Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Peep Toe

Today my friend bought these 5 inch heels that were GORGEOUS. They were plain black, but had a nice flair to them. But the one thing that made them unique and cute were the fact that they were peep toe. Peep toes are when the front of the shoe has a little "hole" where about 2 or 3 toe nails/toes (depending on your foot) can be seen. Although she naturally passes me up in height by about 4 inches (I'm 5'4"), these heels make her look model tall. I wanted to try these shoes on so I could actually see what it is like in her world. When I did, they were not only a gift of height, but also pretty comfortable. I hope she doesn't cry in pain wearing these shoes and best of luck to her!

(Photo from bakersshoes.com where the shoes were bought)

And yes, this post is dedicated to the owner of these shoes, my BFFL, Keerthi!

This is not what you expect

This blog has been about different types of shoes and their individual reviews. Today I'm going to share something I stumbled upon deep down in my mother's closet. I found a pair of perfectly polished and unused Mary Janes... in a toddler size 5. Although their appearance fooled me for a grand total of one minute, I realized these shoes were not unused at all. In fact, these were my shoes when I was at the cute (obnoxious) age of 1. This, I believe, is where the saying "act your age not your shoe size" does not apply. I had definitely had bigger feet than my age. Seeing these shoes made me retreat to the old, dusty bookshelf that contained my baby photo albums. Searching through these, I found these shoes in almost all of the pictures ranging from ages 1-3 (after that, my foot size grew). Such occasions include my first birthday, second birthday, and any family members birthday in between. My question was answered while looking through these photos. Why were these shoes in such a perfect condition? The truth is, I never walked on solid ground wearing those black Mary Janes. One of my family members would always be carrying me, even though I was perfectly capable of walking or crawling. Seeing these shoes made me recollect the few memories I had of that age, and I've never been happier that my mother kept these shoes on top of her shelf, deep in her closet.

Everyone's Favorites: The Flats

I'm sure EVERYONE has a pair of these. They are comfortable, good looking, don't make your feet sweat (ew I know) and can be worn in any occasion. And when I say any occasion, I mean ANY. I have a pair of brown flats that I wore when volunteering at a 3rd grade classroom (trust me those can get pretty messy) and then wore the same pair to my family friends wedding reception. They still looked classy. But the one problem with flats (especially ones like mine) is that they get damaged very easily. Some can be sturdy and long lasting (if you found any of those let me know!). But the ones I have already have a hole where my big toe is. They only lasted about 6 months. Was it because of those angelic (evil) 3rd graders I helped out? Possibly. So overall quality is an average of 2.5 of 5 stars (unless you are one of those VERY lucky people). But if you are really just going for the looks, ballet flats are 5 of 5 stars.

(NO PICTURE! I went onto Nordstrom to find a nice pair of flats to glamorize, when I found their website "under construction." I was so upset, I did not feel like finding another picture. I think Nordstrom has failed me once again :(... Sorry Beckie)

Climbing Trees

They are not hiking boots, but rather running shoes that help you bike and climb trees. Or at least, the Nike Airs did for me. Although I bought these shoes for a sport I attempted to play in preseason but failed miserably, I have now found a different use for them. Today I went biking with my friends around our neighborhood. We attempted to climb this huge tree stationed a block from our houses. The result: success. I climbed to the center of the tree where we talked about life in general. So how does climbing trees have to do with these shoes? If it were not for my new running shoes, I would not have been able to keep such a firm grip on the tree with my feet (and I'm pretty sure my feet would be screaming in pain if not for these shoes with the bike ride that accompanied this journey). These shoes now carry the memory of a grand tree climb/bike ride. With comfortable padding on the inside, these shoes are great for biking, tree climbing, and of course their original purpose, running. (Nike now fits wide feet much better than before)

All Day I Dream About Shoes (A.D.I.D.A.S.)

The infamous Adidas. Everyone has owned at least one pair of these... I know I went through my phase in middle school. Although mine are now beat up, dirty, and slightly tearing, I have had some memorable moments in these shoes. I wore them everywhere. But the one memory that remains vivid in my head is the first day I wore these to school. Just opened from the box, I slipped these shoes on in the morning, only to find they were huge on my feet. None the less, I walked out of the house (or more precisely, walked out of the shoes themselves) feeling an overwhelming sense of happiness that these were my new pair of kicks. As I came to school, I still remember getting many compliments on how cute they looked (and comfortable). Then came after school. In my navy blue Harker uniform, I went to the Upper School campus to collect some item of my brothers from the lost and found (I can't remember why I had to do it, but I'm pretty sure my brother was sick that day). While I was digging through the pile of lost, useless, and deserted items, I saw a pair of shoes almost identical to the pair I was wearing except old, black, and definitely not being looked for. It made me wonder if I would separate from my new obsession, and if my spotless shoes would ever look as deserted as the shoes I was staring at did. This year as I entered high school, I realized that my once extolled shoes are now somewhere in my house's version of the lost and found looking old, beat up, but filled with memories. These shoes have lasted me a long time, and I still use them now as substitutes when I cannot find any other shoe to wear that looks slightly more attractive and taken care of.

(Image from Journeys.com)

What to Wear to your Uncle's Wedding

Last August, I went on vacation to Canada to attend my uncle's wedding. I ran into the problem of not having fancy high heels that would match typical Indian party attire and a fancy dress. Not to mention, they had to be very comfortable because I would be wearing them from 12:00 P.M. to 2:00 A.M. the next day. Before I left to go to Canada, I looked at the always reliable Nordstrom store for a pair of heels. This store disappointed me greatly with the little selection of party heels. With time running out, I started digging through the garage to see what old pair of fancy heels I could find. Finally I ran into a shoe box in mint condition that had a pair of shoes I had not seen for about 2 years. My white heels with about a 1.5 inch heel, no back, and shiny sequins that covered the entire shoe had never been used before that I had bought previously for another wedding. A coincidence? Probably not. With not much time left to spare, I took these with me to Canada. And they allowed me to go the whole day without suffering. Although the 1.5 inch heel did not supply me with the height I wanted, I was able to be comfortable, and I must admit, they looked stunning and stood out. Although a wedding usually means wear very high heels, I learned that comfort is more important than height, especially at your uncles wedding when you have to stay there the longest. Ever since the discovery of these shoes, I have worn them to every fancy party I have gone to (including another wedding).