Boots, Boots, and MORE Boots!!

‘Tis the first day of Fall, ladies!!  We all know what that means…. a hot little sweater dress and tights paired with those super, sexy boots!  I have to say, Fall is my favorite season.  Not just because you get to cuddle up with hot chocolate next to the fire, but because of the boots.  This season, there is an abundance of choices; ranging all the way from the little shoe booties to the thigh high boot.  They even come in peep toe variety!  Studs, buckles, and zippers are all major shoe accessories this season; going right along with the biker trend that's so hot right now.  It will be easy to get a little overwhelmed when boot shopping this season.  My advice, pick a style that suits your personality and splurge on one or two pairs.  I like to pick about 8 pairs online that I like and send pics to my close gal pals who then help me to assess the situation.  Ladies, you know who you are and I appreciate it!  ;) 

Here are my pics:
FROM PRETTY SMALL SHOES -
Studly Boots:  SASHA - Petite Black Leather Ankle Boot  £189.00

Thigh Highs:  PANDORA - Thigh High Elasticated Boot  £299.00  (Helloooooo, Pandora!  ;) )

Peek-a-boo!:  EGO - Peep Toe Petite Boot  £258.00

FROM CINDERELLA OF BOSTON -
Slouchy:  GAMBIT - $125  (Yep, I totally purchased these bad boys)

Shorties with a buckle:  ROMAN - $80  (When in Rome...buy the shoes....and I did.)

Buckle up for Safety:  IMPULSE - $80

The Art of Chinese Foot Binding

As a woman with teenie weenie feet and an appreciation for Asian cultures, it was inevitable that I become interested in the bizarre tradition of foot binding. The reason for my becoming completely obsessed and researching foot binding, I blame fully on my sick, twisted curiosity. And that’s just what foot binding is….sick and twisted (literally).

Chinese foot binding was a tradition for many, many years to, basically, stop foot growth. The smaller her feet, the more beautiful the girl was. All of the toes, except the first toe, were broken, twisted under, pressed to the bottom of the foot, and bound tightly with cloth strips which kept the feet from growing larger than ten centimeters. Next, the arches were broken and cloth bandages would be tightly wound around the foot from the toes to the ankle to hold the toes in place. But wait! It gets worse! With the lack of circulation flesh would rot and fall off and sometimes the toes would ooze pus. Sounds sexy, huh? If the bindings were too tight they could cut off circulation, leading to gangrene and blood poisoning. The pain was said to have been excruciating.

There are many legends as to why foot binding became a tradition. One legend says that it was a young prince in the Sung Dynasty, between 960-976 BC, who is responsible for such a torturous tradition. Apparently, he had a fetish for tiny feet and required his “ladies” to bind their feet in order to create the small-foot illusion. After their feet were bound, he would make them dance a variation of ballet. What a sicko.

Apparently, bound feet became a major erotic zone. One quote says, "When a Celestial takes into his hand a woman's foot, especially if it is very small, the effect upon him is precisely the same as is provoked in a European by a young and firm bosom..." It was also believed that walking with bound feet caused the women to have the "permanent muscle tone of a virgin,” and that the nerves in her feet would become more concentrated, thus making them a major erogenous zone. HAHAHA! Wow. Poetry and writings from this period express a great obsession bordering on perversion, for small feet. There were tons of pornographic paintings and engravings with scenes of men fondling women's feet. 

The foot binding tradition went on for over one thousand years!! Over one billion girls had to endure the pain and torture. I bet even though my feet are small, I STILL would have had to do this! EEK!

There is a great book called SNOW FLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN by Lisa See. It goes into great detail about foot binding and the lives of Chinese women of that time. When I say detail…I mean gory detail. I had to stop reading it for a while because I was so grossed out. It’s a very sweet story, though. I cried throughout the entire book. I highly recommend reading if you are interested in Asian culture! So, ladies out there with little feet….be proud of your “golden lilies.”
http://www.amazon.com/Snow-Flower-Secret-Fan-Lisa/dp/1400060281

If you want to learn more about Chinese Foot Binding, here are some websites to look at:
http://www.angelfire.com/ca/beekeeper/foot.html
http://www.essortment.com/all/chineseculture_rdpp.htm
http://www.sfmuseum.org/chin/foot.html
http://shoes.about.com/od/footwear/qt/foot_binding.htm


SHOE OF THE “WEAK”: from www.pretty-small-shoes.com
A little foot binding inspiration. 
PARADISE LOST - COLOURS:  $214 + s&h + tax = Pure Joy

Mending your Broken Glass Slippers

For petite women, the first “feat” is to actually find those super cute shoes. Since this step is so extremely difficult, maintaining our shoes’ condition becomes as equally important as finding them. Most women toss their worn out shoes and buy new for pure convenience and end up spending way more cash. As fun as shoe shopping is, it’s not fun to spend money when you don’t have to. Simply repairing minor breaks can save pennies in the long run.

