Skepticism

Skeptical about retail therapy?

No. At least as a short-term pick-me-up. I think as long as you aren’t spending money you don’t have, or buying things you don’t actually want, there’s nothing wrong with embracing the feelgood factor associated with splashing out on a luxury item. I have had a thoroughly difficult few weeks and today, after finally coming to the end of a major project, I thought to myself “you know what I need? Shoes”. Slave to my gender, maybe, but shoes do it for me and I have no shame in admitting that.

I have a lot of shoes, some of which can be considered indecent and not a few of which breach at least four health and safety laws. Crotch-length rainbow snakeskin platform boots, $900 ‘pop art’ evening stilettos, Rocket Dog camouflage sneakers with diamante-eyed tigers, you name it. If the shoe fits, I own it. But you can never have enough shoes so I went off to town to see what I could be tempted with. Find out what I bought after the jump…

My new shoes

I’m a bad girl and I’m going to hell. In those.

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48 Comments

  1. Is not a word I often use, honestly. I can see how it would apply, though. I hate you for going to NY where I can’t see them in person instead of here. :P

  2. Ow. My feet hurt just looking at that.

    I’m one of those rare women whose tallest heels are about 1″.

  3. Can’t find pictures of my latest acquisitions, so I’ll just have to do typed shoe-porn.

    This spring I played a gig where the soloist was an incredibly adorable 21-year-old, blond hair, Sinatra-style blue eyes, huge grin, and played a mean sax. I did NOT want to look matronly, so I got a swingy little black dress, black sparkly shrug, and Good Shoes. Black, of course, 2.5-inch heel, round toed pumps, plain texture over everything but the front couple of inches over the toes which were patent, and a little black bow on the top right by the toe cleavage. Completely adorable.

    A couple of weeks ago I went down to San Francisco with my mom, sister and aunt to go to a wedding, and found out that the wedding was more formal than I’d planned for. (My shoes were good, though, white low-heeled Isaac Mizrahi sandals – yay Target! – with white flowers across the top of the foot.) So of course I needed a different outfit, and I ended up with a black satin sleeveless top, scarlet silk beaded skirt, and 4-inch black wedge heels with just enough strap to keep them on my feet. Danced until I could hardly stand up.

    And then I was at a rather toney secondhand store where I didn’t intend to buy ANYTHING, and a pair of rose-colored suede Via Spiga sandals practically jumped off a shelf at me. Little strap around the ankle, perfectly slim heel (not quite spike, more demure than that), and the front of the shoe is just three slender straps criss-crossing under a little rose made of the same material. I have nothing that goes with them, but it’s worth keeping them until I find something.

    I’m not super-girly about most things, but shoes … shoes are their own category of decadence.

  4. I also <3 shoes. Although, my obsession comes in the form of Chuck Taylors of various styles. Which are much cheaper to own. ;)

    I do have a kick-ass pair of calf-high jump boots, though.

    And when I was still ballroom dancing, I had a pair of 1.5″ heels for Latin competitions. They were surprisingly easy to dance in… but a little weird to walk in. Figure that one out.

  5. Rav, I edited my post to include a link to the boots. I cropped the picture at the thigh though, there is such a thing as too much information even for me :D

  6. Oooh… I love those boots. If you turn me into a foot-fetishist, I’ll never forgive you. That’s my last slice of normalcy. :P

  7. Teek, not only am I not skeptical about retail therapy, but I think I was cheered up simply by seeing the shoes you bought!

    I love the red mary janes. And, sachi platform heels are actually pretty comfortable. It’s the high high heels with no platforms that hurt your feet.

    And I have to mention that rocket dogs are awesome.

    I think I need to go to the mall!!!

  8. Can I nominate Rebecca herself for comment of the week? Cause MAN, that bit about the gay rattlesnakes really struck me. If not, then I nominate Rystefn‘s follow-up comment, since it went so well.

    By the way, I indulged in my own bit of retail therapy this week. I had a bit of a rough one with a death in the family and a long weekend home coping with that. So when I got back, since I’m not a sexy English Skepchick but rather an unsexy film geek (and simply don’t look good in pumps), I went onto Amazon and ordered The Hitchcock Masterpiece Collection. It certainly helped ME feel better.

