All For Kicks

I want a pic of your shoe cabinet, to prove to my friends that you dont have the “Imelda” syndrome. — a comment on my Livejournal

My shoe collection may not be of Imeldific proportions, but I can’t deny the fact that I love shoes. Shoes are the most forgiving items of any wardrobe; no matter how much I weigh or what shape I’m in, they always fit me exactly the same way. Give a woman a pair of shoes she loves and she will strut around in them with confidence, and any sane woman can tell you that carrying oneself with confidence is a vital element of being well-dressed.

Every time I wear a pair of shoes out, I make sure whatever I replace them with I will definitely use. Yes, they do have to look good, but my comfort wearing them is more important. My mom is a frequent shoe shopper but more often than not, she discovers they pinch in the wrong places or they leave her fatigued trying to keep them from slipping off. She ends up not using one out of every two pairs she buys. I think I’ve learned from her mistakes, and so whenever I go shoe shopping, I take my damn time. More often than not, I end up finding the shoe I really want and at a bargain price, too.

I spent the latter part of last Thursday just roaming Robinsons Galleria looking at athletic shoes. My parents bought me crosstrainers for Christmas, but they only lasted me until June when the mesh upper started to split from the sole at the instep due to frequent use. I could still wear them to the gym, but lately they’d started looking gnarly, ill-used, and skanky (!!!). I decided it was high time for a new pair.

For the past few years I’ve headed to Fila for my sneakers since their stores always offer a 50% discount on all shoes. However, my need for new shoes came at an opportune time; the seasons are a-changing from Spring/Summer to Autumn/Winter. Other shoe stores are trying to get rid of old stock, broken sizes, and display pieces, and there were plenty of discounted items for the picking.

Nike Lady Air AchieveI didn’t quite care that I visited every athletic shoe shop in the mall twice. I actually welcomed the prospect of walking around several hours that afternoon, since you’re always supposed to buy shoes later in the day when your feet have expanded to their true size. (You can actually go up a half-size in the course of a day.) I finally settled on a pair of Lady Air Achieves at 40% off from the Nike Forum store on the ground floor. Originally I didn’t even think that I could get the shoe; I had asked for a size 8 1/2 since that’s my usual size, and they told me they only had sizes until 7 1/2. Disappointed, I tried on a slightly more pricey pair that had a size 8 1/2 and realized that the shoe was too big. I kept going down sizes: I asked for the 8, then the 7 1/2. And then I thought, “Well, what if I ask for the first shoe in the size 7 1/2?” It fit, to my amazement and delight. Even better, it was the last pair in that size; it was like they were just waiting for me to come along.

I really do get a kick out of shoe shopping. Ü

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0 thoughts on “All For Kicks

  • September 12, 2006 at 3:37 pm
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    Well, congrats for the new shoes. My girlfriend is passionate about clothes naman. You’d see us roaming Shangri-la Plaza for hours so she could just choose the perfect blouse and/or jeans.Also, I work near Galleria. I just had to say that ‘coz I noticed that it’s your favorite haunt.

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  • September 12, 2006 at 4:48 pm
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    I, on the other hand, do not mind wearing shabby pairs. I have this old Chuck Taylor that looks like something you could unearth from Payatas. I still keep and wear it just because it’s so comfy plus, it doesn’t callous my feetโ€”which is particularly stocky on the sidesโ€”unlike my other new pairs.Anyway, congrats on the nice find. ๐Ÿ™‚

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  • September 12, 2006 at 10:04 pm
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    Nice boots!I always wanted to get a pair but I don’t know if I could get away with them, being just 5 feet tall.lol.Love the brown wedges too, and the two metallic flats(those are flats,right?) in the bottom pic.p.s. congrats on your shoe find!

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  • September 12, 2006 at 11:13 pm
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    I used to have a whole lot of shoes, but now I’ve had to go down to four pairs. A nice Sunday pair (need new ones), hiking boots, athletic shoes, and a pair of sandals. Alas, the budget we have won’t allow me to buy more.Pixiemom – http://julie.marzhillstudios.com

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  • September 13, 2006 at 8:04 pm
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    which reminds me, i’m in the hunt for new athletic shoes, too. can’t wait for payday. haha

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  • September 13, 2006 at 9:54 pm
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    It just sucks that it takes such a friggin’ long time for me to wear my rubber shoes out. I want a reason to buy new ones as pretty as yours!!!

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  • September 14, 2006 at 10:41 am
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    Ade: Thanks, man. Um, Shangri-La for apparel? Seems kinda pricey… Sadly I won’t be haunting Galleria during the daytime anymore. Why? Abangan…Rob: The world doesn’t look too kindly on shabbily-shod women. ๐Ÿ™‚Alessandra: I’m 5’2″ and I think I get away with the boots. ๐Ÿ™‚ The gold metallic pair has wedge heels while the silver metallic pair has two-inch heels. (I love love love fashion, as do you! :D)Pixiemom: If I take care of my shoes they last me at least three years, so that’s why I have a lot of pairs. Many of them were bought at sales and bazaars where shoes can be had for as little as $3 (converting Philippine pesos to USD).Worldwithoutend: Thanks, Tony. ๐Ÿ™‚Kid: Good athletic shoes are key to avoiding injury. ๐Ÿ™‚ Payday weekend! (Uh, for you.)Mari_elle: You could always lose one shoe out of your pair… ๐Ÿ˜‰

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  • September 14, 2006 at 9:08 pm
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    Don’t give me any funny ideas… You know I’m crazy, just like you big sis. I may just take your advice!

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  • September 16, 2006 at 3:35 am
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    a little off topic, but i would have to react to one of the books there…robert jordan. did you get to read all his wheel of time books?

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  • September 16, 2006 at 7:20 am
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    Hi Will. ๐Ÿ™‚ That book was a birthday present from one of my uncles because I told him I liked the fantasy genre. Unfortunately the Wheel of Time series is too long-running for me to try and catch up (the terminology used and the history of peoples is kinda complex) so I didn’t even bother reading the rest of them.

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  • September 20, 2006 at 9:01 am
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    Wait. Seriously. Am I the only one who noticed? Is no one else alarmed that Noelle’s feet ARE SHRINKING?!!! I mean, she used to be an 8 1/2 but now you’re a 7 1/2. That’s a whole inch less foot. 2 inches even when you count both feet! If this should go on, you may have NO MORE FEET by Christmas Noelle. That would render your massive shoe collection worthless! Go see a doctor immediately. Maybe there’s a way to reverse it.

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  • September 20, 2006 at 9:03 am
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    Uh…what I meant was, she used to be an 8 1/2 but now SHE’S a 7 1/2. Sorry, worrying affects grammar.

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  • September 20, 2006 at 9:34 am
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    Aww, thanks for the concern, Adam. ๐Ÿ˜€ Actually I used to buy athletic shoes about a size larger than my real shoe size since that used to be the conventional wisdom. These days it’s okay to buy them in one’s own size since the new models are better designed.

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  • September 20, 2006 at 11:10 pm
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    Hi Noelle ๐Ÿ™‚ The first book, “The Eye of the World,” was what hooked me into reading and continue reading the Wheel of Time series. I have books 1 to 11. I even re-read all of them once, but that was because I had no job at the time, hence no money for other books. Sadly, I’m just waiting for Jordan to finish the series. The latter books are not as interesting anymore. However, a friend of mine said book 12 was brilliant. I guess I had high expectations for the series. A bit skeptic, but I’ll still end up buying the 12th book, for posterity’s sake. All I’m saying is that you should have started with the first book. ๐Ÿ™‚ Have a nice day.

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