Highheelaphobia.

We all have that friend who looks at our shoes and gawks a little. She's can't believe that you wear those, don't your feet die?!

But, this is a totally unnecessary phobia! Anyone can wear big heels, it's just a matter of practice.

To illustrate, I'm currently wearing these:

And, yes, that's a 5 1/2 inch heel. 

But, I've been wearing them for 8 1/2 hours, and my feet haven't fallen off yet! 

There are a few reasons, I'll admit, but, first, a little background about these darlings!

I got them from Necessary Clothing, in New York (where else?), and I have them in magenta as well. 

Necessary Clothing has the world's weirdest shoe system. My mum and I were both trying on shoes that day (they had amazing deals, these were $15 each), and they would only bring us one shoe at a time. 

Yes, that's right, I didn't get to put on both shoes at the same time until I had bought them. And, to make matters worse, their shoe storage was downstairs from the sales floor, so the poor sales girl had to run downstairs, grab a shoe, run back upstairs, wait for us to try that shoe on, then take it, run back downstairs, grab the other shoes and run back upstairs with that one. For each pair. 

And, if you know anything about me yet, you can probably guess that we tried on just about every pair they had.

But, now that you're in shock at the insanity of that system, and shaking in your (flat) boots at the height of that heel, let me remind you that these lovely little treats are friendly, as long as they're treated well, and respected. 

Personally, I subscribe to the New York professional shoe method. I hardly ever wear my fancy shoes outside. This keeps the soles from being worn down too quickly, and they stay dry, so the upper doesn't get ruined either. The other reason is because I do not trust the weather in Vancouver. Especially at this time of year. So, if I'm going to work, or a houseparty where I'm able to keep my shoes on, I pack my shoes in my handy-dandy shoe bag (which was a cosmetic gift with purchase, so nothing too fancy) and puddle jump all the way there in my rainboots. 

I also walk to work, so 45 minutes in either direction would easily destroy not only my shoes, but my feet. If you're going to be walking for a million years, giant heels are probably not going to be a good idea. 

This also speaks to the idea of having cute transition footwear. In New York, everyone packs their shoes and wears running shoes to and from work. I think that athletic running shoes belong in a gym, or on someone who is actually running, but there are so many cute options as far as supportive street shoes go. Try to find something that won't make you look like you pulled them on in the dark. Black is probably best, as it's the more versatile. 

Secondly, I have a set of gel insoles that I wear in my heels. Sometimes, wearing the gel pads is hard because it makes the toe of the shoe too tight, so watch for that, but for the most part, they really help. 

Lastly, when you're buying shoes like these, look for something with a significant platform on the toe. Mine have about a 1 inch platform, meaning that, while they make my legs looks 5 1/2 inches longer, I'm only standing on a 4 1/2 inch heel, which is much easier to make friends with. It's also worth putting them on and walking around the store while you do the rest of your browsing. Chances are, if they start to hurt in the ten minutes they've been on your feet, they're not the shoes for you. 

Now, I will admit that wearing giant heels all day is not for everyone. If you work on your feet all day, I would not recommend wearing a 5 1/2" stiletto. I've worked in grocery stores, clothing stores and restaurants, and will openly admit that it's suicide. But, that doesn't mean that you can't have fun with your toes! Again, this is a time when practical shoes are an asset. This doesn't mean you need to wear those beat up running shoes, though! Look for something stylish and comfortable (they do exist, you know!) and you'll find that you not only look more polished, you'll feel more confident!

Now, if only there was a secret to being able to dance on skyscrapers all night! 

The clock strikes 3am, your feet turn into pumpkins.

This has happened to us all. Don't lie, you know there's that one pair of insane stilettos that you bought because they make you legs look a million miles long and your ass go POW, but if you wear them for longer than 6 minutes you'd think that you were stuck in a furnace wearing these:

See? Now you remember. Or at least your feet do. Think New Years. We're notorious for wearing ridiculous shoes on the one night of the year it's nigh impossible to get a taxi in any city.

But, fret not! There's an answer! Enter Rollasole!

Matt Horan was struck with genius after one too many nights of having to carry his girlfriend home on his back as the result of her sadistic (though gorgeous, I'm sure) choices in footwear. Since that night in 2008, he's been the saviour of shoe-anistas everywhere!

In fact, they're so popular now, some clubs are selling them in vending machines on-site:

Let me explain how they work. They come rolled up inside a drag-string bag, and the idea is that you can cram them into your going-out purse and forget they're there.

