Ever since I turned 18 i have had a love affair...well actually, obsession with shoes!
Being a tomboy until adulthood i was never too sure of the rules of make up or dressing nicely, but something about falling in love and moving across the pond maybe pushed me into growing up a little so my relationship with shoes began.
It probably had a lot to do with the fact that i had a full time job (2 part time jobs in reality) which meant i finally had money to spend on pretty things. Usually my hard earned cash from working in 'Ronnies' sweet shop was spent on new CD's, old records and mobile phone credit to enable me to talk to my English gent so having a bit more cash allowed me to move on from converse to court shoes.
I've always tended to dress slightly differently opting for pea greens and reds or polka dots and florals. I don't take fashion too seriously and usually have no idea whats in trend, but i know what i like which is more important for me. One of my new years epiphanies involved the fact that i hardly ever wear any of my wonderful shoes so i need to remedy this starting from now! I suppose because my work is a casual environment and the places i choose to go out , i don't get much opportunity to dress up, but hopefully i can change that!
Finding that magical pair of shoes is almost like discovering whats at the end of the rainbow, but instead of a pot of gold there lies a wonderful pair of feet candy. The quirkier, shinier, glittery-er (totally not a word), weirder or cuter, the better and i always try to avoid the more normal/practical pairs. Who needs a staple pair of black heels when you can have a pair of pink metallic ankle boots with detachable ankle bracelet with charms of crayons, sweets and lipstick!
I have a huge soft spot for Irregular choice shoes, veering towards the older styles as opposed to the newer shoes which have a much broader appeal. This blog was initially intended to be almost a catalogue of my huge collection shoes and the stories behind their adoption, but many more things interest me to the same degree so it has evolved into a more inclusive blog of general interests. However i still want to remain true to its originating purpose so I'll be including Shoe Stories quite a bit!
These are the first and most important pair to be shared, my wedding shoes! I knew my wedding shoes would never be white or tall or satin or...well average wedding shoes i guess! I knew they had to be unique and have quite a small heel because i wasn't going to look taller than the man waiting for me at the alter (we're both the same height at 5ft 11"). When trawling around dress shops, sales advisors were always pointing out very plain, uncomfortable looking pumps or kitten heels, none of which took my fancy. Nothing about my wedding was going to be predictable or run of the mill if i could help it and my choice in shoes was to be no different. After months of searching i discovered Irregular choice had teamed up with Blythe, a doll i had always admired, but had been too young to own. On looking through the collaborations efforts i found the shoes i had been long searching for! The main theme of my wedding was PINK! I know, i know a tad predictable on the wedding colour front, but it is my favourite colour so we'll let that one slide. Finding shoes that had an element of pink, but were mainly gold to match the detail of my dress, made by Irregular Choice, Under £50 and with a picture of a Blythe doll on the heel, surely this was fate!?
So with all these factors the decision was made and they became my wedding shoes. I managed to find a pair for husband too, also made by Irregular Choice with hand painted flowers. This was another sure fire sign i had found the right man if he trusted me enough to buy his wedding shoes and was also awesome enough to wear them on the day itself!
Our feet were both the main attraction of the day, aside from the whole wedding shenanigans themselves, which was clichéd(ly) enough the best day of my life bar none! Having friends and family celebrate with us and finally be married to the one person on earth i dont think i could function without?... what more would anyone need?
The shoes will always be a VERY happy reminder of the days events from the non stop rain on a summers day to the dance offs all night between ladies and gents, girls and boys, young and old, these shoes kept my feet on the ground all of that wonderful, wonderful day!
