The shoes that started it all…

I posted this photo on Facebook with a couple others. I wasn’t too surprised by the critical response from one friend, who seems to be the lone dissenter (to my face at least) on these shoes. But I didn’t expect so many other friends to jump into the discussion (on-line and in person).

All this debate around a photo of shoes led my friend Roman (the critic) to suggest I write a blog. And why not? What you wear is a form of expression – it won’t always be to everyone’s taste, but that’s what makes it personal and worth talking about. And if you throw in something that’s maybe pushing the boundaries (of taste, comfort, etc…), it’s amusing to see the reaction. These shoes have been a lot of fun, I admit. Sure, I can’t walk more than 10 blocks in them without the numbing help of alcohol. But they’ve gained me invitations to parties and are one of the items in my wardrobe that people request I wear. Even the photo I posted exists because a photographer friend at a party liked them too.

Anyhow, I’m not really sure how this blog is going to evolve. I have in my mind a focus on personal style rather than catwalk fashion. Living in New York means I see things in shops that get my heart racing (and tempt me to spend $900 on a pair of shoes during a recession - see photo below). But I also see people who put things together in a really new way and inspire me to go back to my own closet and mix things up a bit. Getting up at 5am for work is tough – but the right outfit can definitely put me in a good mood for the day. Well, that and a lot of coffee… Likewise, I think there’s a joy in style that will keep spirits up a bit during a pretty gloomy economy.

In any case, this debate around my shoes reminded me of Diana Vreeland’s quote: “a little bad taste is like a nice splash of paprika. We all need a splash of bad taste - it's hearty, it's healthy, it's physical. No taste is what I’m against.”



So, what do you think - worth $900?