We’ve all seen it before; outsoles wears thin, the heel breaks or wears down, embellishments fall off and leather gets scuffed. Rather than kicking your worn out slippers to the curb, a short trip to your local shoe repair store can do wonders. I have a pair of basic, black pumps that I’ve had for over 5 years. They are comfortable and work appropriate, so I end up wearing them at least three times a week. I would love to buy a new pair, however the style has been discontinued!! So, I take my precious little babies to the Austin Shoe Hospital at 8th & Congress twice a year. For a measly $12.99, the Austin Shoe Hospital at 8th and Congress will fix ‘em up new and shiny.

Some tips on repairs:

• Change the shoe soles as frequently as needed. Yeah, even that little one on the underside of your high heel…it’s tiny, but needs attention too!! Whenever it looks too worn, take it to the Hospital.
These are heel caps:

• Add toe guards to your high heels. When the peeps at the Shoe Hospital ask, “looks like these could use a toe guard,” listen to them! They aren’t sleazy car salesmen trying the sell you a P.O.S. dump of a car, they are really trying to help you! So listen. And do it. 

• Applying mink oil to the cracks that have appeared in the leather will give some much needed moisture back to cracks and crevices in the shoe. Always let the shoes dry before applying the shoe cream.

• Change tired insoles frequently. If you can, wear removable insoles that you can change more often.

• If your leather shoes are fitting a little too snug, moisten them with water and wear them around your house to stretch a bit. The Shoe Hospital can do this as well.

• Add a Soleguard! It’s a protective sole that adds life to your shoes by making them slip resistant, more flexible and durable, and more comfortable to wear.

• TRICK: Women’s feet were more petite in the past, so vintage shoes can easily be found in smaller sizes!! Shop for cute, inexpensive vintage shoes and take them to the shoe repair store. Not only will you spend less money, but you’ll have a very rare pair.

**Serious shout out to the staff at the Austin Shoe Hospital location at 8th & Congress. They remember me and my shoes every time I visit and are totally my best friends for a whole 5 minutes. I should bake them some cookies.**

List of services:

1. Work with lizard, alligator, sea turtle, hornback, anteater, elephant, snakeskin, antelope, pigskin, sharkskin, goatskin, kidskin, and ostrich
2. Replace heel Caps
3. Replace insoles
4. Shoe shine or recondition
5. Replace half-sole, rubber heel, combo heel (rubber and leather)
6. Add sole guard
7. Repair straps or buckles


http://www.austinshoehospital.com/home

The Long Lived Fairytale of a Shoe

Shoes are often considered the most important accessory that will complete your look and are considered to define a person’s personality. So…does this mean that if I wear children’s shoes that I get to ACT like a child too?!?! SWEET! …ok, not that sweet. I am a young professional and would like to be perceived as one…at least some of the time! ;) Clean, presentable shoes are a must in the business world and I have some tips on how to keep them shiny and new.

Here are a few tips on keeping your glass slippers fit for a princess. Prevention is key, kiddies:

• Invest in high quality shoes to reap greater benefits. Sounds simple, but not always the case. Cinderella of Boston shoes can be hit or miss on this one, so be careful.

• To make leather shoes waterproof, you can coat them with boiled linseed oil. Do this three times, allowing to dry outdoors between rubbings if possible.

• Let your shoes air dry out in the open before storing them away. This allows the sweat time to evaporate. You could also try sprinkling baking soda inside shoes to absorb smells.

• You can prevent patent leather shoes from cracking by rubbing them occasionally with petroleum jelly, milk or olive oil. Storing patent leather shoes in a warm place is always a good idea, as cold can cause them to crack.

• Dust and polish your shoes regularly with a good quality shoe polish. Cream shoe polish is perhaps the best that your leather boots and shoes can get.

• Are your gold or silver evening shoes looking a little tired? You can freshen them by wiping them lightly with cotton wool dampened with soapy water. Once dry store them in dark tissue paper to prevent tarnishing.

• A good way of preventing shoes from becoming scuffed is to spray them with hairspray and the polish won’t come off so easily.

• New shoes can often cause blisters. To solve this problem, rub the back of your new shoe with soap. This will soften the leather making the shoe a better fit.

• When the shoes are kept in an organized way, it tends to increase their shelf life. Wooden shoe storage boxes are the best way to keep your shoes organized, however my closet is tiny like me, so I don’t really have this option. I opt for the “sit up pretty” method. I have attached a pic of my closet set up.

Moral of the story is to take care of your shoes the way you take care of your car. A little maintenance means more mileage for struttin’ your stuff in your fav kicks.  Stay tuned for my next blog where you can find the best spot in town to mend your glass slippers!

SHOE OF THE “WEAK”: From http://www.pretty-small-shoes.com/
A classic, high quality choice.


KILLER STILETTO HEELS - $183 + s&h + tax

The Perfect Summer Sandals

This blog entry is a little late in the season, however we all know that summers in Austin, TX last at least until the ACL Music festival in October! I’m hoping to replace my ‘DiloDirt-resistant Hunter boots with some super cute, strappy Kenneth Cole sandals this year.

