A personality in shoes.

I love shoes, I cannot help it there is something about them, and it's an excitement from being a little girl. The prospect of new shoes was always, something I savoured. The shoes girls get are fun, colourful and glittery. Those plastic high heels you get as part of a princess or a fairy costume that in the end are always a favourite. I remember having a pair of pink Clarke's magic steps, and patent leather Mary-Jane with stars on the front. I also remember a pair of red leather doc martins for school. I always dreaded getting school shoes because they were always so boring!
My love of shoes did not really start until I was about 14 years old and had wanted a pair of satin black block heel platforms with 1970s style embroidery, I spent my summer saving for them and wearing them until they fell apart. I literally wore them everywhere. Next came a pair of purple mock snakeskin sling backs, I couldn't get them out of my head! Then a pair of sex and the city style sandals in baby pink with diamante trim. I had never had shoes like that. They are for cocktails and dancing the night away, not for a 15 year old to wear to the shops!
These shoes started something.
I know it is a cliché when it comes to a woman and her love of shoes but this is different. It is not about the designer or about how expensive they are because I am particular about everything. I believe that the things you wear should reflect who you are and I honestly believe you can tell a lot about a person from there shoes. It sounds silly but it is true! You wonder how this work does. Look at the shoes some people wear, black and high? Patent and impractical? What are they looking to show professionalism being sexy, if the shoes are patterned?
Take a look around next time and think about it!


A good example is being told I should not run around in the shoes I wear; this was only said because they noticed my new leopard heeled boots, when I spend my daily life in flats and only get heels out when I feel like it. Why only notice when I have my heels on?
I live my working life in black patent leather or orange satin and pink patent leather trimmed ballet pumps, various patterned/studded/plain brogues. If not I will wear ruched wedge black suede ankle boots. I like comfort but I also love beautiful suede and satin shoes that sadly the British weather does not agree with this love of soft and impractical materials. You cannot beat a good sized heel. Anything below four inches is not really worth wearing in my own opinion. I remember people like the spice girls and their massive heels and being so jealous. I was not allowed high heels until I was an appropriate age which is fair enough.
So please allow me to share with you my love of shoes and why. (Please note these are just some of my shoes, I am running out of room!)
I like shoes to be beautiful and colourful and impractical at times because sometimes it's nice to just buy a pair because they are pretty.
I have always fallen in love with shoes that are mostly designed to wear out in the evening because they are luxurious and are the most amazing colours. I am drawn to rich colours. I do not like pastels or soft white based colours. I want jewel tones, colours that are saturated in hue. This is the same of when I am painting. I like satin because it has a lovely sheen and implies sensuality. It offers a great compliment to any outfit.
I enjoy having pattern on my shoes several of my favourite shoes are described as crazy. I have leopard brogues, a pair of brogue ankle boots that look like floral oil painting and lace boots. The texture and you can wear them and add an unexpected twist to an otherwise plain outfit. I like to plan outfits around shoes sometimes. They really can make a difference. When I do this I think about what I want and how long I am going to wear them and the occasion.
I like quirky things as well. I collect converse and have quite a few pairs but only one of them is plain the rest are patterned, bright or limited edition. Sadly Converse don't provide the custom Converse service outside of the USA (I did my own instead).
I have got sensible black shoes as well that have been bought for their style or comfort, it is odd the things we look for when buying clothes, shoes or bags. Aside from bright colours and prints/patterns I like glitter as well (not to predictable considering the name of my blog and my love of shiny things!) I agree with Carrie Bradshaw and her love of shoes, I mourn not having her shoe collection!
It is fun to mix up what you wear with a good shoe. I like stilettos, sleek likes, minimal embellishment. Mix that up with simple styles and crazy patterns
Here are a few of my favourite pairs.

 You can see there is a wide variety of colour, style and choice, like my clothes my shoes are all different. Flat and comfortable, high and pretty. Bright and noticeable.

All these shoes so so many different things about one person.

Mostly bought from Topshop because they make amazing shoes, it's good to be diverse in what you wear and choose because it is good to get out of a habit and look at something different.
I might wear floral brogues and change in the glitter Mary-Jane's which are aptly called sugar. It is worth investing in things you love and quality as well some of these lovlies were a bargain, some expensive nothing over £70 mind simply because I can't afford it.

I believe in quality and design. Form follows function. If I could I would own the majority of Chritian Louboutins collections because that man knows how to make a spell binding shoe.

One lovely lady who has fantastic tase and a real sense of what works is someone I know through the muse messageboards. She never fails to amaze me with her love of bright, fun things and she makes them work so well! She is always honest about who she is and is a real inspiration :).

I am also very jealous of her taste in big rings because the down side of having small hands big rings just do not suit!
Next time you are feeling down put on your favourite shoes and it will make you feel better. Heels are my mood booster. I like to feel tall but know that I can kick them off at the end of the day and pad about bare foot.