<![CDATA[Jezebel: shoes]]> http://tags.gawker.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/jezebel.com.png <![CDATA[Jezebel: shoes]]> http://jezebel.com/tag/shoes http://jezebel.com/tag/shoes <![CDATA[What They Didn't Say: Survey Composed Entirely Of Candace Bushnell Characters.]]> "More than 92 per cent of women could remember the first shoes they bought with their own money. Less than two, however, in three recalled the name of the person they first kissed, the survey found." [Telegraph]

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<![CDATA[Shopping With "The Lohan's"]]> As mentioned in Dirt Bag, the Lohan family is shilling shit on a site called LohanHouse.com. Slogan: "Real People Live Here." Real, misguided people!

Each family member — Lindsay, Ali, Dina, Cody and Michael Jr. — has a "room" on the site. Junior's "room" features two pictures of him shirtless and hasn't been updated since September. The page belonging to Dakota, aka "Cody" hasn't been updated since April — though it's probably for the best, since, according to his bio, "Cody prefers playing soccer than[sic] starring in his own movie." Ali's room has a post (from April) about how she was bullied at school by mean girls. Lindsay's room actually has current info, but the site is peppered with grammatical and spelling errors, and was written by someone without a firm grasp of how to use an apostrophe. (Example: "Today is Dina Lohans[sic] Birthday. Buzz on the street is there will be a suprize[sic] party for Dina.")


But the most mind-boggling part is the "shop," where you can buy:

A $135 wrinkled DKNY sweater owned by Michael Jr.


Lindsay's Purple Converse, for $35.

Stella McCartney boots owned by Lindsay, for $500.

Nike sneakers — with Ali's name on them — for $150.

Or a jacket by "Diana" von Furstenberg, for $100.

Now, the second-hand designer market can be a lucrative business. But is there really a customer base for Michael Lohan Jr.'s old sweater? Or Lindsay's purple Chucks? Some of these items appear to be new, or new-ish, with tags attached. But knowing how much free swag celebrities get — between gift suites, PR mailings and brand promotions — you've got to wonder: Did the Lohans even pay for this stuff? Does Lindsay know her mom is selling things she's left behind? Where is the money going? Directly to Dina? I mean, sure, she's raising a bunch of kids by herself and trying to keep a no-good ex-husband off her back. But that doesn't mean anyone wants to pay $75 for a used "Marc Jacob" jacket. Then again, I could be wrong: While finishing this post, the pages on LohanHouse stopped responding: So many people wanted used orange Frye boots, the site crashed!

Look like Lindsay Lohan [Page Six]
[LohanHouse.com]

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<![CDATA[Anthropologie's Hazy Shade Of Winter]]> Look around, make a sound… There's overpriced stuff to be found!



Forgive me if I revert to a 16-year-old Valley Girl version of myself, but ohmigawd, grody. This is soap wrapped in felt. My bathroom pet peeve is hair on soap. SOAP, BY DEFINITION, SHOULD BE CLEAN. If there's pube hair on your Lever 2000, your shower is VOID. Ew ew ew.



The sweater seems nice and all, but my lust is reserved for that Clothbound Penguin Classic version of Sense and Sensibility. Actually, my favorite designs in the series are the chandelier-covered Great Expectations and the peacock-feathered Picture Of Dorian Gray. You have Coralie Bickford-Smith to thank for the exquisite patterns.



This "message in a bottle" thingy is $16 for a little glass jar and some blank paper. Blink. Blink.




Is the "in-the-clouds scarf" pretty, in a shabby chic/grandma's attic kind of way? Yes. Is it $168 pretty? No.



Someone's been in the Ugly Betty wardrobe department.



My problem with Shabby Chic is my same problem with Olsen twins chic. It's not hip to be homeless, so why is it hip to LOOK homeless? Derelicte your own balls.



The "noble lore" blouse is probably cute and Blair Waldorf-esque, but the "hazy" photo treatment makes it hard to tell. It's worse than the time they shot shit underwater, because it makes me feel like I have glaucoma.



If I have one gift, it's the uncanny ability to look at a page of items and only like the most expensive thing pictured. In this case it's the "Enveloped Petals Cardigan," ringing up at $248 — the Upended Poppy tee is $68; the In-A-Moment dress is $118 and the Waltzing Daphne blouse is $98.



