Let's Talk About Shoes!

Greetings dear readers. I hope this blog finds you and yours healthy and safe in these peculiar times. Going out shopping isn’t really the thing to do right now, is it? Well, I’d like to talk about shoes today, and the internet is your best friend when it comes to buying shoes.

First, let’s take a stroll to the men’s side of the shoe store. Hmmm, we’ve got tennis shoes, cowboy boots, work boots, loafers, and lace-up shoes. Colours? Well, black, gray, white, tan. I guess that’s about it. Now let’s take a stroll to the women’s side of the store. Wow! Styles, colours, heel heights – it’s overwhelming!

Some of the more common and popular styles of women’s shoes are slingbacks, pumps, slides, mules, ballet slippers, and Mary Janes. All of those styles are “in” for the 2020 season. Also, don’t forget all the boots – from low to very high heel with some wonderful designs. Boots are especially cool with a knee-length skirt and tights. That’s a style that will never go out of fashion. 

Walking on a heel as high as the one shown with the Knee Length Faux Boot requires a bit of practice. If you are a newbie to heels, I’d recommend you start with a lower, more bulky heel, such as the Divine Wide Width Mini Pump. This is called a block heel and is a bit easier to get along with if you haven’t had experience with heels before. Walking is a bit different in heels, as you put most of your weight on the ball of your foot, not the heel. In high stiletto heels, you are basically walking on your tippy-toes, and even runway models have problems with these once in a while.

Because of foot problems I’ve had since my teen years, I can’t really wear much of a heel. If you are in the same situation, despair not! There are shoes for you as well. My personal favourites are ballet slippers, slip-on loafers, and Mary Janes. A bit of trivia on the Mary Jane. In medieval times, they were called strap shoes and worn commonly by males of the noble class. Mary Janes are probably my all-time favourites, as they are comfortably wide at the instep, and I have wide feet. I’d pretty much say the same for ballet flats. 

One style of shoe I haven’t mentioned is sandals. We are finally getting to some weather where you can wear sandals, and the different styles are seemingly endless. One of the advantages of sandals, from a health perspective, is that they allow your feet to breathe. This is especially important if you like to wear polish on your toenails. I love to wear polish on my toenails, and learned the hard way that wearing polish in the winter is not a good idea. I developed a nail fungus, and it is really hard to get rid of. With proper medicine that you brush on morning and night, it takes 10 to 12 months to get rid of the fungus. No fun. My nail tech told me to only wear polish in warmer weather where your footgear allows your feet to breathe. There’s your tip for the day from your Aunt Angie. As an aside, foot care is really important. I highly recommend that you regularly go to a salon for pedicures. Get a manicure while you’re at it. These days, it is not at all unusual for men to go to salons for nail care, and my nail tech finds nothing unusual in me liking her to put my favourite polish (frost pink) on my toenails.

One last thing to consider is footwear sizing. If you purchase from XDress in the U.S. store, their sizes are sized for men, so if you wear a men’s size 10, as an example, you would order size 10. If you are ordering from a women’s shoe provider, add two sizes to the shoe. As an example, if you wear a size 10 in men’s shoes, you would wear a size 12 in women’s shoe sizing.

Okay, dear readers, here are my thoughts on the wonderful world of shoes. Do you have some favourites? What shoes would you suggest, and which ones would you never recommend? I always love to hear your thoughts on whatever the topic is, so warm up those keyboards, and let’s have a conversation!

Fond regards,

Angie