day

then threw on some jeans for dinner and a movie with a friend.

From Shoe of the Day

I got mine at DSW.  Looking online I found a similar look on DSW.com and onlineshoes.com.

Time to pick some weekend shoes.

Chocolate Shoes - all the love - ZERO calories!

I love chocolate!  Most women do... but it is murder on my waistline and my skin....

So... when I saw chocolate shoes... I found a WONDERFUL calorie free replacement...

From ShoeShow

These shoes I actually got on the same shopping trip as the red shoes from yesterday.  Actually, if my memory serves me correctly, I got 3 pairs of patent leather shoes that day.

Wait.. wait.. 

Ahh... yes, I found a photo from that trip to DSW... I actually got four pairs of patent leather (shiny) shoes that day... what fun!

From random shoes

Today's chocolate wonders are great, I especially LOVE the rounded toe.  They are UNLISTED shoes, which I just found out is a Kenneth Cole brand.  That might explain the comfort!  These have a 3 inch heel, so I can work in them for the day and go out after with no problem.  I might not plan on taking a long walk in these, but I could definitely dance the night away... as long as we are driving to the party and back.  I found some similar shoes on shoes.com and Zappos.com (can you see the reason to comparison shop)!

From Shoe of the Day

Shiny RED Shoes

So.. It feels like a shiny shoe week!!!  Always nice to have a theme!

From ShoeShow

I realized while looking at my shoes this week, that I like shiny shoes!!! Patent leather is my friend. This week instead of a shoe of the week, I am going for a shiny shoe week.

These shoes are GREAT... the super practical 2 inch heel makes them easy to wear all day long.. work or play. And the red is dark enough to not be gaudy, but shiny enough to be fun.

From Shoe of the Day

This pair has also helped to promote shoe appreciation in others! Here a mutual dinner party guest is sporting his red Toms Shoes and wanted to stop for a photo since our shoes match.... that's some shoe love.

BTW... check out Toms Shoes... for every pair purchased, TOMS gives a pair to a needy child... hmm.. THAT IS REAL SHOE LOVE!

And, check these out... even TOMS is after my own heart... how shiny are those shoes!

About my red shoes... they are Bandolinos which I did get at DSW.  These are one of my ten pairs on red shoes.  Yes, I have ten pairs of red shoes.  I believe in shoes of color... and RED is a great color for shoes... SO... if you don't have any already.. consider a pair of RED shoes...

... you'll be glad you did!