Heels.com Insider: Shoes as Art? Or for Walking?

Posted by Suleika on Tuesday Feb 2, 2010
See more posts by Suleika

It’s all well and good to buy that last oh-so-perfect dress on the rack, even though it is 4 sizes too small. I mean you can admire it from your closet right? Hang it up like a piece of art? No?

I would say it is the same with a beautiful pair of shoes that are simply too high for comfort.

Many scoff and say comfort? No, beauty is pain and that means fashion too. If you want comfortable shoes you might as well go and buy some orthopedics or even, gasp, Uggs.

I own quite a few pairs of shoes, and I have had to learn to restrain myself when it comes to sky-high heels. Sure, they may look absolutely delightful in a picture, or when you receive them in their perfectly papered splendor. On your feet? Not so much.

When women wear shoes that are obviously uncomfortable, it shows. And nothing tarnishes your look like the duck waddle walk – you know the one.

However, designers don’t seem to feel my pain. In a 3 inch heel I can go all day long, and in 4 inches I can make it standing for several hours. But in 5 inches? I don’t know how stylish I would look spilled on the ground. It seems as if season after season, we are seeing higher and higher heels. I keep hearing that low heels are coming back into style, but when I see the shoes we receive, they seem as if they have taken growth hormones! For instance, since the beginning of the LAMB line, shoes have gone from this:

LAMB Georgina Heel in Camel in 2008

To this:

LAMB Rhett Sandal in Red in 2009

To this:

LAMB Zan Sandal in Black in 2010

Granted, all these shoes have different platform heights, so the actual slope of the shoes may be comparable, I believe there is definitely something to be said by these climbing heel heights.

Personally, I just can’t do it. I would love to see more shoes in the “wearable” range with the awesome stylings of all these shoes.

Well, it seems there is also another option. If you are really committed to a pair of shoes, and you have a great shoe repair person, you may be able to have the heels taken down. Or you can ship them away to NYC and get them a complete makeover, like below!

Top Image Credit: Inna Panasenko

1. Kellie 02.03.10 / 4pm

   Wow, I freaked out when I saw him cutting away the bottom of the shoe but once he was finished, I started wondering how many pairs I have that he could cut up! LOL, great story, thanks for sharing, I had no idea this type of service even existed. If it allows you to get more wear and comfort out of your shoes, then I say New York, here my shoes come!
2. Lindsay 02.04.10 / 1pm

   I know right! I want all my heels done! But at $100 per shoe (I’m assuming $200 a pair) it’s definitely not in my budget and I don’t think I would have it done unless the shoe originally cost more than that!
3. Those Shoes Are So Hot But Your Walk Is Not! « 02.12.10 / 8am

   [...] you can give your shoes a makeover, let me warn you that if you love your shoes like I do, this video shared by someone that can relate to the pain, can and will hurt your feelings before it liberates [...]
4. 4 Simple Pleasures » Blog Archive » Those Shoes Are So Hot But Your Walk Is Not! 02.16.10 / 3pm

   [...] you can give your shoes a makeover, let me warn you that if you love your shoes like I do, this video shared by someone that can relate to the pain, can and will hurt your feelings before it liberates [...]
5. Beautiful High Heels At The Price Of Stressing The Lower Extremity | Quipster 08.30.10 / 9am

   [...] rightly so, Heels.com asks the difficult perennial question.  Shoes as Art? Or for Walking?  That is a toughie.  Shoes can range from the sensible to sheer beauty and refinement.  It’s [...]
6. BreeZe 09.24.10 / 3pm

   Hi Suleika!
   Can you tell me where you found that first picture, or maybe the name of the artist?
   It’s lovely!
   Greetings!