If you don’t know what I mean by the title, I am here to remind you. I am from the Midwest, born and raised. As the less fashion-forward of the big cities, Chicago seems to be a trend or two behind when it comes to buyers choosing fashions for their stores. This can often be a drag because I find that I love a pair of shoes I see on television, but have no idea where to find them for a reasonable price. Once I do find those shoes, I notice that if I want to pay full price, I am going to find myself at an expensive boutique in the mag mile or purchasing a knock-off brand online. Since most of you don’t know me at this juncture, I will explain...I am a shoe-aholic. I love shoes mostly because they never seem to get snug like those pair of jeans you find need an extra tug after enjoying your 4th of July a little too much. I am not one to deny indulgence every now and then, so this predicament is one I hate. Shoes, on the other hand, not an issue unless you are retaining water...yes, lets just put those chips down. Shoes can be found for cheap online and since your size doesn’t really change, you can generally be sure what you buy will fit. However, as an online shoe shopper I have also noticed that when you buy the knock-offs the quality is lacking. Personally, I don’t think this is much to sweat, they are generally a trendy accessory and you will find yourself not wearing them past the season, so why not spend 20 dollars on a pair that look cute? Still, what I have also noticed is that without top quality comes that unmistakable sound of cheap shoes on hard surfaces. I tend to call it the teacher’s bane of shoe existence. We have all had those teachers that walk around class and their heals just echo throughout the room muffling their lesson plans and lectures. It is a hateful sound that often communicates that your shoes were not the best you could buy and some sort of cheap material was included on the sole.
During one of my shoe purchases I found that even an expensive pair I bought for a wedding were fairly loud, but the larger issue was that they were sliding on my wood floors. What is a girl to do in this sort of jam? I tend to rely on Walgreens. They have a full line of Dr. Scholl's foot solutions I have found very satisfying. In this particular case I found by far my favorite new shoe solution. It is a set of stickers that appear to be sand paper-like on one side and sticky on the other. They adhere to the toe part of the sole of your shoes and prevent sliding and even better, also muffle some of the clunking. While I am sad to report Dr. Scholl's no longer advertises them on their website, I have found additional options.
For one, Amazon has a couple of options.
1. Shoe Stopperz makes a product called Foot Petals. They are essentially the same technology and sell for 9 dollars a pair.
2. Exotic High Heels also sells a similar product. This product seems to be meant for your foot slipping out of your shoe, but it appears to be made of the same material and they come in great designs.
3. Check out a Michaels. If you are a crafy person, you may wish to inquire about the different adhesives they have. Some can be used to create a thin layer on the bottom of your shoe that can act as a sole muffler. I would be careful with this project as making an uneven layer can cause foot and back problems.
4. Take your shoes to your local purse and shoe shop. Sometimes for a lower cost you can have the shoe repair people add a second sole and heel reinforcement that can add height as well as cheap shoe incognito. I definitely appreciate the extra height measuring in at just over 5 feet tall.
If any of you have any great suggestions, I would also welcome them, if we can work together to dress fashionably for cheaper, it makes for fatter pocketbooks and bigger smiles!
Cheers ladies, to a quiet commute!
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