Our lovely Marilyn is often attributed with the quote, "Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world." I don't think she ever actually said that, but it's true. Shoes are so much part of own style, and you can certainly tell a lot about a person by the kind of shoes they wear.
Shoes inspire very intense feelings in most women and some men too. Have you ever seen a girl drool over a pair of those fabulous red-bottomed Louboutins, or a slinky pair of Manolos? Shoes were practically the 5th friend on Sex and the City!
"Hello Lover"
Shoes make us feel good, and there's so many pluses to shoe shopping as opposed to clothes shopping. You get to sit down and have some handsome shoe salesman slip on slingback after slingback, like you're Cinderella! Bonus- you're never too fat for your shoes.
"Hmm which to wear today?"
There are many things that can make or break an outfit or your whole outlook on the evening, and ladies, shoes are surely one of them. Wearing the right shoes for the right occasion is always important. Imagine walking into a fancy cocktail party in flip-flops, or going to a baseball game in 5 inch heels. Both would look ridiculous and you'd probably feel a little foolish, or at least you should.
Ava Gardner admiring some slingbacks.
One quick word about shoes and how much they cost. I'm all for deals on almost anything, shoes included. However, cheap shoes, are not always good. Cheap shoes are most likely not well crafted, and they will hurt. Trust me on that. Ask any girl who picked up a pair of pumps at a someplace like Forever 21. You'll think, oh they're so cute, and oh look, they're only $12.99. Yeah wear them one night out and chances are you will never wear them again, and they'll sit in the back of your closet collecting dust until you give or throw them away. Never mind the fact that your feet were in tremendous pain, but they're probably also falling apart. If you treat shoes as a mini investment, you'll end up saving in the long run. Spend more money on the classic shoes that you will get more use of and that will never go out of style. That does NOT include anything with sparkles, studs, neon, gold lame, or anything you'd see a rappers girlfriend or Lady Gaga wearing.
Yes, these would classify as an appropriate shoe investment.
So, now lets talk about heel height. High heels have been around since the 1600's, however the stiletto heel didn't come out until 1953, with the new metal spigot and moulded heel. Many buildings actually banned them in the 50's because of the damage they did to the floors. Take note: be careful walking around on your hardwood floors in stilettos, contrary-wise, dance around in your stilettos on a cheating ex-boyfriends wood floors.
These shoes just make me happy.
Now a quote that Marilyn did say regarding shoes..
"I don't know who invented the high heel, but all women owe him a lot."
Marilyn proving that wearing heels in a bathing suit is a good thing.
Truer words were never spoken. When you wear heels it changes the way hold yourself, it changes your posture. They make your legs look longer, make your back arch, in turn, pushing your chest out and your bum up. Creating the look that men instinctively find attractive. They give women a look of elegance and confidence.
However, if you're wearing heels that are too high, you end up doing the opposite. How can that be you ask? Picture this..a beautiful girl, in a chic little cocktail dress and she's wearing these 5 inch+ heels. Then you see her walk. Or try to walk. Her feet may be a little duck-like, and she's a wobbling a bit, basically she looks very uncomfortable, off-balance, and like she can't wait to sit down. You know you've seen these girls. This unfortunate scene happens all too often. It totally takes away the sexiness of wearing high heels. And don't even get my started on the girls who decide their feet hurt too much, so they take their shoes OFF and WALK BAREFOOT ON THE STREET. I've seen this in LA, NYC, Orlando, Boston, etc. It baffles me. This is where buying well made shoes and breaking them in a little comes in handy. Unless of course you don't mind walking with your bare feet on a city sidewalk that dogs and homeless people use as a bathroom, and God knows what else has been on that ground. And then going home and traipsing dirt and debris all over your floors and then in YOUR BED! Okay I'm starting to sound like my grandmother, so I'll stop ranting, but you get the point. Could you imagine Grace Kelly walking around after a night out carrying her royal shoes in her hand? No. Just no.
This is my reaction when I see a girl walking barefoot on the street.
Please don't do it. When you're out and you're feet are killing you and you're tempted to take off your heels, just remember the great words of Marilyn Monroe's character in Gentleman Prefer Blondes, Lorelei Lee, "Please, a lady never admits her feet hurt."
And remember, high heels are something that are meant to enhance our beauty and femininity. Think of that when you're strutting across a crowded bar, with every man's head turning. And if that doesn't help just think about getting home and having one of those men give you a nice foot massage.
And if all that doesn't make you realize the wonderfulness that is shoes, here's a clip from one of my favorite movies. Just goes to show, that sometimes with the right shoe a girl can conquer the world, or at the very least, marry Prince Charming.
