Shoes, Shoes, Shoes

If you don’t recall yesterday’s post about my LIST, one of the items that I’ve accomplished is my impressive shoe collection.  It’s something that makes me so happy. 

My obsession with shoes started when I was about four years old.  My mom’s mother (my Nana – yes, I’m her favorite) took me for a “Girl’s Day” shopping trip to Burdines – now Macy’s.  (Yikes, I’m getting old.)  We went to the shoe department and I remember my Nana trying on several pairs of sandals that were absolutely stunning.  There were heels, flats, canvas shoes, leather shoes….oh the possibilities!  

I remember her buying me two pairs for myself, complete with frilly socks and thinking that I had scored the jack pot!  I was a grown-up, for sure.  

Years later, with my favorite shoe – I mean SHOW – Sex and the City, the shoe obsession became something to be very proud of. It was no longer a joke that women had several pairs of “black” or “brown” shoes.  We needed them.  They all provided different looks, different feelings.  

No matter the ups and downs with my weight or my body, I could count on my shoes to always be there for me.  I had heard horror stories from girlfriends about shoe sizing changing after they had kids and I remember crying to my partner about all the shoes I would have to get rid of if my size changed.  He just smiled and said “But, babe, then you will get to buy new ones!”  (Clearly, he is the positive one in our relationship….hahaha!)  

Sadly, my feet didn’t grow – they actually got smaller.  Weird, right?  I had always been a size 7, but now my feet are a 6.5; although in some designs I can rock a 7.  So, I didn’t get to buy new pairs although I did find some inner-soles that helped me fit into my current selection better. 

I used to be appalled by flats, but that changed when I was pregnant with my second child while chasing around a toddler.  I was exhausted and my back hurt so I tried out flats and was surprised to find a whole new world of options!  Round toe, pointy-toe, open-toe….All the toes were happy without the heels!  

I hoard my shoes for a looooonnnng time.  I had a pair of Doc Martens from 2001 that I just recently sent on to a local charity.  Those suckers had been packed up and moved countless times, always finding their way to the back of the closet, but I couldn’t get rid of them.  Who knew when they would come back in style?  Suffice it to say that after 17 years, it hadn’t happened so I finally gave them a better home.  I’m also not a brand snob.  Walmart, Target, Payless, Charlotte Russe, Forever 21, Old Navy….I am NOT shoe-prejudice.  They all need love!  

For the longest time, my dream has been to own a pair of Manolo Blahnik, Christian Louboutin, and Jimmy Choo heels.  I specifically wanted those three designers’ shoes sitting in my closet someday.  I am 2 out of 3 at the moment, all thanks to my amazing husband and sister.  My sister had a pair of MB’s that were slightly too big on her and gifted them to me a few months ago.  (Yay for having sisters!) Bryan gifted me my first and only pair of CL’s for my 36th birthday just a few weeks ago.  I’m obsessed with them.  If you randomly pop by on a Tuesday afternoon I may be wearing them around the house as I vacuum.  I am still waiting on Choo….maybe by the time I’m 40 my dream trio will be complete. 

Why do I love shoes so much?  If you have to ask, you obviously don’t know much about them and what they can do to an entire demeanor – or outfit. I have a glittery black pair of Kate Spade pumps that when I put them on, I feel like the epitome of a PARTY GIRL.  Doesn’t matter if I have them on with jeans and a white tee shirt.  I’ve got glitter on my feet and that deserves a celebration. I have a pink pair of Sam Edelman sandals that make me feel like I am literally Carrie Bradshaw walking down 5th Avenue radiating an attitude of pure confidence.  My Steve Madden criss-cross black platform sandals are what I wear on a hot date with my main man.  They make me at least 5 inches taller and they are so sexy on my feet that it makes me feel like making out with him in a dark corner of the restaurant.

You see, my friends….the vice isn’t necessarily just about the actual shoe….it’s about the emotions that they inspire.  The story they tell.  The where, what, who, why of my life.  Each pair of shoes represents something different and unique about me and when I wear them I remember those stories.  

What’s your obsession/collection?  Do you agree they tell a story about you? I would love to hear it! 

xoxo, Brandi’