Until furnace-feet kick in. Then, you will gleefully recall that they're hiding in the recesses of your bag, between the lipgloss and your cell phone, and you unroll them and swap them for your metal-fire-torture shoes.

And that handy little bag they came in? Big enough to fit your skyscraper stilettos and you can use the drawstring as a wrist strap!

I had seen them at various drug stores around various cities, but was a little unsure of the necessity of such a thing (plus all the ones I had seen were black and boring-looking). Like Jenna Marbles (as seen here at 4:42), I feel that when one walks out of the house in a pair of shoes, she is married to them for the evening. You made your bed, girl, now limp home on it. But, when we were in Vegas in October, my partner in crime, Dominique, came back from a toiletry run with these bad-boys:

First of all, they're gold. Come now, how can anyone say no to that? Dominique's are metallic pink, so they're just as adorable.

So, I gave them a shot. That night, we went out dancing like the crazy glamazons we are, in our very own version of the glass slipper (read: ticking-toe-time-bombs) and when the champagne began to wear off, I could feel the first few flames licking at the soles of my feet.

Of course, I had forgotten that I had them, but when I went to sit down for a moment, Dominique reminded me, and, lickety-split, I flipped off my heels, slipped on my little flats, and was back on the dance floor before the song was finished.

And my foot-fire was extinguished!

The best part was that when my Vegas-boyfriend (a charming Brit named Luke) came by, I was ready to pop my heels back on and keep dancing til dawn!

Here comes the rain, little darling!

Ahhh, the rain has finally come. All the snow is gone, and I had the pleasure of sloshing through puddles all the way back from work yesterday, as seen below:

You can even seen the shadow of my umbrella! It was a rainy, windy day but I had a blast walking from my office to downtown Vancouver before heading home. It was lovely, as long as you don't mind getting a little wet.

My mum has been sending me photos again from New York, and this is her latest find:

Ankle socks with sandals. There were also a bunch of knee socks flying around with open toes. I think that that the ankle socks work best with a sandal that has some weight, on the heel, as well as something with less delicate straps like this shoe, and I love the way the off-white socks compliment the neutral tones in the shoe.

I find that the knee socks tend to be a more winter look, so it's easier to do the blacks and jewel tones, but it's also a good way to keep with the colour blocking and work with some brights!

Try it out and take a photo! I'd love to see what you've got on your feet!

Flightless and grounded.

I've been getting text messages from my mum all day.

She's in New York.

I'm not.

This seems wrong.

New York is honestly my home-away-from-home (but only until I can scheme my way into getting an apartment and a green card...) and I haven't been since September. Again, this seems wrong.

Sometimes, having a day job is just so inconvenient.

But, I'm able to live vicariously through the photos she's been sending me of things she's seen, or things she'd like to buy for her store, so at least I can close my eyes and pretend I'm there too.

For example:

My credit card is happy that I'm not in New York.

Because, really, who could say no to these little beauties? And, I'm sure they have a few colours... I might need them all.

To be honest, colour blocking is everywhere right now. It was all over the Fall 2011 runways, and they're here to stay for Spring 2012. I especially love these from B Brian Atwood (who I'm loving more and more every season... damn!)

They're like a flamingo swimming in a Mondrian. Love, love, love!!

Trudging through a winter wonderland...

So, it's happened. Snow.

Now, I live in the deliciously damp land of rain boots and umbrellas, Vancouver. Snow is a relatively rare occurrence in my life. And, as a result, I'm not particularly prepared.

In fact, in the snow, the task of keeping my toes dry and warm typically falls to my rain boots, which look like this:

Now, if you know anything about me yet, then you know these little darlings came from New York. And, surprise, surprise, I bought them in 3 colours...

If you love them as much as I do, you can get them from DNA Footwear online, but I would like to give credit where credit is due, because I got mine (all three pairs, though tracking down sizes was a nightmare!) from Strawberry, in New York. There are about a million locations, and all are great! Strawberry is also great for clothes, jewelry and bags (I got a Kenneth Cole wallet there for $20.00, they have lots of discounted label treasures), so check it out!

Anyways, so back to snow. If you click on the link for DNA Footwear, you'll see their warning that these boots fit small and narrow. I have small feet, but they are a little wide across the balls of my feet, so I had to buy 8s for a foot that usually fits in a 6 1/2-7 1/2, and there's room for me to wear thin socks, or tights with them without choking all the blood out of my foot. That being said, they have stretched out a little, so there's hope for fluffy socks in the future.

