Strapped on the Streets of New York

Oh, how I envy the ladies of New York who enjoy an Autumn mild enough (or is it hot?!) to enjoy those strappy sandals!
It's gumboots and tights for me this season, and winter hasn't started just yet :(

Happy Pride Weekend!

Pride Peep Toe 05, originally uploaded by Theresa Di Moan.

Especially for Pride Weekend, here is a peep toe & slingback sandal from Rocketdog, spotted at GIA shoes. Add some purple nail polish... and I'm now definitely feeling ever so proud!

Also, I found a few other cool ones online, like these rainbow plaid diva stilettos from Irregular Choice:

While the down-to-earth can wear them dreamily this way:

The proud Allstar's Chuck Jones die-hard fans will love this pair!

And for pride babies I can't think of better slippers than these:

Have you spotted any fabulous pride related shoes or socks? Please say hi and post a comment!

Pinky's Escape

Yellow Strappy Sandal, originally uploaded by Theresa Di Moan.

Yellow strapy sandals, can't remember the brand and will have to go back and check into that. They were pretty, yes. They were even sorta comfy or at least more wearable than many other stilettos I've tried recently. However, the pinky-toe seemed to be escaping from the strap in a way that looked appealing while feeling like loosing a toe any minute. Quite a peculiar feeling, I tell ya!

What say you about the escaping pinky tow? Boo-hiss or sassy bliss?

Yellow Strappy Sandals, originally uploaded by Theresa Di Moan.

Above: this is how they make the foot arch curve in a suggestive way, as if saying "look at me!"

Mood Indigo

Mood Indigo 02, originally uploaded by Theresa Di Moan.

There are only a few things originated in the 80's I can see myself doing again: loop earrings, leggings and the colour purple.

I found myself particularly intrigued by purple recently... It even got to the point of me obsessing over this pair of ankle strap sandals by Fluevog, and painting my toe nails with a matching purple nailpolish. The result on its own was near revolting, as it made my skin look so pale, my feet looked as if they belong to the nearest post-mortem freezer. Ouch! Nevertheless, with the slightly-punk-twist on a pair of Tango sandals, a bouquet of purple tulips and cheap but purposeful little purple handbag, I think I got my perfect purple look!

You'd never catch me with these wearing a purple dress, by the way, should not and would not be purple. Either my halter olive dress, brown shoulderless dress, or a pair of jeans with a muted dark but funky top.

Don't you love mood indigo?

Blue Nail Polish

Blue Nail Polish, originally uploaded by Theresa Di Moan.

"Miss June" peep toe wedge sandals in turquoise and fuschia suede by John Fluevog.
Nailpolish: Sally Hansen's "Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear" colour no. 23. The brush is the crappiest quality you can imagine, but the colour is exactly what these toes need with these sandals. Sometimes.

P.s. I rarely opt for experimental nailpolish colours, but I'm on a very tight shoe budget right now, so some of the variety in my life has to cost less than $5.

Yellow Fetish

Window Shoe Shopping 11-06-2007, originally uploaded by Theresa Di Moan.

OK, I admit it. I have a think for yellow shoes. But, I managed to try a few without even getting them. Maybe having one perfect yellow item on my wishlist helped... Maybe trying them on and having a secret photo shoot at the shoe store was satisfying enough.

Canvas and leather open toe sandal pumps with open outstep by Diesel. They go for $149.99 on sale ($249.99 not on sale). Here are a few shots:

Window Shoe Shopping 11-06-2007, originally uploaded by Theresa Di Moan.

Window Shoe Shopping 11-06-2007, originally uploaded by Theresa Di Moan.


The other pair, another sassy open toe sandal, yellow patent leather with black trim, open instep and a with a more modest heel, by Browns. Sale was abour $59.99, so it's quite an accomplishment that they didn't end up on my shoe rack...

Window Shoe Shopping 11-06-2007, originally uploaded by Theresa Di Moan.

Kenzi Wedge Sandals

Kenzi Wedge Sandals, originally uploaded by Theresa Di Moan.

I went window shoe-shopping today at The Bay. Haven't been there for a loooong time, although I can't count the number of sexy and classy shoes I've found there and am still enjoying (usually for a tremendous discount, too!).
These wedge sandals form Kenzie caught my eye immediately. they do a lot of wedges and have fun and funky designs and prints. But I am yet to find a pair that is also comfortable enough (or, alternatively, a design that distracts one from the pain caused by its ergonomic flaws). I love the way they look though, even though they are a size too big (they were a 9 and I'm usually a 7.5 or 8 at the most).

