I want...

I want to buy these:

here

(in the black PU, not patent--oh dear.)

Thoughts?

Too slutty? Workable? Can I tone them down easily?

I don't know. That's why I'm asking. :\

I danced for five years, and was on a swim team for three. I have calves. Of course, because everything in my life has to be so difficult, natch, the circumference of my said calves are 15.75". I missed the boat by 3/4 of an inch! An inch, damnit! Therefore buying boots, though I adore them, is usually tragic. Wide calf boots are too big, and normal ones, too small.

Blargh.

When is it too extreme?

That's a question I've had brewing in my head for a while now. With the thought of shining Louboutins dancing above my head, I wonder: when does the price of a shoe become too much?

Recently I attended a party where the average age of the women in attendance was 40. When asked about the price of the shoes I had on, (Franco Sarto Fall pump in Patent Croc Grey) I replied honestly, as I always (try) to do. They were $114.98. (Of course I bought them on my employee discount from my store, but that's besides the point...)

When they heard that price, their eyes practically bulged straight out of their heads. One women told me I was, quote, "Damn lucky (I) don't have the responsibility of feeding a family!". Yeah, I am lucky. I'm lucky I don't have to buy Mr. Junior Pizza-for-Breakfast spider-man sneaks, nor do I have to buy Missy Coco Pigtails and Sparkles a pair of slip on's. I'm lucky I have a couple hundred bucks to spend on myself every month. Yeah.

All this over a hundred dollars?

Which of course to me, knowing the quality of the brand I purchased, and the comfort, had no problem shelling out. To this woman, and her co-herts, it was an insane price. To me: average. I understand that yes, they do have other people to worry about, whereas I just have myself, and maybe my dog on a good day, but does that really garner me the reaction I recieved? Is 100 dollars too much to spend on a pair of kitten heels?

The leaping point in my thought process brought me to designer shoes (how that always happens, I don't know. I swear. Really). The Christian Louboutin Hyper Prive's, which I've been eyeing for a year now, retail anywhere from $750-$900. To me, I know they are worth the money, I just don't have it. When I talk about this with other people, their eyes glaze over, and their chins wobble. Is 800 dollars too much to spend on a pair of patent black pumps with a red sole?

In truth, I would never, ever, spend over $400 on a pair of shoes. Some people find even that amount of money outrageous. For now, I will scoure the Bay that is E for deals on slightly used, or out of season Loubs, or any other designer shoe I crave at the moment, and that suits me fine. Maybe if I had a higher income I would have no qualms about dropping 2k on a pair of Chanel stompers.

Maybe.

Then again are shoes just a combination of leather, plastic and stiches? Are they really worth more than $100?

I don't know. You tell me.

Go.

Questions, With the Bonus of Answers

Here are the three main questions I'm asked almost everyday. (Besides the obvious, such as, "How are you?" "Where the hell is my five bucks" and "When are you going to get a real job?")

1. "How can you walk in those?"

A: This may sound contrived, and perhaps a bit complicated, but, here goes.

Walking (also called ambulation) is the main form of animal locomotion on land, distinguished from running and crawling.^[1][2] When carried out in shallow waters, it is usually described as wading and when performed over a steeply rising object or an obstacle it becomes scrambling or climbing. The word walk is descended from the Old English wealcan "to roll".

Walking is generally distinguished from running in that only one foot at a time leaves contact with the ground: for humans and other bipeds running begins when both feet are off the ground with each step. (This distinction has the status of a formal requirement in competitive walking events, resulting in disqualification at the Olympic level.) For horses and other quadrupedal species, the running gaits may be numerous, and while walking keep three feet at a time on the ground.

The average human child achieves independent walking ability around 11 months old.^[3]

See the rest of the article here.

2. "How can you spend so much money on shoes? They're just shoes, for chrissake!"

Well, that may be so, but I would rather have strong, beautiful legs and feet for the rest of my life, thanks to expensive, comfortable designer heels, than spend $20 on a pair of Payless flats that will ruin my hips and heels forever.

3. "Why do you love labels so much? They only cost so much because they're designer."

That's partially true. I do understand how the world works, and that labels are put on things to give them value. This can apply to anything. Why do you buy Kleenex brand tissues instead of in-store knock-offs? Why do you spend money on an LG cell phone, when you could have an MTS flip for free? Probably because the label sells itself to you in advertising, and quality. Kleenex brand tissues have been around for over 80 years. My 12 year old brother thinks tissues are called, "Kleenexes". This is how saturated our society has become to advertising. Does anyone ever ask you to pass them a 'tissue'? Please. And if they do, it's because they've seen you're poor and have No Name brand Kleenexes.

As for shoes, designer shoes just make me feel happy. Why would I live my life doing and purchasing things I despise?