Heel to Toe

I'm going on my third summer in my now-ratty Worishofers. I've debated buying a new pair (I'm all about comfort, not so much the trends—ok, not this much comfort. I bought a pair of Aerosoles a few weeks ago online and had to return them because they brutally ripped up my left foot and one of the straps broke the second time I wore them) but have held off since I've recently noticed they're becoming as ubiquitous as UGGS (at least in NYC). I figured they would be an ugly-chic flash in the pan and I could continue to wear them in peace when everyone forgot about them. Now, there's even an article in Slate (by a Brooklyn author, naturally) about their surprisingly popularity. I want my perfect walking shoes back for myself.

The low-heeled white shoes in Design*Sponge’s latest "Living In" (in this case, Sixteen Candles) caught my eye the other night. I had a feeling, even from the tiny thumbnail, that these were my size. 9.5 is like unsweetened iced tea; it certainly exists, but no one seems to sell it (size 12+ are unicorns). I’ve only complained about the 6, 6.5, 7, 7.5, 8, 8.5, 9, 10 jump like a million times (or at least twice).

Ages ago when I did things like eat brunch in the East Village and go to flea markets (ok, I probably only did that once) I found a pair of lavender and white Nikes in good condition. I wanted these shoes very badly when I was nine. White with the lavender swoosh, which were better than the lavender, which was more pinkish, with the white swoosh. They were 9.5 and I had to buy them. I’ve probably only worn them a couple times but I like knowing they are in my closet.

So, yes, these white shoes on Etsy, are indeed 9.5. I think I should buy them but I’m too cheap to justify $32 for used “vintage” heels. The thing about all of these Etsy shoes is that they’re all in good condition. How does this happen? I wear a pair three times and they’re scraped, scuffed to hell, a subject I’ve also mentioned many times because it still steams me.

I don’t buy heels higher than 2” and I don’t spend a lot of money on shoes. These Jeffrey Campbell shoes are the priciest ones I’ve bought in awhile, last year, around $100 and I’ve ripped the material on back of the heel and lost one of the snap-on hidden, dangling buckles (really stupid design) and just had to pay someone to completely revamp the strap and remove the snap and add a real buckle to the other side like a normal shoe. And they aren’t even  my size; they’re a 9, which I try to make do with if there is an open heel or toes, though the 9s I wore last week and only walked in to and from the subway (I sat in meetings for over eight hours) squeezed my third and fourth toes to the point where they felt bruised and half-broken for two days.

I know why the fronts/points of my shoes scuff, I push my foot to the inner wall of the steps when walking up stairs because I have bad balance and a phobia of tripping and falling on stairs, but I still don’t know why the backs shred. (On a side note to the many side notes here, I see so many women with stiletto heels walk up stairs only putting the ball of their foot down, the majority their shoe sticking off hovering in the air, tiptoe walking. How do they know to do this?)

I can no longer buy shoes with leather or material covering the heels. Cork seemed safe, but my above mentioned Worishofer have chunks missing and another pair of sandals with fake cork, the coating has completely peeled off.

Anyway, I’m debating those white shoes, new ultra-trendy Worishofer or these rainbow-y sandals even though ‘80s clothing can get on my nerves.