Posted by Ellenon Monday Aug 30, 2010 See more posts by Ellen
One of the perks of working at a place like Heels.com is that we get the inside scoop on all things shoe related. We have recently received a nifty new creation from the team at Diva Dilemmas. They are called High Heel Stoppers and they protect your Stilettos from sinking into the lawn or scuffing expensive hardwood floors.
Take a look at their video here
This is definitely one of those “Why didn’t I think of that!” products. They are super simple and very easy to use. Just slip them on your stilettos and you are good to go!
You can order them in 3 different sizes which are Petite, Small, & Medium; And there are 5 different colors/styles to choose from such as Classic Sparkle, Classic Black, Black Rose, White Rose, and Jewel.
Here I am testing the Medium Classic Sparkle Heel Stoppers in my friend Meghan’s back yard.
They do help prevent your heels from sinking into the ground but they don’t really improve your balance. It was still a little tricky navigating over small twigs and such.
Heel Stoppers are also ideal if you need to protect those beautiful hardwood floors in your house. Here I am trying out the Classic Black Heel Stoppers in the Petite size.
Definitely no scuff marks here but one thing that I do miss … the sound of my heels on the floor. If you want to silence the sound your shoes make when you walk these are perfect for that. I personally like all the noise.
Don’t forget to check out the Diva Dilemmas Twitter and Facebook pages!
Posted by Kaiton Monday Aug 2, 2010 See more posts by Kait
If you have the closet space to put your shoes and clothes in the same closet, may I suggest a little organization. I was totally inspired by this picture to help all you lovely ladies get your wardrobes organized.
If we could be so lucky as to have our very own shoe closet a la Carrie Bradshaw! For those of you who are, I’m totally jealous! For the rest of us, here are some tips to help clean out your closet, display your goodies and re-organize.
First things first. Look through your closet and pull out pieces that you haven’t worn in a year. I know it’s hard. I have had to part with some of my favorite ideas. If minor alterations need to be made to make an item more wearable, fine, but if not, get rid of it! A year is a year. That’s 12 months, 52 weeks or 365 days that you haven’t given a second thought too. Crazy, right?!
After you’re cleaning nightmare is done, you can move on to making your space beautiful. I get really excited after I’ve completed a tedious task and the outcome is better than I had anticipated. I’m a bit O.C.D, so organizing is somewhat of a drug to me. Anyway, back to putting your closet back together. It is key to organize by category( blouses, skirts, pants, dresses, etc.) and color. It will take a couple hours to do, but you won’t have to battle through your clothes to find that one thing that’s missing.
Enough about clothes, lets get to the shoes!
You’ll want to clean up your shoe collection as well. Get rid of any shoes that you are willing to part with. Now on to the fun part…
“If you can’t see them, you won’t wear them,” is a good rule of thumb to follow. Stack your shoes in clear plastic boxes or arrange your favorites on a cedar shoe shelf or hang them over the door in a canvas shoe bag. It’s helpful to keep everyday shoes, evening shoes and athletic shoes separated. For shoes that you don’t wear too often, like evening shoes, keep them on the top shelf of the closet. if you live in a place with distinct seasons, you may want to consider storing out of season footwear out-of-sight until it’s needed.
Posted by Kaiton Friday Jul 2, 2010 See more posts by Kait
Have you ever wondered how Jennifer Aniston gets those killer legs or J-Lo keeps her booty sitting pretty? I know I do! It’s shorts season and it doesn’t look like those mini dresses are leaving us anytime soon… So I thought I would share a workout with you to keep your legs heel-worthy. If you’re not a gym rat, don’t worry. These workouts are designed to be quick and effective.
Time: 15 mins.
Target: Butt, thighs and calves
90-Degree Lift
Keeping abs engaged, back flat, and mat upright, exhale as you lift right leg out to side as high as possible. Hold for 3 seconds, then lower leg.
Do 10 to 15 reps, holding the last leg lift for 10 seconds. Switch legs and repeat.
Standing Leg Curl
Stand with feet together and place rolled-up mat (or towel) evenly behind right knee so that it’s parallel to floor. Lift right foot behind you with toes pointed, and pull heel toward butt to secure mat behind knees.
Extend arms at shoulder level in front of you and clasp hands. (Beginners, use chair for balance.)
Squeezing mat with leg throughout, lean forward slightly, keeping back flat, as you lift right knee behind you about 6 inches; lower.
Do 20 pulses up and down. Switch legs and repeat.
