I was at the used clothing store today and saw a pair of adorable, but completely impractical, black velveteen pumps. The heels are probably 2-3"-high stilettos, the toes are pointed, and there are black grosgrain ribbons crisscrossing the instep to wrap the ankle and tie in a little bow in the back.
I walk about 30-45 minutes every day as part of my commute, and I don’t even wear my lowest, comfiest high-heeled shoes to work anymore. I walk even more on the weekends. I’ve turned into a Sensible Shoe Lady. I even got a pair of custom orthotic insoles to correct my flat feet! Back when I drove to work and the most I was doing every day was walking across a parking lot to the office building, or walking across a parking lot to a restaurant, I wore my stylish boots with high heels all the time. I just can’t do that anymore. I don’t go to black-tie affairs or fancy society parties or anything, so I generally have very little occasion to dress to the nines and look beautiful but feel uncomfortable.
So bottom line, if I buy these shoes, I’ll either wear them once a year, or wear them more than once a year, idiotically, and give myself terrible foot pain. Also, we just had our office Christmas party, so I already missed the one guaranteed formal occasion I could have worn the shoes to this year.
Female Dopers, two questions–
Should I buy these shoes?
Do you spend money on shoes even when you know they’re totally stupid and impractical?
I guess male Dopers can answer too, if they’re vain and prissy enough.
For instance, just this past summer, I bought these in not only pink, but yellow as well.
I’ve worn the yellow pair once. and the pink pair never so far. But frankly, at 10 bucks a pair, does it really matter if I don’t wear them now? It’s not like I’m going to outgrow them, and maybe next year I’ll find a cute little pink summer dress that’ll go with em perfectly.
Sure, if you can afford them why not? Say they’re from Santa.
Rarely. I’m more the type to find a new outfit for a special event and wind up shopping for shoes to fit it, rather than shoes first. Even then, I always gravitate towards shoes that will go with stuff I’ve already got in my closet.
Caveat: I have large feet, it’s always been rather difficult finding cool shoes in my size. There are more choices now than ever before, but I think I missed developing the shoe-shopping excitement gene growing up when the cute ones were never available to me.
[QUOTE=tiltypig]
I was at the used clothing store today and saw a pair of adorable, but completely impractical, black velveteen pumps. The heels are probably 2-3"-high stilettos, the toes are pointed, and there are black grosgrain ribbons crisscrossing the instep to wrap the ankle and tie in a little bow in the back.QUOTE]
I actually own a pair of shoes like this - they’re essentially D’Orsay pumps with a ribbon wrap ankle tie. They’re gorgeous with the stereotypical “little black dress” - I get compliments on them all the time. Needless to say - they’re “party” shoes and never see the daylight - strictly after-hours shoes.
I’m a shoe girl in the worst sense of the word and have no fear of heels.
Buy the shoes. If you don’t, you’ll dream about them.
Definitely. I buy shoes for the pure beauty of the shoe. (although I usually find an excuse to wear them somewhere) I have my prettiest shoes arranged on shelves in my bedroom so even if I rarely wear them, I still enjoy them on a daily basis.
I wouldn’t pay any real amount of money for totally impractical shoes, but if I saw shoes I loved in a used-clothing store for cheap, I’d probably buy them, thinking that I might get a chance to wear them with something one of these day.
I’m the Princess of Stupid Shoes, but my sister-in-law wins the prize. She bought “shower shoes”. Silly, slutty, trampy shoes that she only wears in the shower with her husband. Ya gotta love her!
Hey! hey! You say “crap, granny shoes” like it’s a bad thing! My shoes aren’t ‘crap’ (in that they are well-made, name brand shoes), but they are granny shoes, and us grannies don’t appreciate the tone of you whippersnappers.
I would maybe buy them if they were used and were only like a buck or something. Well, okay, I wouldn’t because I am seriously trying to cut the clutter out of my life and don’t need clothes around that I’ll never wear, but I could justify it if they were cheap and used. On the whole, though, I would say no.
I own five pairs of shoes (summer sneakers, winter sneakers, fall/spring sneakers, practical boots, non-practical boots with heels for fancy shit) and I even think that’s being overly materialistic. I’ve just never got some women’s obsession with footwear. You don’t NEED any more than say ten pairs of shoes, and that’s if you were one of those people that goes to formal dinners every week and you’re also into bowling. Most women can more than get by with three to five, and that’s if you live in a place that has seasons. I guess I just don’t feel the need to impress other women with my fashion skillz, I’m too busy landing a man.
Is anyone else a little miffed that **tiltypig ** didn’t give A) her location, B) the store’s address, and/or C) the shoe’s size?
Buy the shoes… or we will!
If I found those shoes in my size I’d buy them immediately. I never thought of myself as a shoe person, but a year or so ago I realized that I have enough shoes that I need two closets to put them in. So I guess I am a shoe enthusiast, after all. How did that happen?
