Rainboot 911!

Things break. We all know it's true. The trouble is that we live in a throw-it-away-and-buy-a-new-one society, rather than the oh-well-I'll-just-fix-it society of many years ago. Things are too accessible to us, and we're lazy. I'll admit it.

But, like any good relationship, sometimes these things take some work. The relationship between you and your footwear is no different. Sometimes, your shoes need a little TLC.

And so it was with my rainboots. (Check them out here, if you don't know the ones I'm talking about)

The black ones are my favourites, of course, and I actually have two pairs in that colour combination, because, travesty that it was, I didn't repair them soon enough, and something terrible happened.

The bows are gone.

About 6 months ago, I was riding on the bus out to visit my parents, and I looked down to see that a bow was missing. It must have fallen off while I was waiting for the bus or something, because it was no where to be seen. Of course, I couldn't walk around with just one bow, so I pulled off the other:

I kept it, in case I needed it for something one day, and ordered another pair from DNA footwear and decided to keep these in case I found some cute buttons or something to glue on in place of the bows.

And life went on. I still haven't glued buttons onto the old ones... Projects for another rainy day.

But, then the most terrible happened. I noticed that one of the bows on my new ones was loose...

Crap.

But! This time, I vowed to make sure I didn't repeat the same mistake, and, today, I pulled out my handy Shoe Goo.

Shoe Goo is a godsend. It's marketed for use on tennis and running shoes, but it works just as well to restick bows on rainboots, and seal the edge on that peeling platform. It's incredibly inexpensive (I picked mine up years ago at Canadian Tire for around $8.00) and, after about a day of drying, is waterproof and foolproof (I've tested the latter a few times).

Et voila!

Like new!

So, remember, don't give up a pair of shoes just because they're no longer perfect. Sometimes, they need a little love, too!

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!

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.