Give A Girl The Right Pair Of Shoes...

and she can conquer the world.I have those shoes. I decided to start the budget section of BODS with the things that I will, on occasion, pay full price for. It's ironic that a Palsy who has trouble walking should be so obsessed, so consumed by shoes. But I am, and always have been. Even as a child with short, wide feet that were very difficult to fit I had double-buckle-t-strap Buster Browns just like the red ones in the picture.

    

In high school I was a mere 4'8" and a size 5 shoe. Platforms were all the rage so I wore them enthusiastically. Back then, when dinosaurs roamed the earth, the elevation was less pronounced than it is in the newer styles so I could easily manage a 4" heel with a 1.5" platform. I even wore black patent leather platforms with my Catholic school uniform!

    

As I've gotten older the heels have begrudgingly gotten lower. My feet, which used to cooperate willingly with being shoved into constricting or delicately constructed footwear, are starting to betray me. They are prone to curling up if the shoe reveals too much toe cleavage and they occasionally swell past the point of comfort in anything but a sensible shoe.

But I'm not ready to be a sensible girl. Not yet; not entirely. Good thing I don't have to.

         

These shots are of my closet - at least, part of my closet. As you can see Mr Spashionista was good enough to add two additional shelves during the post-flood house rebuild (a topic for another day). As you can see over the years I have amassed a small hoard modest collection of shoes, even some that aren't pictured, and I wear all of them. My winter boots and high heels are at present on the top shelves. My flats and summer shoes occupy the bottom shelf and floor.

There are some great bargains here. The Lucky brand clogs, Vera Wang grey pointy flats, Anne Klein black rosebuds, Hot Topic black and pink Mary Janes and purple Converse hightops all had for a grand total of $85. All of my high heels were likewise purchased on sale or from thrift stores.

But this post isn't about the bargains. It's about the shoes I will pay full price for, and why.

It always boils down to a boy, doesn't it?

I look ultra-Spazzy in this picture - but don't look at me - look at my wonderful friend. His name is Matthew Bretherick and he is the only reason I would ever pay full price for a pair of shoes. I own 16 pairs of shoes and boots that are in some manner connected to him, and I paid retail for some of them.

Intrigued? You'll have to wait for the next installment. Matty is too important to be relegated to a footnote (pun intended) on a single post.