Oka-b? Ok by me!

After we finished about 90% of the work portion of our New York trip, my mum and I decided to take a day off and do some leisurely wandering. And, what did we end up doing? That's right, shopping!

But, this time, we found ourselves at the fabulous GreenFlea Market on the Upper West.

Flea markets are so much fun, as long as you're not searching for anything particular. The treasures that you stumble upon are so much more fun, because you didn't stress and race about trying to track something down. And that's just what this flea market was, a treasure trove!

I wound up coming home with a beautiful 1940's navy velvet evening bag (it even had the tiny matching change purse still intact and on a chain inside), and something I've been seeing in magazines for awhile:

These are Oka-b flats. They are jelly flats, but they're nothing like the jelly shoes of our childhoods! These clever little friends are waterproof, odor and bacteria resistant, and recyclable.

That's right! When you've worn them into the ground (and believe me, you will, they're super comfy, and have massage beads in the soles.), you can mail them back to their roots just outside Atlanta, Georgia, and they will be fully recycled into either new shoes, or industrial mats. That's pretty cool, if I do say so myself!

They'll also recycle the shoebox, so you can send them back in that. If you hold onto it that long without recycling it yourself, of course!

The waterproof part really appeals to me too, being a West Coast Rainforest dweller. It's nice to have another option to wear in the rain without having to worry that they'll get ruined. Did I mention that they're machine-washable?

Georgia's answer to the rainboot has arrived! And it's cute!

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!

Concrete jungle where dreams are made...

I have returned from the North American fashion capital! A little lighter in the pocketbook, I'll admit, but richer in experience and closet. It was a great ten days spend with my fabulous mummy, exploring, shopping, and enjoying!

Having taken four trips in the last three and a half months, I was on a bit of a budget, so it was a task to try not to end up in a total shopping free-for-all (I won't lie, I definitely broke the bank when I was there in May), but it was a blast concentrating on finding really fantastic pieces, instead of my typical shopping mantra of "it it looks good, buy it in every colour."

Also, while checking my email one night in our hotel room, I stumbled upon a sale on my shoe racks, so I have two more coming! I'm well over a hundred pair right now and I'm having the most ridiculous time trying to squash them all onto the racks I have. It will be grand to have a little space.

I have plenty of stories, but I'm going to spread them out a little so that I can tell them in more depth, so I'm going to skim over the events of our trip and then elaborate later.

The first four days were spent "working." And, by that I mean buying for my mum's shop (which is changing location and expanding by three times the square footage, so we had a lot of space to fill), and picking up a few pieces for myself. I had written myself a list before I left and managed to get just about everything (I still don't have my spiked heels, but that's a tale for another day), including a great pair of black flat boots to get me through the fall and a beautiful red reddingote.

Through all this, we were wearing "comfortable" shoes. My mum wound up having trouble with her orthotics though, and having to buy new "sensible" (read: not super pretty) shoes to walk the 70-80(one day it was actually over 100) blocks we would typically cover in a day. Again, we'll get to those beauties another day. I stuck with my indestructible hot pink rubber flip-flops. Also, not super pretty, but they get the job done. Needless to say, at the end of each day, it was time to soak our soles and love our toes a little.

I'm sure this photo looks incredibly familiar, as the New-York-end-of-day-foot-bath has become a bit of a ritual with us. Believe me, it's well deserved, and much appreciated.

Of course, the day we walked over 100 blocks was the same night as Fashion's Night Out, which is always a spectacle and a delight, if only to people watch and see the culture come to life. I wore flats, mum wore wedges, and many a girl that night was in stilettos. Fortunately, I was still vertical at the end of the night, while mum was dying in her wedges, and I'm pretty sure I saw every limping stiletto-clad girl similtaneously reach into her impossibly small clutch at the stroke of 11, to produce a ratty plastic shopping bag and replace the offending footwear with flats in one fluid movement. Those were ladies in dire need of some Rollasoles...

Just sayin'.

That's not to say that our feet weren't also in serious need of some R&R. There was one day that we stopped for a quick peek at our shopping directory and thought to ourselves, "Damn, I could totally go for a pedicure right now..." And, low and behold, we turned around and saw this:

 

It's hard to read, but the top line says "Mani + Pedi + 10 min massage: $40." We were sold.

 

A well-earned pedicure. Having the knots rubbed out of my poor soles was amazing. The mid-trip mani-pedi is definitely going to have to be a new New York ritual. And, the girl who did mine did some fancy twirly thing with tissues to make the toe separators pictured here. I need to figure out how to do that...

The last two days were spent wandering about the city, gathering the last bits for the store, walking across the Brooklyn Bridge, and enjoying Little Italy. All in all, a smashing success (less the utter failure to find the perfect spiked stiletto!), including walking the last 40 blocks back to the hotel with the impending threat of thunder showers (which turned out to be mostly idle, on the thunder-front at least.).

Then, it was time to come home. And, after a long day of travelling yesterday, it was good to get back.

Now, I just need to unpack, and I can tell you some real stories!

Gold medal style

14 minutes til the Olympic opening ceremonies, and the energy is a-buzzing in my office. Working in a speakers bureau, we represent a lot of current and past Olympians, so we're pretty caught up in all the madness.

Also being a Friday, we're having a hard time concentrating on work, so what better time than now to post a little summin'-summin' for you guys!

I'm reminded of all the fun we had when the Olympics were hosted in Vancouver in 2010, particularly of broadcasting how Vancouverite I could really be by running through the streets in open toes in the rain:

These little friends were my go-to going out shoes that year. I bought them in Vegas the very first time I went, and they were amazing. I could walk on them for 15 hours straight and my feet would feel like a dream. Sadly, they succumbed to overuse after being glued back together 18 times.

And then there was the men's gold hockey game. A greater show of Canadian patriotism was never seen! I was lucky enough to be downtown amidst all the madness, and madness it was.

Choruses of "O Canada" could be heard between whistles, shrieks and cheers, and the roads were impassable for hours.

That night, we took part in a giant street party to mark the closing ceremonies, and I nearly died wearing evil ankle boots:

They look so innocent, but dont' be fooled. Evil.

And now! It's time, so I'll leave you with this:

Patriotic shoes from DSquared. Go Team Canada!

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! 

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.

Magic rainboots

Call me crazy, but I have magic rainboots. They control the weather. Cool, right?

The problem is that they're mischievous, (little bastards) and are bent of making me look stupid.

Ok, now I do sound crazy. Let me explain.

If I put on my rainboots in the morning, and look outside and it's not raining, but it looks like it's planning to, it won't rain (result=Katy looks stupid for walking around in the sun with rainboots on). On the flip-side, if I look out the window on the same day and decide to risk it and wear any other kind of shoes, it will, without fail, rain (result=Katy looks slightly less stupid, but stupid nonetheless for running around in the rain in open-toed stilettos).

Sneaky, no?

Who would have thought that 20$ Walmart rainboots would have such an effect on the universe. Now I know how those kids felt when they put the hat on Frosty...