Heaven and Earth
Stand with feet together, holding one end of rolled-up mat (or towel) in each hand, palms in, arms extended at shoulder level in front of you.
Lower into a squat, then exhale slowly as you fold upper body over thighs, forming a ball: Tuck chin and bend elbows to pull mat to knees
Open and Shut
Bring mat to shoulder level while lifting right leg to hip level in front of you. Hold for one breath; lower leg and lift arms.
Do 10 reps. Switch legs and repeat.
Inverted Butterfly Leaps
Bend knees slightly and lift heels off floor (onto tiptoes). Jump feet up about 12 inches and bring legs in, tapping feet together in midair (above mat), then landing back in an inverted V.
Posted by Kaiton Thursday Jan 7, 2010 See more posts by Kait
I know what you must be thinking, but take a minute to process the idea. Think about it, your cluttered closet could have a direct impact on your everyday life.
The color and style of the shoe can put you in a different mood.
Incorporating fashion into feng shui does not depend on the type of person you are, but the person you would like to be. For instance, if you are looking for attention, choose a RED pair of shoes.
Feng Shoe Basics…
Wood Energy: Tends to come from comfortable, yet ugly shoes. The energy comes from a wooden or cork sole. DON”T wear these shoes on a cobblestone street. DO wear them on muddy, rural paths.
Fire Energy: These shoes are dressy or the latest in fashion. Fire energy enhances sexiness and creativity and are made of satin. Wear these shoes if you have an important business meeting. Don’t wear them on a first date!
Earth Energy: Represented by shoes we wear on daily basis, earth energy calms and renews the spirit. This energy is found in shoes made of cotton, leather or other natural fabrics. Use these shoes as your go-to pair.
Metal Energy: Gives the wearer strength and is powerful. Best used at embellishments like buckles or studs. Be sparing with metal. The energy will sound like a heavy metal concert.
DRESS SHOES are important because they are the epitomy of female energy which is desinged to attract male energy. If made with the right materials and colors, these shoes can be very powerful.
WHITE is the blending of all colors int he spectrum and should only be used when the plantes are all aligned, like a June wedding.
BLACK is the absence of all colors and is said to attract all types of energy. Without color to distract the flow of energy, the flow is unfiltered. You should own multiple pairs of black shoes.
Use RED to attract men and their fiery energy. Males are drawn to bright, shiny things. Like moths to a light. Red shoes can have the same effect even when tucked under a bar! When wearing red shoes, you are almost certain to have a good day or night.
Posted by Suleikaon Wednesday Dec 16, 2009 See more posts by Suleika
So, I’ll admit it – I’m a heel addict. I wear heels day and night for work and play. I wasn’t blessed with long legs so heels give me an extra boost. I try to select heel styles that have a platform for added support but after years of wearing heels, my feet sometimes get just plain tired.
I decided to try a product that’s designed to make heels more comfortable and wearable. Footminders sent me the Catwalk orthotic insoles made just for high heels. I’ve tried other shoe inserts before that were either too slippery, bulky or didn’t really help in the comfort department. According to the makers, Footminders orthotics are designed to help with tired, aching legs – an added benefit. The insole is made to re-distribute body weight and reduce friction.
I placed the insole in my knee boot that has a 4 inch stiletto heel and a 1/2 inch platform. Most of the other inserts I’ve used are the length of the entire foot but this one is short enough to support my heel and arch. At first, it feels a little weird having a cushion below my arch but after taking only a few steps, I noticed my foot wasn’t as strained walking in the 4 inch heels. I decided to put them to the real test and walked 12 blocks through uptown Charlotte. At the end of my trip, my feet didn’t feel tired at all and I felt like I could continue to walk without overdoing it.
I noticed with this added support I actually had better posture and walked a little taller, without adding more inches to my heel size. I recommend this product if your feet don’t share your love for heels. Happy Heel Hunting!
Posted by Suleikaon Thursday Jan 29, 2009 See more posts by Suleika
Working in shoes reveals many tricks of the trade I previously would have loved to be familiar with.
Some shoes constantly scuff, some are so painful you can’t even wear them, some are falling apart for too much wear… the problems shoes can create are countless!
I own a certain pair of yellow patent sandals that constantly scuff when I wear them. I’m not sure if it’s because of the loose heel design or the heel material or something else. All I know is that I magically have tons of brown scuff marks all along the inside of my heels!
Well, it turns out that the best way to deal with scuff marks on patent leather is to use something you already have laying around – nail polish remover!
Be sure that the remover isn’t highly colorful or that may also put a tint on you patent leather (and be careful of any polish you may be wearing!). Regular remover should work just fine.
