Did you know your shoes are not like self cleaning ovens? They will not continue to look like they did the day you bought them unless you take care of them. Here are tips from two of my favorite shoe cobblers.
Spray your shoes with an all weather spray BEFORE you even wear them once. Better still, polish and spray them before your first wearing. Then, on a regular basis, polish and spray your shoes before they look like they need it. Why? Because what wears off is the spray and polish – not the finish of your shoes.
Once you’ve damaged the finish of the leather you’ll never get it back. Polishing after the leather starts to wear is only putting a bandage on the damage. Take this simple “step” and your shoes will last much longer and look like new longer.
More shoe care tips next time.
Reflexology is an ancient method of massaging acupressure points on the hands and feet. We have over 7000 nerve endings in our feet. Reflexology uses firm pressure with the thumbs, forefingers and knuckles to increase circulation and relaxation.
By increasing circulation, the muscles get a boost of oxygen, which speeds the elimination of lactic acid and stress hormones. This improves immune functions and the ability to concentrate.
Beyond relaxation, the feet are important for proprioception (sensing or determining our physical position or where we are in space.) When your feet feel good, your whole body feels good. My feet start to “talk” to me if I go too long in between my reflexology appointments. If I don’t make regular visits to my reflexologist my feet remind me when it’s time to make that phone call.
It’s time to get your feet dressed up for the holidays. The key to dressing for a holiday special occasion is accessorizing with flair and fun: let your shoes set you apart from the crowd.
It’s amazing what the right pair of shoes can do for you evening ensemble. Occasion wear has always been daytime’s alter ego. The transition from day to evening is being helped by fabric choices, ornamentation & heels.
Patent leather has become a year round fabric with colors from red to brown (http://bit.ly/5kvEd5) - not just black. A pearlized tonal look ( http://bit.ly/77Uxrb) or croc pattern is big right now. Ornamentation is as simple as a bow or small buckle. Anyi Lu is really mixing it up with great heel materials: pitone with brown (http://bit.ly/yEbkr) or silver with black (http://bit.ly/7SgEOd). Even more daring, Anyi Lu has a open toe high heel made with haircalf in a mix of black & brown (http://bit.ly/8mLkcQ). Speaking of open toe – that is the big look in many dress shoes this year. Stuart Weitzman has a beautiful satin open toe pump with a fun little ruffle (http://bit.ly/6PJW8V).
Our newest line, Icon, is truly artwork for your feet & not just the styles. Using art from Gustav Klimt, Kent Butler & others, they are making a peep toe high heel (http://bit.ly/4Z2dUh) or open back heel (http://bit.ly/6r9O31) real art for your feet.
Follow these links to see some really unusual, exciting evening shoes. Dare to be different this year!
Don’t confuse shoe fads with style or fashion – Pt 3
So how do we take these definitions & make sense of them?
Style is precise & demanding. When we say a person has style or dresses with style, that usually means the look of class – understated, distinctive, elegant.
I don’t want consumers to think that fads & trends are mistakes. They are meant to be fun or playful. What I’m trying to say is don’t mistake fad for fashion. It may be what’s “in”, but it won’t be around for long. Fashion & style imply staying power. If a shoe has 4″ heels, a 2′ platform& comes in neon orange – it’s mistakenly called fashion when if fact it is a fad.
My advice: When shopping, don’t let sales people confuse you when they talk of style, fashion & trend. Be an educated shopper. Understand the difference between fad and fashion. So go ahead & buy those faddish neon orange shoes. Just realize they don’t have staying power, & don’t spend a small fortune on them.
Pt 2 – Seven basic styles:
Style is something very precise. It specifies a one-of-a-kind category, such as a pump, a boot or a sandal. In all history there have been only seven basic footwear styles: the moccasin, pump, clog, oxford, mule, boot & sandal. The oldest style is the moccasin & the newest the oxford, dating back about 350 years. There hasn’t been a new style since.
Fashion is an adapted style. Designers create a new footwear fashion by playing off one of the seven basic styles. A pump, for example, can have hundreds of different material or variation (high or low heels, dressy or casual). However, a pump is always a pump.
Now what about all those other categories such as loafers, slingback, platforms, sneakers. Aren’t they new styles? No. Again, they are simply adaptations of the original seven basic styles. A loafer stems from the moccasin, the sneaker from the oxford, the slingback from the pump and the platforms from clogs.
Fads are the offensive offspring of fashion. They appear from nowhere and disappear just as suddenly. Fads are often referred to as street fashion, the throw-away look that is in today & out tomorrow.