Kenzi Wedge Sandals, originally uploaded by Theresa Di Moan.

Painfully High Heel Leopard Sandals by Franco Sarto

Leopard Sandals Franco Sarto, originally uploaded by Theresa Di Moan.

These sandals caught my eye with their simple design and the funky leopard print. The heel must be more than 3 inches tall, cause I simply could walk in them at all. I tried to bring the first pair I tried (Kenzis wedge fabric sandals) to the shelf about 3 meters away and it was a via dolorosa for my ankles with that terrible arch! So little space between the toe and the heels to carry the weight of the body simply calls for some defying-gravity pills or something...

The Impossible - Found It!

Brown Sandals Wrap-around Strap Franco Sarto, originally uploaded by Theresa Di Moan.

This is the first pair ever of Franco Sarto shoes that is actually comfortable. A friend of mine and I has already agreed that this shoe designer is a sadist. Seriously. All the shoes I've ever got tempted to buy by this designer has proved to be the most painful shoes you could possibly wear. Tight on the toes or rough on the foot cushion. A nightmare. For some reason, these ones aren't!
These low but graceful heeled brown sandals have a sassy wrap-around ankle strap and a soft, pliable sole undernead the toes and foot cushion, making them utterly comfortable. It was only because of the tacky gold buckles that I did not get these sandals today. They were for 30% off at The Bay!

Brown Sandals Wrap-around Strap Franco Sarto, originally uploaded by Theresa Di Moan.

In With The New!

Sandals, originally uploaded by Theresa Di Moan.

Was this too fast?!
Here are my new basic black & white sandals for this summer. A good comfy pair of black & white sandals is a must. Every single summer. For me anyways. I have some that are too fancy to be worn on an every day basis. But I obviously have a thing for black and white sandals...

These are completely flat and absolutely comfortable and adorable all at once. I love them with my sundresses (also usually in black and white or in beige or other neutral tones), but also with pants and with more contrasting or dramatic looks.

The little embroidered "f" stands for Fluevog - an original, funky shoe house originally from Vancouver. Unfortunately, the shoes are manufactured in Portugal. Seems to be the case with lots of shoe houses (like Gazith, who manufacture their shoes in Spain; there must be something about Spanish leather!). But at least I'm trying to buy local designs, right?

Out With The Old...

Summer Pebbles, originally uploaded by Theresa Di Moan.

I absolutely LURVE these semi-platform sandals from MAG. I got them three years ago, and just loved everything about them - the perfect black and white sandals that go with absolutely everything and are comfortable AND beautiful (some designers seem to think the two don't go together, but I'm a firm believer it should be otherwise!).
I was so hoping they would come out again and again every single year. But like in many other cases, my hopes were failed, and they did not come back :(
Now they are too worn out and it's time to get new black & white sandals!

The Yellow Lion: The Very Beginning

Golden Gate Yellow Flowers, originally uploaded by Theresa Di Moan.

The first shoes I remember were soft and yellow-beige sandals, with a little lion appliqué.
I was three years old, and fell in love.
When a consensus was reached that we found the right fit, I got a ride on the big yellow swinging lion and everybody congratulated me on my new sandals.
This felt so good!

In fact, it was so much fun, that I couldn’t wait another year for my parents to buy me another pair of sandals.
Conveniently though unintentionally, I left my beloved sandals behind when we stopped at the gas station.

We went back to the gas station, but the little lion sandals were gone…
My secret victory was complete: we went back to the shoe store, and got another pair of sandals. This time, the little lion sandals were sold out, but I still got to ride the lion!

Years later, my toddler daughter is obsessed with shoes: she has to try on any pair of shoes that she sees (especially on someone else’s feet!)…
One Sunday, we went for a shoe-shopping tour, trying the most adventurous styles -
Spiky red soccer shoes, knee-high lace-up boots (call it thigh high for a 3 year old!), hot pink stilettos (both right sided, by the way). We were having fun!

This obsession was infectious, and the Sunday Shoe Store tour have soon become a sacred ritual:
Salute the colorful window, remove your shoes and enter the fragrant Shoe Temple, worship the shoes, and finally, after much struggle, reach enlightenment and walk around to show it off...

Now my daughter is no longer obsessed, but I am cureless. Sure, shoe shopping is fun – but who needs to go all the way to the store when Mommy’s closet already has the best selection in town?