Put a small bit on a cotton ball or paper towel and rub the scuffs you want to get rid. Really deep scuffs probably won’t come off but this should remove any minor scuffs or discolorations.
If you notice that the shoes have lost a bit of their glossiness, the best solution is to use a bit of Vaseline on the surface.
Posted by Suleikaon Saturday Sep 20, 2008 See more posts by Suleika
I’ll admit it: I’m not a natural high heel wearer.
This problem probably stems from my hippy art teacher mother’s original plan for me, which involved me only wearing boys clothes – nothing pink ever – oh, how she learned when, at 10 years old, I begged for my room to be decorated in pink. (P.S. – Those women in the picture above are running a high heeled sprint in St. Petersburg! Ack!)
Still, to this day, my mother looks at me funny when I come home wearing heels. “Why do you wear those things? They’re stupid. Wear something comfortable.” Typical.
I love heels. They are beautiful and oh-so-womanly. I like being at least as tall as most people – and at 5’5″ in flats, that just simply won’t happen. I also have a propensity for taller girlfriends – almost all of them are so tall, I have to keep up! But, regardless of that stuff, I adore the way high heels look, on and off. Gorgeous. The higher the better. Unless they involve clear plastic material, and you know what I mean. Then, not so much.
Although high heels are beautiful in almost every way, they are not, as my mother always reminds me, comfortable.
I didn’t always wear heels – I had to learn how to walk in them. No one wants to see someone barely stumbling along in a beautiful pair of shoes – and it’s no fun to do either!
I decided that heels were good for me in more ways than they weren’t, and so, I embarked on my journey to high heel wearer-ship.
I began with short heels (1-2 inches) and primarily in the wedge form. I bought some lovely Jeffrey Campbell wedges – and decided that they would be my go-to everyday shoe. And they were the only shoes I wore. This was when I was still in college, so there was a good amount of walking involved.
In the beginning, I got blisters pretty much everywhere a blister can form on a foot, but I pushed through. After a couple months it didn’t even seem like I was wearing heels anymore. Then I graduated to higher heels.
I learned that the more money you spend – the better for your feet. Also, it doesn’t really matter how the shoe feels when you try it on, you will find out after a few 2+ hour standing-only events how your shoes actually feel. But, if it feels bad when you try it on, DO NOT buy it. Some shoes I’ve bought feel great in the store, only to feel so-so when actually navigating uneven sidewalks and never-ending grocery isles.
I learned that a small platform is better than none – comfort wise. The platform allows for more cushioning; instead of your toes and balls-of-your-feet being nothing more than what seems like a piece of paper away from the hard ground, you have more support. These Jessica Simpson heels are one of my favorite pairs that I own.
I’ve learned that the most comfortable high heels have some sort of ankle support. The best high heels are boots; you are completely supported and locked in. It’s almost impossible to sprain an ankle or have heel slippage in those things. The next best are some type of mary-janes. While they don’t offer the locked-down ankle support of a boot, they do basically prevent heel slippage and any forward imbalance you may have. After that its pretty much a free-for-all depending on the shoe.
Some shoes stretch after you get them and then you have constant heel slipping which leads to a shortened stride and an uncomfortable look. The best remedy for this is to find a good cobbler in your area (which I have yet to do), or to get some Foot Petals. The more of those things you put in your shoe, the tighter the shoe will get. They have tips on the website, also. I’ve tried other brands like Dr. Scholl’s and other stuff they had at Target, and they didn’t stay stuck on my shoes.
Some heels dig into certain parts of your feet so painfully you get huge blisters where the straps weren’t. Band-aid’s Blister Block is great – although it can make your foot go down into your shoe even more, causing extra heel slippage. For extreme tightness, you should get the shoes professionally stretched at a shoe repair place.
Some make the balls of your feet so tender they feel like they are catching on fire more and more with each step you take. The best thing here is to get a different shoe with a small platform (like mentioned before) or to look into Foot Petals “Tip Toes.”
A lot of times heels just plain hurt. In most situations you just need to plan ahead. While I would ideally be wearing four-inchers all the time, it’s just not realistic. Planning ahead is key.
If ever I feel like giving up – I just remind myself that not only is pain beauty, but that I don’t want to be that nasty girl walking home barefoot, heels in hand. And then I carry a really cute pair of flats in a dust bag in my purse, just in case.
Although I believe that the shoes themselves are the most important part of the equation, sometimes it is your gait and hopefully this video clip can give you a few tips:
