Creating a Monster

I am beginning to understand why people spend hundreds of dollars on shoes.

I’ve always appreciated a pretty shoe – don’t get me wrong – but I’ve also pretty much always been perfectly content to pay $20 – $50 for a pair of work shoes, which I’d wear until they fell apart before replacing them with a similar pair of $20 – $50 work shoes. Or sometimes I might see a cute pair at Payless and pay even less.

And although I spent $26 on this particular pair of shoes, I’m calling them $138 shoes because under any other circumstances, that’s what they’d be. And these shoes? Are seriously awesome.

I’ve had a lot of cheap shoes in my day. Cheap shoes are often really, really cute, and the fact that they’re so cheap makes them ohsoeasy to buy. But cheap shoes cause blisters – sometimes severe blisters. And cheap shoes are made out of cheap synthetic materials that don’t breathe and make your feet stinky. Cheap shoes tend to have poorly-made heels that are hollow or off-balance.

On the other hand, good shoes need no breaking in, particularly when they’re made of buttery-soft Italian leather that will. not. cause. blisters. Good shoes have a well-balanced heel, making them pretty easy to walk in at most heights. Good shoes shouldn’t pinch your feet even if they’re really pointy good shoes. These are some good damn shoes.

And this is dangerous and a problem, because I don’t have the kind of salary that permits me to spend 138 actual dollars on a pair of shoes.

The funny thing is that I came to this conclusion about suiting pretty soon after beginning work in a job where I need to wear suits occasionally, but it’s only now that I’m coming around on the shoe front. My Ann Taylor suits are much more expensive than my other suits, but they fit better and hang better and flatter more and, in general, are just better. And if I’m persistent and diligent, I can get them on sale at Ann Taylor LOFT and save some money.

Now I see that I may have to become persistent and diligent about shoes, too.