Shoes

This post isn't in chronological order. I got distracted by other things, getting ready for the sewing retreat, etc. I figured I should write about shoes since I keep thinking about them. Last Tuesday friend Sally and I went to the exhibit of shoes by Beth Levine at the Bellevue Arts Museum. It was great fun. Beth was one of the first women to break into the field of shoe design. She and her husband were most influential for 40 years or so. Many famous people including first ladies were her clients. Here are a few pictures of her shoes.


These are paper shoes from the 60's. I remember when paper dresses and even paper underwear were the rage. It only makes sense that there were paper shoes then. I never bought any, though.


Beth made many fashion-forward shoe designs. She made one that consisted only of a sole and high heel. She designed adhesive to keep the foot in place. She also helped popularize go-go boots, making some for Nancy Sinatra. The shoes she made for first ladies were comfortable looking, but lovely. She didn't only make stilleto heels for fashionistas.

Sally and I wanted to see more fashionable shoe designs, so we headed for The Bravern, which has a Jimmy Choo shoe store. Here are a couple designs from there.



I would never wear these shoes, but I think the designs are interesting. The store had some attractive flats, which are more accessible. However, they lack arch support. I think of these shoes as jewelry for the feet. If I were so inclined, were 30 years younger, and wore flirty skirts, I would buy a pair, then design clothes to go with the shoes. Sally and I completed our shoe snoop shopping day by looking at Manolo Blahnik shoes at Neiman Marcus next door.




Even the flats are not especially comfortable looking, but they have some charm. Earth shoes, my favorite, don't have the same style. They make my feet sing, even if my eyes don't, so I'm likely to keep wearing them.


Sally and I, it goes without saying, also checked out the clothes at NM. We analyzed the designs and appreciated some of the details, which we could duplicate ourselves if only we could remember them. We had a great day! Thanks, Sally, for inviting me to accompany you.