going sock-less

Tags

Dublin, fashion, photography, photos, shoes, sock-less, spring, sun, weather

Over the past few days spring has fully sprung in Dublin, the sun has been shining, the trees have been blooming and everything is waking up from the long winter sleep. With the temperatures rising I have decided to let the weather ‘knock my socks off’ (couldn’t resist this awful pun) and relegate my socks to the back of the drawer and go sock-less again. So over the last three days my feet have been bare in my shoes and I have enjoyed the freedom of unhindered wiggling of toes.

Now I only hope that my socklessness state can continue until much later this year and who knows, maybe by offering up an extra few patches of exposed skin to the sun my vitamin D intake will skyrocket. Additionally I won’t need to spend time sorting my socks – I like them in pairs – and I’ll even save some (even if only small) space in the washing machine.

So maybe I should look around and see what else I could dispel and discover what I may gain by doing so.

standing in a spot of sun

new shoes and ice cream

Tags

Borosana, Borovo, Croatia, Croation shoes, Dublin, fashion, shoes

After a long day of emailing, typing and general organizing it was time to head out and see the film ‘Me Before You’. My friend had to cancel so I took myself out and made my way across town to the Omniplex in Rathmines.

It was such a beautiful day, the sun was still hot and the air was wind still, the perfect time to christen a pair of new shoes. Last year a good friend brought me back some shoes from her trip to Croatia. They are called Borosana and are produced by a shoe company called Borovo.

These shoe have been around for many years and were particularly popular amongst the working class women of Yugoslavia but the deconstruction of the country came the decline of the popular shoe. But the company didn’t give up and reinvented themselves by creating new designs and a selection of colourful shoes.

They are incredibly comfortable and light to wear, the perfect adornment for summer feet.  Sadly it was already autumn by the time I became the owner of my own pair of Borosana shoes, to wet to risk taking them out for a walk. But since summer has arrived I think it is the perfect time to show them off on the streets of Dublin.

new shoes on their first outing of the year

cinematic tissues

 

looking up at shoes

Tags

angels, Dublin, heels, shoes, smile, south side, thoughts, walking on air

While walking o the bus last night I noticed something odd: a pair of heals dangling from a cable.

Now I know that last year there was a project around Dublin called ‘look up and put a sparkle in your step’, all over Dublin there were signs and  sparkly heels were draped over cables encouraging Dubliners look up. But the heels I saw yesterday were white, no sparkle and more importantly no sign. So I couldn’t help put wonder what the dangling heels were doing there.

Since it was on the south side of the Liffey maybe it’s a signifier for a particularly posh drug dealer or maybe the sparkle has just worn off. But either way the dangling shoes made me smile, and a thought occurred: maybe even walking on air in hurts when wearing heels, and that is why angles go barefoot!

elegant street decoration

 

walking barefoot

Tags

barefoot, health, healthy option, muscles, sand between my toes, shoeless, shoes

One thing I love about the warm weather is walking around barefoot, I love feeling grass below my soles,  sand between my toes and dipping those digits into water. Just allowing my feet to breath and be free makes me happy.

Feet are created over thousands of years to walk barefoot, so when we wear shoes, no matter how comfortable are well constructed, you are encasing your feet and restricting them. Muscles that were designed specifically for walking aren’t being used properly and our toes are completely ignored. Shoes may support the bridge of our feet and our ankles, but in the process our muscles don’t develop the way the were meant to and because most shoes have heals (no matter how high) it effects the way we roll our feet when walking. And of course shoes can’t bend and shape themselves around the surfaces we step on, making us trip and stumble.

However when we allow our feet to ,literally, run free we are doing exactly what nature intended, our toes become an important piece of equipment, curling around and digging into surfaces, allowing us to keep our balance and use neglected muscles.

But we live in a society in which walking around barefoot all day isn’t the done thing and with our streets filled with gum, glass and regular dirt it probably isn’t very healthy either. And of course another downside to walking barefoot is the build up of callouses and thick skin, not always a pretty sight no matter how much nail varnish you pile on.