"He said he was a painter… He asked me if I wanted to get plastered… I didn't know it he painted walls… Still, he made me feel dizzy and weak in the knees! Or was it the fumes? All I know is I haven't spackled like that in a long time."



Excellent things about this shot:
1. Eyebrows
2. Eyes
3. Masculine/feminine combo of blazer and lace

Terrible things:
1. Blazer wouldn't look good on me/fit my rack
2. Doesn't come in my size anyway



AAAAAHHHH my eyes! Make it stop.



More lovely books. The striped "Saturation Point" heels are cute, too: $88.



She is humming "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes." Mark my words.



The "Great Heights Shift," $148: Cute or corny? As a city girl, I'm a sucker for a skyline.



Oh, Anthro. This always happens. I hate you, then you do something sweet — like pairing a girl "For Flora Skirt" ($168) and pindot tights ($18) with retro "Carved Celadon" heels ($168). Le sigh.

Anthropologie [Official Site]

Earlier: Man Shops Globe: The World Is Your Boho Bazaar
Man Shops Globe: The World Is Your Boho Bazaar
Anthropologie: Sartorialist-ic "Real" People Impossibly Pretty, Well-Dressed
May Anthropologie Catalog: Totally Watered Down
Anthropologie "Adorned": Critters & Kids Steal The Spotlight From Bags & Baubles
Anthropologie "Revival": TV-Ready Fall Fashion
Pottery Barn, Anthropologie & West Elm: Bedding Porn For Sleepyheads
CB2, Anthropologie & Delia's: More Bedding Porn For SleepyHeads
Please Do Not Look The Anthropologie Model In The Eye
Anthropologie "Vignettes": Forcing Us To Look Forward To Fall
Anthropologie "Giving": We Love To Hate & Hate To Love It
Urban Outfitters, Free People & Anthropologie: What's The Difference?
Anthropologie Doesn't Care About Black People

Related: Fetchdog, Drs Fosters & Smith: Howliday Humiliation For Dogs & Cats
Dear Santa: Have You Seen The December J. Crew?
Barneys: Wooing With Witticisms & Wallet-Emptying Wares
Ashro: Stop Being Such A Slob And Get Yourself A Suit, Hat & Wig
19 Crappy & Crazy Christmas Gifts From Sky Mall
Silver Belles & Butt Floss: Christmas At Frederick's Of Hollywood
Preclears On Your List? Shop The Scientology Holiday Catalog

All previous catalog posts

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<![CDATA[Dear Santa: Have You Seen The December J. Crew?]]> You see, Mr. Claus, I think we should talk about it.



Santa, it's kind of cool to send models to Chile's Andes Mountains and all, but really, even though the girl in the coat looks adorbs as she "poses" or drunkenly weaves through the snow, the dude in the poncho and hat in the back looks more interesting. Bad-ass, even. Even the horse is like, "Bish plz. Nay."



Santa, don't you love this shot? The textures and colors! And if you, Mr. Claus, feel bringing this girl a pearl twisted hammock necklace ($98) and a pearl-and-crystal avalanche necklace (135), that would be awesome, because I'm loath to pay those prices for them. And I've been good.



Have you ever tried this, St. Nick? Going out it lots of cute layers instead of a coat? Does it work for you? Really? Are you warm enough? Can you still move your arms? Huh.



Aw, Santa, as a girl who dresses up for Dorothy almost every Halloween, my heart skips a beat when I see glitter heels. Then again, I dig pretty much everything glittery here — the tank, the cardigan, the necklace.



Yum! Ladylike coats in sugary-sweet colors!



Ooh, this hearkens back to boat on dry land trend of 2008! Unless that's a frozen lake.

(Click "full size" to enlarge)



Dear Santa, don't you think it would be nice to entertain at home in a velvet jacket and silk pajama pants? And, more importantly: Sneakers? Oh, it's all very well to squeeze into something short and/or tight, and strap on heels and teeter around at holiday parties. But imagine being able to eat! And walk!



Dear Kris Kringle: The "Ellington" skirt is named after Duke, right? It's all jazzy and whatnot, designed for dancing on top of a piano or for pretending you're in a repertory theater production of Chicago. Too bad it's styled with those hideous socks and shoes.



