Friday, March 27, 2009

Stilettos and the sacrifices of a mother

I can barely see this shoe through the drool I've dripped all over my laptop screen. It's the Liatris from Nine West and three years ago I would have already gone out, bought a pair, and be wearing them pretty much anywhere. Who cares if silver glitter should really only be worn at the discotheque?

Before May 2006 the only flat shoes I owned were havianas and runners. Everything else in my wardrobe had at least a 7cm heel...I wore heels everywhere. I. LOVED. THEM. They way they made me feel sexy, the click they made when I stalked the pavement, the sheer frivolity of them.

Stilettos remained my shoe of choice right up until my eight month of pregnancy when I reluctantly switched to 2cm kitten heels. My poor, swollen feet just couldn't take it anymore.

A week after the birth I was ready for our first outing into the real world - stilettos triumphantly back on now-normal-size feet, stylish nappy bag on shoulder and tiny newborn in arms. I strode confidently out the back door and started down the (rather steep) back stairs...and realised how easy it would be to tumble all the way to the bottom.

That day I bought my first pair of non beach or exercise related flats...and haven't looked back. I now sing the praises of the ballet flat and have enough pairs (plain, satin, jewel-embellished - that's my latest acquisition, the Shima Ballet from Witchery, below) to rival my once impressive stiletto collection. With a toddler and little bub they're the smart choice.

But I still miss my heels. No matter how practical and pretty flats are they just don't hold a candle to the stiletto in the "make me feel like a woman" stakes. So I've made myself a deal...I can buy one pair of terribly impractical, improbably high heels per season and, even if I just wear them to do the laundry, they make me smile.

3 comments:

numberchic said...

I must invest in ballet flats - that's what I needed this morning!! I wear high heels all week at work and either thongs or sandshoes of a weekend. This morning I went to an open day at a prospective school for my boys and heels, thongs or sandshoes were all not appropriate (plus I was wearing tights) so I ended up with a pair of very ordinary last season flat soled ankle boots on!!

There's something to be said for how strutting in a sexy pair of heels makes you feel though - nothing quite like it!

shon said...

already have a pair of the Shima Ballet - which I love! great minds think alike...would love to wear flats to work but am surrounded by 6 foot 20yr old goddess everywhere and cannot tell them they are completely incompetent when biting knee caps.

Iris said...

Those Witchery flats are extremely cute. I've never really learnt to walk in heels (6ft will do that)..to be honest, I've never really learnt how to use pretty flats, either! I have size 11 ogre feet and subsequently own mostly mens' shoes. Ah well.