Wednesday 15 April 2009

The Red Shoes etc




















I like red. It always cheers me up to look out of the window and see my little red car.

These are my red shoes. They are not the most toe-cleavage exposing, but they always seem to cause a tremendous stir when I wear them.

One academic of my acquaintance waxed lyrically about them and when I said I was thinking of getting rid of them as they didn't go with anything, begged me not to.
They are early M&S 'footgloves' circa 1995 and I once had them in black and navy too, but the sensible colours have long since worn out. It is amazing how many people - women as well - ask me where I got them though. I reckon M&S would do a roaring trade if they reintroduced them. Perhaps everyone is as sick as me of rubbish-designed shoes with hardly any uppers to hold them on and heels that cripple. Microfibre is also wonderful stuff, looking as good as new at the dab of a damp cloth. I only tend to wear them for poetry readings now, usually with a jokey Dorothy T-shirt from The Wizard of Oz.

I also own a pair of red ankle wellies which are quite funky, if not terribly well made.
















However I feel in need of an extra boost lately. Perhaps I should try some of this(and I thought they exaggerated on female cosmetics!)


13 comments:

Steve said...

Red may be "danger" according to Nature's colour scheme but to us humans there is always something mightily attractive and vibrant about red.

The Sagittarian said...

Oh I love red too and I have a couple of pairs of red shoes. As you say tho' it can be hard to match them to clothing (maybe dance round the houose naked but for red shoes!!), I have an old aunt who despairs when I wear them tho as in "her day" apparently only Ladies of the Evening wore red shoes!! Saints preserve us, WV today is "gingsl".

Wisewebwoman said...

Oh, I wants me some of them shoez!!!
What happens when you tap those heels together?
XO
WWW

Dan said...

Absolutely cute...

HYDRA ENERGETIC ANTI WRINKLE TURBO BOOSTER! Because there is NOTHING effeminate about putting THIS moisturiser on! For MANLY MEN!

Lucy Fishwife said...

Those are fantastic shoes - they look like you're about to do a torrid and fiery tango in the dark smoky clubs of Buenos Aires. Alison Lurie wrote a fantastic book (now sadly OP) about clothes and their meanings - what you wear on your head represents your public/professional face (turbans, police helmets, school hats etc), but what you wear on your feet shows what you'd secretly like the world to see you as. Hurrah for red shoes!

Nota Bene said...

Where do you travel to if you click the heels together Dorothy?

KAZ said...

Oh I just love those red shoes.
I had some red shoes once and found that they (surprisingly) went with almost everything - especially lime green!
I have some lovely red suede Docs.

Tessa said...

Love those shoes. Love M&S shoes, too. In Dublin last year, I bought two pairs of ballet flats from M&S and was able to wear them without the obligatory breaking in period. Alas, neither of them are red—which goes with everything, btw—even green, despite the old warning that those colours should only be worn by a gypsy queen!

teeni said...

Love those shoes! And the wellies too! There just is something about a good pair of shoes that have lasted long enough to get worn and comfy - no new shoes can compete with that feeling. Well, not for a while anyway. LOL. "Footgloves" even sound dreamy.

Anonymous said...

I personally think everyone should own a pair of red shoes.

moi said...

If that actual man came with one of those anti-fatigue kits, then I'd REALLY believe their claims!

Red is such an underrated color. And, you know I'm just going to salivate silly over those shoes. Glad they're still alive and kicking. They look fab.

Anonymous said...

Yes, red is very sexy. I don't wear it myself as it makes me look like I have jaundice but I do find it appealing when others do so.

Funny how we all have our little fetishes re colours. I have the same ankle wellies - but mine are black with white spots. They used to be just black but a friend make spots for me to stick on (cos my fetish is polka dots) and I love them. People always ask about them. I have loads of spotty clothes - always black and white.

They always make me feel jolly and outgoing, even if I felt like hiding in a cave before I put them on.

I love the shoes.

The Poet Laura-eate said...

Yes Steve, I like its vibrance too. And a recent psychological study reckoned that a person was perceived to be 10% more attractive when sporting a dash of red!

More of an accent colour I agree Sagittarian.

WWWW - I'm tappin' 'em, I'm tappin' 'em. Er, nothing yet!

Dan - do tell me how you get on with the Turbo Boosting moisturiser for men - rampant sexism that they won't Turbo-boost we girlies!

Interesting theory LucyFishWife. Of course as a typical Sagittarian, I tend to make a beeline for Khaki to visit the safari park, go nautically-striped for a trip to the seaside and wear red shoes to Fandango!
Sober suits for job interviews - obviously.

Nota Bene - As I said to WWW - I'm doing my best to find out!

Kaz, it's not too late to take the plunge again. Especially since I am currently trying to persuade M&S to reintroduce them! Though surely NOTHING goes with lime green? Red looks surprisingly nice with brown I find, though black is the more usual contrast.

Thanks Tessa. Alas ballet-style pumps have such miniscule uppers and thin soles, they cannot tempt me, not least as I know they will only last about 5 minutes before wearing through!

Teeni, yes I know what you mean about the nostalgia of old faves in the wardrobe. And 'Footgloves' are definitely one of the finest brandnames M&S have come up with.

SarahA - and so say all of us, it would seem!

Moi - high praise indeed from the Queen of Shoes! Thank you. Yes, I am amazed they can get away with calling a man's moisturiser 'Turbo-booster'. Not that he wouldn't naturally look amazing at that age anyway - where oh where is that government law to prevent anyone under 50 - male or female - from advertising any produce of the anti-wrinkle or rejuvenating promise!

RB - I am quite fond of polka dots too. But sadly they do remind me of a very crazy co-worker I once had who made my life hell and wore polka dots and mad hats on a virtually daily basis (as if to subconsciously warn us how crazy she really was!). Not that I am suggesting you are crazy of course RB - just that polka dots now have rather unfortunate connertations for me.