As opposed to high heels, sandals are a little easier for small feet to find at your local retail stores. I still prefer to shop online because there are soooo many more options. Nordstrom (kids) and Zappos are my 2 fav online sites for cute sandals. They both carry all the fabulous designer brands…but since we’re buying kids shoes, they come with half the price tag!! This is probably the only upside to wearing kids shoes…Oh, and they double as key chain accessories. ;) Target is another great place to get cute sandals. I always seem to find what I’m looking for, even during spur of the moment shopping. However, Target’s girl shoes tend to be a little too sparkly and Velcro-y for me.

It seems that platforms and wedges are still a popular and trendy choice this season, only now going in the opposite direction. We’ve definitely seen more flats than ever before this season. The strappy trend of last summer that was inspired by the gladiator sandal is still kicking around. In fact, we all thought “the gladiator” trend was a one-season trend, but just like the skinny jean, this trend may be here to stay for seasons to come.

 

I found some cute gladiator sandals at Nordstrom:

 

'KS Jada Lea' Sandal (Little Kid & Big Kid) – Nordstrom $39.95

 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
Steve Madden 'Biscuit' Sandal (Little Kid & Big Kid) - Nordstrom $39.95





And from Target:  

Girls' Xhilaration® Necole Beaded Gladiator Sandals – Target $16.99 (I purchased these little guys!)





To contrast that overly strappy trend, we’ve also seen sleek, pared down sandals with little in the way of embellishments.



A Line 12-2007 (Youth) – Zappos $78.50

Pazitos Sailor (Toddler/Youth) – Zappos $52.50

Girls' Xhilaration® Gemelle Thong Sandals - Black Patent – Target $9.99 (are you kidding me?!?!)

**LADIES!! If you think you have the CUTEST Summer Sandals, please let me know and I will be sure to give you props on my blog! Better yet, take a picture and I’ll post it! Can’t wait to see whatchya got!**

SHOE OF THE “WEAK”: From http://www.pretty-small-shoes.com/

Starshine - $195 + s&h + tax

My Prince Charming - Cinderella of Boston

Once upon a time, there lived a young girl, named Cinderella, who had the smallest of feet. To her misfortune, everyone in Cinderella’s village wore a shoe size of 6 ½ medium or larger, including her evil stepsisters…(AKA - all of my friends – No offense, ladies ;) ). The poor young girl spent 20 long and grueling years being oppressed by her “wicked step mother”….(AKA - the shoe industry) who never allowed Cinderella to wear high heels. Her two evil stepsisters were lavished with shoes by Manolo Blahnik, Christian Louboutin, and Valentino, while poor Cinderella was forced to wear Stride Rite.

Alas, ‘til one day, Cinderella met her Price Charming (AKA - the BEST website EVEEEEER) who offered to her all the high heels she had dreamt. Peep toes, stilettos, even platform sandals were all available in size 3!!! Never again would Cinderella be held back by her “EVIL Step Mother.”

And so, young Cinderella and her Prince Charming lived happily ever after… THE END!!

Seriously people, this is a very true story. The only shoes I could wear until I was 20 years old were kid’s shoes or shoes that were way too big. An old co-worker of mine empathized with my frustration, as she too suffered from mini foot-ism. She told me about www.cinderellaofboston.com where I could find trendy, inexpensive shoes in MY size!! I have never hugged anyone harder in my life. I think I even cried a little. Cinderella of Boston offers shoes for sizes 2-5 ½ …and they aren’t all grandma shoes. I’d say, 65 of my 95 pairs of shoes are from this website. They only have one retail store located in Westminster, CA, but all shoes are available online. I will definitely be letting everyone know when the Fall Catalogue comes out.

If you know anyone out there with small feet, PLEASE pass along this GEM. I have told several girls with tiny feet about this website and they’ve all had the same reaction – pure unadulterated joy.

http://www.cinderellaofboston.com/

SHOE OF THE “WEAK”:   from Cinderella of Boston

ZIP - on sale for $49.90 (originally $80)  This was my bdaypresent to myself a couple of months ago!

Cinderella's Statement

I once said there should be a support group for us tiny footers like “Freak Show Feet Anonymous” or something...but I guess a blog will do just have to suffice.

I understand what it’s like to have ridiculously small feet. NO, you’re not able to participate in that “fly by the seat of your pants” shoe shopping spree with all your girlfriends. They get to buy the perfect Jimmy Choo and YOU have buy those sparkly, Velcro Barbie shoes. Or, you just bought the cutest black dress and those gorgeous snake skin pumps you saw at DSW would seal the deal on a perfect evening out…but NO…you can’t buy them because they don’t come in your size. It’s just not fair.

So, after many years of feeling sorry for myself, I did something about it. I've searched far and wide to satisfy my ferocious appetite for tiny, beautiful shoes and have a lot to share with my fellow "Cinderellas" out there. This blog will advise readers on where to find those tiny shoes, when the best prices are available, how to maintain those valuable “glass slippers”, and how to cope with the plights of having mini feet.

I encourage you to leave feedback or tips for readers or on any research you would like me to do for you.

SHOE OF THE “WEAK”:  The black stiletto fetish continues...
  Zenith:   $196 + tax +s&h = WORTH IT!!