Last week at the Christian Louboutin sample sale in New York City, while searching through the luxurious landfill of last year’s stunning stilettos,  I came to the realization that shoes hold a special place in most women’s wardrobes.

Women generally adore accessories.  Shoes usually always fit, they can make a potato sack look like Legér, or add the finishing touch to your favorite “freakum” dress.   Shoes can instantly transform a bland outfit into a chic one.  They never make a woman feel too fat, bloated, or busty rock them. They allow us to shine with little effort, and to stand apart from the crowd without breaking the bank.

Nevertheless, women are still choosy and all accessories are not made equal.  Some women love handbags, some sunglasses, others jewelry, or watches.  As a firm believer in the fashion commandment that shoes can make or break a look, I belong to the sisterhood of the fiercest footwear.

I rightfully inherited my shoe fetish.  My mother literally lives in her shoes.  Nearly every room and storage place in my childhood home is filled with boxes of shoes. So many, that my mother has enough shoes to wear a different pair at least 51 weeks out of the year.

As a child my feet were always bound in espadrilles, and leather booties.   Throughout the years, my fetish has never subsided, but evolved from sneakers and Timberlands to ethnic thongs, and construction worker attention grabbing stilettos.   Every year my mother and I take a holy pilgrimage, also known as The Saks Day After Christmas Sale.  Saks is the shoe Mecca where we bond over our version of 'sole food,' a healthy helping of half priced footwear delicacies.

During these difficult economic times when companies have a higher turnover rate than last year’s fashion trends, it is important to have a good pair of shoes to depend on.  A wise investment is a classic pair that can take you from an interview to a first date, to the first time. Very few clothing pieces can carry you from one season to the next, but a quality pair of shoes can last a lifetime, okay well at least for a few years.
 

Take a lustful look at the freshet styles and brands that are topping my wish list. We can salivate together, and then run to Steve Madden, sample sales, and Saks sales to snatch the look for less, unless you are the type of girl who likes to stunt now and eat later. In that case, I do not judge, I will see you in Shoe Lovers Anonymous, after the recession.

Omelle


Omelle


Miu Miu


Derek Lam


Christian Louboutin


Camilla Skovgaard


BCBG Maxazria


GiuseppeZanotti



Stella McCartney