  9. Joshua, yeah, what is it about dancing shoes?! The ones I wore to that wedding are some of the least practical shoes I have EVER worn, but I didn’t even notice the heels when I was dancing. But then when I got off the floor I kept feeling like I was going to fall on my butt.

    I have a picture of me taking them off afterwards, but I’m bending over and it’s a pretty serious cleavage shot so I’ll have to edit it down a bit before posting a link …

  10. I must have those. Don’t wear them in new jersey, or you might get mugged by a redheaded skeptic with a shoe fetish. I really wish that my college student budget allowed for more retail therapy, namely in the form of sex heels. I love me some sex heels.

    My current heroine, a pathologist at the hospital I work at, once confessed her love of shoes to me. she showed me her $400+ Pradas and then and then explained to me how much is sucks when she drips blood and formalin on them.

    That woman is a goddess.

  11. Damn! I shop at drag queen shoe stores and I have never seen anything as awesome as those boots. And I agree, and gay rattlesnake should be honored to be included in those boots. My Sweet and Fluffy Lord!

    PS: everyone who loves heels should know of the power and glory of Footpetals.

  12. Actually, as I look at those boots– and look…and look… and look…. Erm. What? where was I?

    Ah, yes.

    Judging from the patterns on the skin, I would venture that the boots were made from some sort of constrictor, rather than a viper. A python or a boa, perhaps.

    Just bein’ pedantic.

    And jealous.

    :D

  13. You know, my sort of splurge on shoes is buying Mephistos (on sale!). The price is outrageous, but they are the only dress shoes I’ve ever owned I can stand up all day in.

    I love the way heels look, but I just can’t wear them :(

    Also, while looking for a suitable example of a Mephisto to link to, I got sucked in and was almost late for work.
    *shakes fist*
    Damn you, Teek!!

    (cause it’s totally your fault :)

  14. I have such shoe envy!

    I love weird shoes and I love Rocket Dogs. I’m still hanging onto my 1.5″ platform purple suede creepers even though I have absolutely no reason to ever wear them.

    LOLKate, that pathologist sounds awesome.

  15. Ooooh – I have a pair of red patent leather Mary Janes that are that pair’s sister. Maybe we should wear them for our NYC gathering. All Skepchicks, all red Mary Janes. :)

  16. I do have my red Fluevogs, that I actually haven’t worn since TAM5.5 . . . my problem is that I’m a seriously light packer and hate to take anything more than a hobo bag for a weekend trip. Lemme see what I can do.

  17. I basically have one pair of shoes for each basic task.

    One pair each, one “utility” per pair, essentially.

  18. I do have my red Fluevogs, that I actually haven’t worn since TAM5.5 . . . my problem is that I’m a seriously light packer and hate to take anything more than a hobo bag for a weekend trip. Lemme see what I can do.

    Rebecca – Fed Ex them in :)

    What a great reason for me to go buy a pair of red mary janes this weekend!

    Stacey – see what I did there.? :) And, since I already have mary janes, I can’t use that excuse! But I’m always thinking of my fellow skepchicks, that’s just how I am :)

  19. I saw what you did there and I love it. The red will go with my new “The universe wants to kill you” Neil de Grasse Tyson t-shirt. I can’t wait. :)

  20. You people are dead set on making me want to cry for not being able to make it, aren’t you? Stupid pretty girls and their sexy shoes and their two thousand-plus miles away… You’re mean.

  21. I am 99% certain I’m going to wear the new red killer shoes to the NY gathering. I am NOT bringing the rainbow snakeskin boots, though. Don’t even ask me to.

  22. I guess I’m going to be forced to get a pair of sexy red shoes… you know, to fit in.

    The thing is, I don’t have an outfit to wear with sexy red shoes. I guess I’m just going to have to give myself a whole lotta therapy.

  23. Oh my gosh, those are so lovely! Retail therapy is so lovely, whether it’s shoes or gadgets or hatever.

    I would have shoe envy, but I just found a pair of black Enzo pumps in my size for $30 on Amazon. Hope they really are my size!!!

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