But at home, in the garden, parks and on the beach the joy of going barefoot is not only a wonderfully freeing experience but a healthy option and I can only recommend it. And if you who love the sensation and freedom of going shoeless summer is the time to indulge.

 

 

shoes glorious shoes

Tags

Berlin, fashion, high heels, shoe collection, shoes, shopping, style, trippen, vintage, wooden shoes, woody shoes, Yves Saint Laurent, yves saint laurent shoes

I’ve been bad, oh so bad … but it feels good, oh so good … yes I am talking about my new additions to my ever-growing shoe collection. And since I spent a quite day at home yesterday I thought I should share my new foot adornments.

In the Scheunen Viertel (see my blog a walk in the middle) I found a beautiful shop filled with the most divine shoes by a favourite shoe manufacture of mine: Trippen.

walls of back-lit shoes

piles of shoes I tried on

even the tiles on the floor showed shoes

As Trippen is based just outside of Berlin I think a pair of their shoes are the perfect “reminder” of the time spent here wandering around this big city.  So I did end up buying a pair, a little to big as they are all handmade and it was hard to find the perfect fit … but oh they are so comfortable and as you can see in the photo I have been wearing them … lots.

Then I found these wooden shoes by a Dutch company Woody. They are so pretty, comfortable and I think perfect for me.

On my strolls around Kreuzberg ( see my blog cruising around Kreuzberg) I went in to several second hand shops and always came out empty handed. Except for the last one! As luck would have it I found a pair of never worn vintage (not sure if late 80s or early 90s .. or even late 90s) Yves Saint Laurent shoes from Paris. They are a tiny bit to big but with an insole or a gel-patch they should fit perfectly. I have to bring them to the cobblers as one of them is missing the tip of the heel (possibly why they have never been worn) but they are so beautiful and I just can’t believe my luck and at 35€ a complete steal.

aren’t they cute?

and not too high

And that’s not all,  I even bought a pair of bright blue espadrilles, really cheap, cheerful and already a little manky from walking around in them. But I did want to be 100% honest!

I know, they already look well loved

I do truly believe that like the unforgettable  Imelda Marcos, I too will be able to one day say:

They went into my closets looking for skeletons, but thank God, all they found were shoes, beautiful shoes.

red boots

Tags

clothing, fashion, grafton street, miscellaneous, red shoes, shoes, shopping, style, thoughts, Wizard of Oz, yellow brick road

As those of you who follow my blog now by now I love shoes. They don’t have to be expensive or fashiony as long as there is something about them that makes my heart smile.

This lifelong passion started from an early age and like most little girls I yearned for my very own pair of sparkly red Dorothy slippers. I wanted to dance down the yellow brick road holding hands with the scarecrow, sing with the munchkins and click my heals while making a wish.

Sadly I never got those sparkly red shoes and ever since then my eyes light up when I see a pair of shoes in any hue of rouge, and if I even like the design I find it very hard to resist the urge to want to own.

So yesterday evening, after teaching a class, I walked down Grafton Street making a short shopping list in my head. Sadly I underestimated the danger all those sale signs dangling in the shop windows. Half way down the street the lure of the 70%-Off won me over, so I wandered into a shoe shop.

Luckily for me I didn’t really see anything I wanted, flats with studded, spiky tops aren’t really my style, simmering disco ball stilettos are very low in my “need” list  and as I really only but leather shoes the variety of plastic and faux fur didn’t really inspire me. However as I was heading to the door a flash of red caught my eye and I saw them and they called me “mammy”.

I tried them on and was in love. I may not need them and Mr Winter is on his way out but the little red ankle boats were to pretty to leave behind. So as I stood and admired them in the mirror I clicked my heals three times and mumbled under my breath “there’s no place like home”.

shoes glorious shoes

Tags

bette midler, books, christian louboutin, clothing, dr martins, fashion, imelda marcos, miscellaneous, photography, quotes, random, shoes, style, thoughts

I got a surprise today and oh what a good one it was. A gorgeous and generous friend sent me a little parcel in the post, and as I sat down for a cup of tea this morning the mailman knocked on my door and handed me the box.

Scissors in hand I cut the sellotape and found a cute card and a brilliant book. It’s a colourful pop-up about shoes. While I flicked through the pages and pulled little leavers 3D stilettos, sneakers and boots appeared in front of me and I just couldn’t help but smile.

the book just out of the box

open the box and have a peek

dancing shoes

a sneaker

Christian Louboutin ” A good shoe is one that doesn’t dress you but undresses you”

Now I am a big shoe lover and I even have a shoe tattoo on my left ankle. My wardrobe and the space under my bed are filled to the brim with boxes of shoes, not quite Imelda Marcos but I do have at least 100 pairs.  And even though I run around barefoot as much as I can nothing makes me feel better about myself than a sexy pair of shoes.  I just have to agree with Christian Loubotin  “A shoe has so much more to offer than just to walk.”

When I meet people I always look at their shoes, I think they say so much about the person wearing them. After all if someone wears Birkenstocks, Dr Martins or Mary-Jane’s tells you something about how they want to be seen and do they prefer beauty to practicality, fashion to uniqueness. Colours, shapes, designs, material and are they polished or not tell little stories about the people in the shoes and since we take so many steps in them every day they become part of us, more so then any other piece we wear. Shoes become markers of a persons individuality, little platforms (even when they are flats) to show off who they are.

So before I go back to read about shoes in all their glory and play with the pop-ups and other movable bits in my lovely new book I want to leave you with a quote I wholeheartedly believe in and the wonderful Bette Midler once coined:

Give a girl the right shoes and she can conquer the world

my tattoo, the only Manolo Blanik I can afford at the moment … the black shoes were hand made by Sarah-Jane Connolly an Irish Shoe designer

picture un-perfect

Tags

clothes, clutch, fashion, green, heels, leather, polka-dots, shoes, vintage

I wrote a post this morning called fabulous footwear and as a few lovely readers have requested images I took a few minutes to take pictures … sorry they are not perfect but maybe you can see what the outfit and shoes look like. They look so much better on but do you know how hard it is to take a good photo of your own feet, I gave up after five attempts. And the clutch is one of my favourite possessions. I bought it last year, it is vintage, real leather and huge, everything I need fits in it!

They look so much better in real but taking an image from the front proved not so nice due to the straps

As the weather won't be great I think I'll be needing the leggings and cardi to keep me from turning an unsightly blue.

fabulous footwear

Tags

Cindy Lauper, clogs, clothes, fashion, high heals, Marilyn Monroe, miscellaneous, ramblings, random, sandals, shoes, stilettos, thoughts

If I was naughty on Monday I was very bold yesterday. As I was walking down Henry Street after an appointment I happened to wander in to a shoe shop. For those of you who regularly read my ramblings, you will know that my passion for shoes is my kryptonite.

As I strolled around the shelves and longingly looked at heels, wedges, sandals and even a sweet pair of slippers I saw a little rack of “sale shoes”. My eyes lit up, my heart beat faster and I couldn’t help but hope that maybe, just maybe there would be a pair that not only fits my budget (very meager) but also my feet and the dress I am going to wear on Sunday to my nieces Confirmation.

Begrudgingly I bought the dress a few weeks ago, I have been looking for something to wear for quite a while and nothing seemed to fit right, suit me or make me feel fabulous. But the one dress I did try on, darkish green with white polka-dots, a little bit in a 40s/50s style, fit well and does have a killer cleavage. It was more expensive than I had planned for but not willing and too tired to keep looking I bought it knowing that new shoes would no longer be possible.  Also knowing that I have enough shoes to last me several lifetimes.

