What's your pleasure...Round or Pointed-Toe?

What came first the round or the pointed-toe shoe? No one really cares. For us it’s more like which is in style this season. The pointed-toe design has been dominant for some time now. However for the past few seasons the round toe has been making a comeback..and a strong one at that.

The advantages of a round toe shoe is that they’re actually better for your feet as your toes have room to spread and not to mention no corns rubbing or being put in production. There’s also the illusion that your foot is smaller than it actually is with an attractive neatness. The round-toe also brought the platform out of the “inappropriate” category to a necessity for the everyday woman. My favorite round-toe look is the rebirth of the Mary Jane. Pour la Victoire has a great style called the “Ophelie”, though she came out this past fall and is not the least bit trendy which is the best type of purchase in this economy. No one likes their closet to feel like a museum the following season.



The pointed-toe shoe is considered high fashion; sexy with lots of attitude. Remember when there was a craze and every store carried long pointed-toe pumps, boots and mules? You name it, and it was for sale. I remember because I still have some boots with the tip looking very undesirable because they kept getting caught in the creases of the sidewalk while walking. Don’t act like this never happened to you! Thanks to the Europeans the pointed toe still makes a statement, but without the lengthy dramatics. That way your foot doesn’t look like they belong on an elf and your girlfriends silently wondering about your shoe size. Sergio Zelcer comes on the scene with a skyscraper pointed-toe pump for the bold and the dramatic of today. The “Cliff” is perfect for you pointed-toe lovers; featuring a fashion forward appeal coupled with a modern construction. Not to mention the little red bottom that makes us squeal but without the price tag. Perfect for the financially challenged shoe-monger!

Many of my clients were in distress this fall as there weren’t that many options for boots with a pointed-toe design. People never like change especially when it comes to our individual “look”. But never fear the pointed-toe is here to stay, in the meantime give the round-toe a chance. You might like it. Options are needed when it comes to shoes and to have style is to have an open mind and an appreciation for evolution and change. Whatever your pleasure, be sure it makes your stride demanding and alive. Because the world is on your heels!

Key Pieces: Quick Look Spring '09

(above) Killer Kicks I can see Kanye copping these already !
Dior Homme, Eyelet High Top, $945
Classic and Stylish piece for dress up or dress down.
J.Crew
Utility Jacket, $118

For the easy t-shirt guy a fresh designer piece, 100% jersey cotton.
Maison Martin Margela
Booking tee, $215












Courtesy of Eluxury and J.Crew

The Dream I Dreamt...

Almost 41 years since his death and 26 years observing his birthday as a National Holiday, today's event revitalizes the "dream" in which Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke about in his most famous 1963 "I Have a Dream" speech, in his March on Washington.

Today marks the culmination of events leading to the election of the 44th President of the United States--from the arrival of slave ships to North America [1619] to Lincoln's signing of the Emancipation Proclamation [1862] to the Voting Rights Act of 1965--President Barack H. Obama. The significance of today's ceremony, is not so much about the man for which we voted into office, but rather the symbol for which this man stands for. He stands for progression, freedom, intelligence (as opposed to ignorance), a "dream" fulfilled (somewhat), a "united people", the United States of America. The fact is, he stands for the martyrs, the Kings, the Xs, the Garveys, the Parks, the Kennedys and many more. He stands for the slaves who built the White House, the Capitol building, the monuments, the institution in which exclusion was a norm for Blacks. He represents me, your parents, your grandparents, your great-grandparents, who have seen the injustices and inequalities of the past and lived to see today. President Barack Obama gives us hope and shows our future the truth that anything and everything is attainable.

However, with any great achievement, you will have the "naysayers" that want to nitpick at the slightest or most non-relevant issues, believing that nothing has really changed. These people are the same ones, Black or White, racist or not, ignorant or intelligent, that will most likely benefit from this new administration; though they will never admit it. But part of being a truly free nation, is not only to be able to express one's interests, but also to express one's disdain. Today marks our growth as a nation, the growth of a "dream" once dreamt, in which all people were equal, in which we all had a voice, in which we all expressed our own ideas or rather dreams; a nation of individuals united for a common purpose.

The quote below, from Dr. King, sums up today's events the best:

Somehow this madness must cease. We must stop now. I speak as a child of God and brother to the suffering poor. I speak for those whose land is being laid waste, whose homes are being destroyed, whose culture is being subverted. I speak for the poor in America who are paying the double price of smashed hopes at home and death and corruption. I speak as a citizen of the world, for the world as it stands aghast at the path we have taken. I speak as an American to the leaders of my own nation. The great initiative in this war is ours. The initiative to stop it must be ours.

Sole Survival Kit: How to make your two hour pumps last all night!

It’s a Friday night and one of your girls came up with the bright idea of going to the club. Since you have nothing plan, you're like, "OK, I'm game." But what do you wear? There is not time to plan an extensive outfit and the shoe dilemma will always rear it’s ugly head no matter if you decide to dance all night or be a wall flower. Saving your soles is key to painting the town red and the two hour pumps just won’t do the trick. Trust! You don’t want to be the "party pooper" because the soles of your feet feel as though you’ve been walking barefoot on hot coals.

First, let’s start with the cushioning in the shoe. There must be some type of sponginess going on when you press down on the inside. If not then move on to the next shoe, you’ll be miserable if you don’t. OK so you have the cushion action going on. Next you want to check for a platform on the bottom of the shoe as this helps with absorbing most of the shock while walking. Think of it as a buffer for the balls of your feet and the concrete. I know some women think that the platform is a little risqué and a bit much, but the hidden platform will do the job and is a much neater look. Report Signature makes the best hidden platform pumps at a reasonable price.

Now, if you have no arch (as myself), then additional cushioning is vital! You may use an insert for the balls of your foot whether foam or gel. My personal preference is the “Tip Toes” foam insert by Foot Petals. They have a wide range of products for all types of shoes from sling backs to peep toes even cushioning so the back of your heels don’t rub.

OK, let’s say you have done all of the above and your dogs are still barking, then kick off those killer pumps and slip on some portable flats, best $25.00 you'll ever spend. They’re easily stored in your purse and you can pull them out on the way to the car so you won’t be walking barefoot in the streets like those other girls (gross). I highly recommend them as car shoes. One should not be driving with heels on as the stiletto gods will strike thee down!

Now that you have your sole survival kit in hand you are ready for a night on the town! And remember the world is on your heels… Just don’t make it seem painful.