Unfortunately, for the moment, I am stuck with chilly tootsies.

My other snow blunder was to walk to work with tights on, but a short skirt, so my legs were also feeling the bitter whips of winter wind. Fortunately, I got these at a boxing day sale:

They're boot toppers! (Faux fur, of course!)

I put them over my rain boots (they cover the bows and leave only the foot of the boot exposed) and they turn my charming little puddle jumpers into pseudo-mukluks that keep my calves warm, and my ankles dry all the way to the office! (Apparently I have a faulty gait that causes my shoes to flick bits of snow up into the tops of these boots. It's weird, I don't get it, but at least now there's a solution!)

Technically, they would also work as legwarmers, if that's the look you're into. Either way, they're adorable and snugly. Now, if only they could warm my toes as well, we'd be in business.

Although, to be honest, I've always had cold feet. And not just when it comes to big decisions.

Cause we need to keep those tootsies ship-shape!

I found this article in today's Vancouver Sun. The first part is almost an attack on wearing high heels and fancy shoes, but the second part details a few stretches and exercises that you can do to undo any damage caused by wearing the daring footwear we love so much.

While I disagree that wearing high heels is so bad that you should never do it, I think that being conscious of your foot health is a really good idea, and we should all do a little more for ours, cause without them, we really wouldn't have a leg to stand on. And then what would we do with all those hard earned stilettos?

I've pulled the stretches for you below, so you can get the benefits without the discouragement. If you want to read the rest, you can do so here. Thanks to Karen Gram for the tips!

Calf Stretch: Put your hands on a wall, place one foot in front of the other and keeping both heels on the ground, bend the front knee until you can feel the stretch in your back calf. Hold 30 seconds. A second calf stretch can be done on stairs; hang one heel off the stair until you can feel the stretch. Hold 30 seconds. Switch.

"A calf stretch is what anyone who wears any shoes should do, because even your general athletic shoe is technically 1½-2 inches (3.8-5 cm) in the heel, so that is a high heel, too," says Bowman. "So calf stretch, calf stretch, calf stretch."

Toe spread: Sit in a chair and rest your feet on an ottoman or low table. Spread your toes so that there is a space between each one. Repeat. (if you can't do this, start with wearing pedicure spacers).

Toe lift: Standing straight, lift your big toes off the ground while keeping all the other toes on the ground. Then lift the other toes one by one.

Tennis ball massage: While seated, roll a tennis ball under your feet to stretch your plantar fascia. If your feet are inflamed or tired, roll your foot over a bottle of water that has been frozen.

Fresh start.

Well, it's the beginning of another year, and what do we have to show for it? An expanded shoe wardrobe, of course!

Hopefully, a little more wisdom and some stories, as well.

It's been an eventful year for this shoe-anista! There were trips to New York, Las Vegas, New Orleans, then back to New York less than a week after touching ground again. There were birthday parties, and themed parties, and lots of memorable moments. And, of course, shoes to go with each.

This past week has been spent relaxing at my parents' house, in the sleepy little town of Gibsons, where my mum runs a successful clothing store, SWISH (check it out on facebook here), which facilitates all the trips to New York, as I am her assistant buyer. I'm also taking on another project, working on her facebook page and writing a style blog for SWISH as well.


All this relaxing means that I've spent most of my time in these:





These are my delicious pink slippers, a Christmas gift from years gone by, and the only suitable footwear for lounging around while watching horror films with your dad. While wearing charming pyjamas, and maybe a touch of blush and mascara. You never know when you'll be hosting unexpected houseguests.


I've worked a few days for my mum at SWISH, as it afforded us the perfect time to spend some quality time together, and it let me shop the leftovers of the season, and get a few good deals (hooray for family discount!!), including these little Candie's numbers:



I'm so excited to break these bad boys in! And, to save my poor toes, I bought about a thousand sets of gel toe cushions from the dollar store in town... Amazing, that I got them for 1$ a set, when the drugstore was going to charge me 7$ for the name brand ones...


Now, because it is the beginning of the year, I'm also going to be spending a lot more time in these:



Because, really, no list of New Year's resolutions is complete without a promise to one's self to get healthier and fitter. With so many sheath dresses in stores right now, a girl simply must be in tip-top shape to rock the look. Shoe shopping counts as cardio, right?

Happy New Year!