Riddle me this, KK: Is "bling" ever going away? Not sparkles — sparkly stuff we love. But the word. Bling. Just a question. While you're thinking about it, bring me this cardigan in light berry, fresh guava, soft violet and heather fossil.



Yo. Sinterklaas. File this under "good in theory but less elegant in practice."



Dear Santa: Bet you can't guess who the most awesome person in this picture is. Go ahead, click "full size" to enlarge. Nah, it's not the gray lady on the left in the Ellington skirt. Try again.



Ding ding ding!



Hey, Santa, did you know J. Crew hired Chanel Iman? Exciting, right? She looks super pretty! Young! Fresh! Bright-eyed and bushy pony-tailed! And, you know: Yay for black models.



Another yay! Is this Arlenis? Her skin is to die for, as are these soft, candy colors.



Oh, Santa. If only I looked like this right now. Put-together! Joyous! Like a flattering light and some peachy blush are emanating from within me! Instead I'm wearing pajamas with cupcakes and ice cream on 'em and my hair looks like a Brillo pad that needs to be thrown away and my face is like :-/



Dear Santa: Everything but the boots. And maybe you could throw in a little somethin' extry?



Thanks!

J. Crew [Official Site]

Earlier: October At J. Crew: Pretty, Preppy, Preposterous
J.Crew's Ovary-Busting Child Models Should Come With A Warning
Fall At J. Crew: Romantic Ruffles, Destroyed Jeans, Hideous Shoes

J. Jill Vs. J. Crew: It's A Fashion Showcase Showdown

Related: Barneys: Wooing With Witticisms & Wallet-Emptying Wares
Ashro: Stop Being Such A Slob And Get Yourself A Suit, Hat & Wig
19 Crappy & Crazy Christmas Gifts From Sky Mall
Dean & Deluca Thanksgiving: Mouth-Watering, Wallet-Emptying
All previous catalog posts

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<![CDATA[Bread Shoes Are Here To Make All Of Your Bread Shoe-Related Dreams Come True]]> Looking for a Christmas gift for that person who has everything? Perhaps you should drop 20 Euros on these stylish bread shoes, which are both wearable and edible. Probably best to stick with one or the other, though. [InventorSpot]

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<![CDATA[On Fashion Statement Heels Vs. Feel-Good Flats]]> Preposterous high heels are all over the runways. But in today's Guardian, Linda Grant writes about wearing flats, which she calls an "act of collective fashion disobedience." She claims: "Fashion has given us shoes as decorative objects, not footwear."

Grant continues:

Friends tell me that they keep their heels in a drawer in the office, in case they have to look smart for a meeting or a lunch or are going out after work. Women in the City have said that they need heels to look their male colleagues in the eye, but they are getting to work in flats. Few are able to negotiate public transport in the shoes that are being sold in the shops. Wobbling on to a fast-moving escalator during the London rush-hour in 6in heels? Running for a bus? Taking the children to school?

New York living is hard on the sole. Lots of walking, uneven sidewalks, cobblestones. Even though I lust after heels, I find that I'm always in the market for a great flat. Grant mentions that in the '80s and '90s, women who are in their late 20s today were children and teenagers. "What did they wear?" she asks. "First they wore [sneakers], and then they wore clumpy shoes. Only the re-emergence of the ladylike shoe, and the colossal influence of Sex and the City in introducing us to the shoe wardrobe, convinced that generation to get into heels." Even though I'm beyond my late 20s, I think this is somewhat true: In high school, college and even in my first jobs, my shoes were cool, but generally flat: Hip sneakers, Doc Martens, menswear-inspired oxfords. I wanted to be fashionable, but I needed to be mobile. And I was! I needed to dance, run errands, hurry down subway stairs. And I could!

But recently, I'm convinced I'm not "dressed up" unless I'm wearing heels. I put them on for events, suffer for a few hours, and end up taking a cab home even though I'd rather walk — just to get off my throbbing feet. I have one pair of glittery stilettos that are so painful I've never made it out of the house with them on; I call them my "phone call shoes," because that's all they're good for: Wearing while lying down and talking long distance.

So how did I get convinced that in addition to the comfortable flats I love, I "need" high heels? Maybe because that's all one finds upon shoe-shopping? Grant writes:

This total disconnect between fashion and what people actually wear, seems to have passed almost unnoticed. Magazines continue to show us ever more crazy shoes. Fashion has decided that there can be nothing in between the 6in heel and the flat.

I, for one, would embrace the return of the kitten heel, or at least a move away from stilettos. In the meantime, I'll agree with Grant, who says: "I love the extra height heels give me. I like being able to look men in the eye. I like the look of beautiful shoes, but until the manufacturers start including a sedan chair and two attendants with each purchase, I shall wear ugly shoes." At least for running errands.

Real Women Wear Flat Shoes [Guardian]

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<![CDATA["Sexy" Shoes: 1969 Vs. 2009]]> The ad at left appeared in the Los Angeles Times on September 5, 1969. The shoes of this year — chunky and low-heeled, in colors like "antique brown," olive and navy, were considered sexy. Gwen of Sociological images notes:


It's a great example of how quickly fashion standards can change. Today I'm pretty sure most, if not all, of these shoes would be considered old-fashioned and wouldn't be marketed as sexy. Our ideas of what constitutes a "sexy" woman's shoe today includes a higher, thinner heel, meaning they're also in general less stable, harder to walk in, and worse for your feet than shoes with a chunky heel like these.

All of this is true. But we should also remember that in 1969, skirts were pretty short; these shoes were paired with a lot of leg. Check out this picture of Jane Birkin in 1968, or this "Young New Look" of 1969.


Still, compare the shoes of 1969 to what Donatella Versace — known for doing "sexy" — showed in Milan in September.


Or the perilous pumps seen on the runway of Nina Ricci in March.

While these high-fashion runway shoes aren't reflective of what the average woman wears on the streets, they do say something about what designers think is "sexy." And when asked to picture a "sexy shoe," chances are you think of a stiletto. It almost seems like today's shoes are an exaggerated version of "sexy;" stretching out the leg cartoonishly (forcing the breasts and butt out at the same time). 1969's shoes seemed less about contortions and more about… well, walking. Of course, in the '70s, blocky wooden platforms entered the picture, and ankles suffered.

Since fashion is cyclical, maybe in forty years, spindly Louboutins and Jimmy Choos will look terribly old-fashioned and decidedly not sexy.



As for these anthropomorphic Alexander McQueen heels, "sexy" isn't exactly an adjective I'd use.

Changing Fashion Standards: Sexy Shoes From 1969 [Sociological Images]

Earlier: Versace: Tough, Edgy, Sexy
Alexander McQueen: For The Futuristic Interplanetary Mutant Alien Queen In You
Have You Seen Nina Ricci's Stupefying Shoes?

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<![CDATA[The Tedious, Endless, Self-Righteous Heel Debate Rages On]]> Oh god, when will it stop? From the looks of it, never:

The Times tackles the Eternal Question, soliciting opinions on why, for women, impractical (and in cases, wildly impractical) shoes not merely persist but thrive. Of course, there are the sociological explications, the design perspective, the killjoy podiatrist listing a mind-numbing range of foot injuries. We all know the drill: to Greer, it's servitude. To Bradshaw, it's self-indulgence. To many, it's inexplicable. Fashionista versus frump, under all flags.

The range of comments following the article is equally representative, from those who just think they're beautiful, to those who feel empowered, to the superior woman who declares, "Never have and never will wear high heals. Happily married with no lack of lovers previously. Why would anyone want to wear high heals? If you need these to get attention maybe you need to look at the kind of attention you seek." (Sexual healing, maybe?) Others invoke the irresponsibility, given the health-care debate, of courting avoidable injury. And someone else declares that high heels

make women appear to walk like helpless little girls who can't walk or run away ( i.e. make choices) from men...These women look like they need a man to carry them because they certainly can't circumnavigate the world on their own. Run for a cab in those? Teach class in those? Take the stairs in those? Fight for your client in those?

And so the debate rages on: the sensible versus the defiant. Because there's no justifying heels; it's like smoking, only moderately less hazardous to those around you. And people wear them because they don't have to, in defiance of sense and economy. Now, we're primarily talking "fashion heels" here - although, come on, the McQueen shoes and their ilk are hardly representative any more than is a full-body lace suit sans undies. It's the runway.

But it's still a valid question, and shoes have become absurd. