Shoe fetish

I'm obsessed with shoes.
It's true that I don't own a whole closetful of shoes, but that's only because I get more picky with what I buy and wear as I get older. Being the judgmental bitch that I am, I admit to judge a person based on first appearance. And out of that first impression, I look at the person's shoes before I scrutinize their other clothing/accessory choices. Price and brand don't necessarily guarantee good taste; I value good taste and a knack for knowing what goes/doesn't go with what.

Back in Seattle I had 30+ pairs at one point, and then I downsized considerably (because it was getting hard to decide on which pair to wear on a daily basis...). But that was mainly because online shopping made shopping for shoes that much easier -- and cheaper.

But somehow, now that I'm back in Thailand, I buy less and less pairs with each passing year. It's not for the lack of availability or access to shoes in here, hell there's probably way more variety of affordable goodies in Thailand than in anywhere else. But then, I went to Platinum Plaza yesterday, and all the shoes there (sandals, clogs, flats, pumps, wedge-heels, slippers) were just... blah. They were cheap alright, but they looked cheap, too. They were definitely the kind that people in the know can take one look at and say, oh you got them at mbk/platinum right? Nothing wrong with that, but being stupidly vain, I'd rather get complimented on how good my stuff looked rather than how cheap they were.

Right now I have less than 10 pairs in here, and around 5-6 pairs of shoes tucked away safely in my apartment in Taiwan.

But now these -- these are definitely the kind I'd wear even though I'd never be able to afford some of them. But hey, a girl can dream right? And ain't nothing wrong with just lookin'.

(image from Jimmy Choo)
"Simi" - Crepe de Chine pumps, Jimmy Choo. Heel height: 75 mm/3"
<-- oh gawd this is so gorgeous it kind of makes the fact that it costs £287.50 (after discount!) irrelevant... no not really, but still...

(image from Dr. Martens)
Sexy, sexy Doc Martens 1460 8 Eye Boot. Love the color, the smooth leather, and the durable sole. Functional and cute.

(image from grace gift)
Black leather booties I found from Grace Gift, an online shoe shop based in Taiwan. Heel height: 6 cm/a bit less than 2" I might get this pair when I go back to TW in December, it's only NT1480 (roughly $45), and it looks totally cute. Booties make your legs look slimmer and longer cuz they make your ankles look skinny :)

Now that I've ranted and drooled over the shoes that I want, I'm going to be helpful and point out the kind of shoes that one should not wear...

(image from nordstrom.com)

<-- from past personal horrifying experiences, one should never wear gladiator-style sandals if there are any slight imperfections to ones legs. Doesn't matter if your legs are too skinny or too muscular or lacking muscle-tone, gladiator sandals will emphasize all imperfections and make legs stubby and lumpy-looking, and that in turn, makes you frumpy. Not good if you ask me.

(image from nordstrom.com)

<-- Flats always look nice and comfy, don't they? Avoid at all cost the ultra flat flats like the pair above. Arch, toe, sole and ankle support are nonexistent, and these will probably hurt your feet more than stilettoes if you try to walk around in them. Always wear a little heel, 1-2 inches would be ideal if you have to walk around a lot in them, plus, heels will force you to arch your back straight, cuz slouching doesn't just look bad, it's bad for your posture too.

<-- I don't know if anyone's told you this before, but Crocs are just the ugliest things ever. It doesn't even matter how good they might feel on your feet, it's how they make everyone else feels about you when you're wearing them. Yup, you look totally ridiculous, that's what. Besides, you can get a really good imitation pair from Chatuchak or MBK for less than 200 baht (that's roughly $6 under the current exchange rate). Then these fur-lined Crocs come along, and they are just so much worse because they're so pointless. Aren't your toes still going to be freezing themselves off when you're treading through slush on your winter morning? Why would anyone choose to wear these is totally beyond me. (Don't come running and swinging your clubs at me, I apologize for offending anyone in advance :p)