But it has been bugging me that none of my shoes would be perfect and I am all about the shoes. I am big believer that shoes have the power to make you feel sexy, beautiful and give you that extra bit of strut you need when you are feeling low. As Marilyn Monroe once said:

Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world

The shoe sale shelf was filled with the dregs of the shoe world, platform sneakers, plasticy sandals and those shoes that make your feet look like hooves. But as I hunkered down, not willing to give up I spotted a pair of bottle green leather heals. The perfect colour for my dress. Like Irish dancing shoes there are straps that run in criss-cross over the arch of your foot that you then tie in a bow at your ankle. And the heal has a slight bend to it, giving it a very subtle and unique appeal. Very different, very cute and exactly what I wanted, even if I didn’t know it. I held my breath as I looked at the size and it was not mine, too big.

As I turned the shoes I decide I would try them on anyway, maybe the half size to big would not be an issue and maybe I could make it work. As my feet slipped into the heels I could feel that the size was not going to be a problem. Luckily the shoes where cut small and due to the straps I could pull the shoe to sit tightly on my foot. Success and the price was even better. 22Euro was all they wanted and even if my purse screamed at me when I opened it I turned a deaf ear and gladly paid the sum.

Feeling happy I skipped home and after I had poured myself a glass of wine (the bottle wasn’t empty from the night before) I sat in front of the telly with my tracksuit bottoms pulled up to my knees admiring my new footwear. And as I danced to Cindy Laupers Girls just wanna have fun and pranced, sashayed, flounced and twirled around my living room I definitely felt I could conquer the world or at the very least feel gorgeous on Sunday.

So no matter if you love loafers, clogs, boots, flip-flops, high heels, hightops, moccasins, platforms, pumps, sneakers, sandals, slippers or stilettos or if like me you just love them all, I think we can safely say that if a dog is a man’s best friend not diamonds but shoes are a girls.

For picture of outfit and shoes go to picture un-perfect

wants and needs

Tags

friends, fun, miscellaneous, needs, phone, random, shoes, thoughts, wants

After spending hours and copious cups of tea, chit chatting with friends about men, sex and what we want in life it became quite clear that no matter how different we are, if you boil it down we are all looking for the same thing: to be loved and to love.

Sadly no matter how many words spilled from our lips or thoughts were shared we couldn’t quite come up with a plan of how to achieve our goal. But we had so much fun discussing guys, life and all it contains that it really didn’t matter. After hugs and kisses all round (yes I even hugged the handsome waiter and blew kisses to the lovely manager) we left in four different directions.

As I walked over the bridge enjoying the warm sun and cold wind on my face I started to wonder about wants and needs. My path led me into one of my favourite shoe shops and as I wandered around the colourfully stocked shelves with a heart full of longing and an empty purse it became so clear that wanting something is really not needing it. No matter how many well placed arguments and creative ideas I came up with why I should buy this pair of green heals, those cute doc martins and that pair of adorable wedges none had anything to do with what I needed, so before I could change my own mind (and I am normally the only person who can) I left with all my wants still unfulfilled.

As I ran the errands I needed to do my phone dropped to the ground and smashed into smithereens. I could just about persuade it back together but I had to hold it in such an awkward position that using it for its created purposes was out of the question. So after all those wants I suddenly had a need. I needed a new phone, not tomorrow, not on Wednesday but right then and there. After all as a free-lance person my phone is quite essential to my work.

As I drove the bearded sales man a little bit insane with all my questions, demands and quizzical looks it became quite clear that what I wanted was a simple phone but what I needed to get was a different matter. With all those smart phones (really why are they called that, they seem more complicated than smart) on offer it made little sense to get a  granny phone when there is no denying that the smarter option was one with a few extras I could use for work.

As I handed over my card and looked at my new phone I felt in need of a hug but all they wanted was my money. And even after trying to figure out what the silly thing can do I still don’t know why the manufactures think I need all the stuff they put on it, when all I want  to do is set the ring tone to “The Muppet’s Show”. Felling a little frustrated and wanting my old phone back I think I will need to spend a few more hours in the company of my phone before I like it, let alone love it. And to all of you out there if you want to call or text me, you need to be patient as I have no clue what I need to do to make the phone do what I want it to. But I will try to meet your needs as I really want to.