I just got home from a night on the town -- with my parents. My mom got drunk on Sambuca and my dad was just naturally drifting in and out of consciousness but we had a good time.
I wore a pair of killer shoes, literally.
The kind of shoes a girl can realistically wear only to walk from the car to the theatre and then sit and show them off. The kind of shoes that make me 4 inches taller but allow me to walk only by using stilted baby steps. The kind of shoes that really made a woman stop at an intersection tonight and yell to me through her open car window: "Love your shoes!!" (I do that too.) The kind of shoes that made my feet burn with pain at the end of the night. Those killer shoes were the exact right size for my platypus piddies - 7 W I D E - but poorly constructed so they didn't feel very good, and that pisses me off because they cost over $100.
I threw the shoes back into my closet. Then I looked at my floor where an unopened box sat. A new pair of shoes arrived the other day and I hadn't even tried them on. I've been burned so many times by shoes hating my feet, I hadn't yet been able to open myself up to a new relationship. But since my swollen feet were already in burning pain, I figured, what better time to try on another pair of 3" heels on a platform?
These new shoes are from Farylrobin. A friend of mine is working with farylrobin and he knows I lust for shoes, so he said, "Would you like to try a pair and tell everyone what you think?" WOULD I ?!? Silly question. He suggested I pick out a pair of shoes - any pair - and they'd be sent to me. Just like that.
I gleefully stared at the collections. Like a kid in a toy store. The picking-out-a-pair was very challenging. I love almost every style. I was able to narrow my choices down to eight. Then researched each style on various shopping sites because I was so concerned with fit. And obsessed with shoe porn.
I finally decided on the luscious grey suede Valencia bootie, because it seemed really versatile, and I was going through a gray period, and because a suede toebox might "give a little" if my tootsies need more room, and the Valencias were reviewed as running "true to size." Still, I was skeptical and guarded, thinking they wouldn't fit my fat little feet. Pessimist.
I opened the box. *Gasp!*
They're gorgeous in real life. I kid you not. They feel wonderful, the styling details are lovely, and the heel and sole are solid. SOLID.
I just slipped them on. They fit. I'm so glad I picked this style to test drive. It's comfy yet surprising and edgy. Architecturally it's just a perfect shoe. I can't believe I was so anxious about this.
What didn't work on the high heels I wore earlier this evening was the thin sole and sloppy heel that didn't hold my foot in place, so the ball of my foot was just being pushed into the ground without any care. These farylrobin bootie beauties have a hidden platform and a sense of stability, and, um, sensibility. They care. And they're sexy!
I've always been afraid of trying on expensive shoes because then if they fit I'd have to buy them and that would be expensive. I never thought of buying a pair that cost over $150 for my feet. But lately I'd been thinking I needed to broaden my shoe shopping beyond Payless and DSW clearance racks, invest a little more, stop making excuses, get great shoes and just feel really good. And then this opportunity to try out farylrobin appeared. It was meant to be.
The verdict on the boots: they'll take me more places than I imagined they would, not just from the parking garage to the theatre. And when I walk down the street in them, enjoying the sound of the solid tap of the sole on the sidewalk, I hope another girl shouts her praise from her car: "I LOVE YOUR SHOES!" Thanks, I do, too!!
disclosure: I was provided a pair of shoes in exchange for a published honest opinion. This is the first time I have ever been compensated for reviewing a product and I'll be happy to do it again and again especially if it's a pair of shoes. Honestly, I really do love the shoes.
Yea! Good shoes! LOVE, LOVE them!
I think I've commented on this before -- my sister says she has 15-min. shoes, 30-min. shoes, 1-hr. shoes, and sneakers.
She wore 15-min. shoes in Vegas once and the straps literally turned into razo blades as the night went on. She still bears the scars from that ill-fated night.
They were smokin' hot shoes, though. So, it was worth it! : )
Posted by: Lurker Girl | 04 December 2009 at 07:47 AM
Those shoes last night were 30 minute shoes. I wore them for 5 hours. I'll time the new farylrobins today. Love that measurement.
Posted by: blaugra | 04 December 2009 at 09:29 AM
I am intrigued by the Harlow ones - wish the pics on the website were bigger (and more angles) to see how thick the bottoms are - I really like a platform bottom to add height to my stumpy self. I hope you can walk long distances in these new boots!
Posted by: Kristin | 04 December 2009 at 10:17 AM
I LOVE the Harlows. You have to go to other shoe sites to see the whole shoe, that is something I don't like about farylrobin's site either. I was going to order the Harlows but was concerned about the shaft size. Um, :)
BUT they are on sale, I found out thru twitter-- "Nordstrom is offering our Harlow boot at a 33% discount! Now, that's a deal! http://ow.ly/HZoz"
Posted by: blaugra | 04 December 2009 at 10:53 AM
OH NO!
Posted by: SALTY D | 04 December 2009 at 07:16 PM
They are 2.5 hour shoes. If you're more accustomed to wearing high heels, or you're not as top-heavy as I am, they will last longer.
Posted by: blaugra | 07 December 2009 at 10:19 AM
I heard somewhere "Invest in shoes because a good pair will take you where you want to go/be." A shoe can make or break and outfit, so I believe in fab shoes that last just like other investment pieces in your wardrobe.
Posted by: Chris Oh | 10 December 2009 at 02:20 AM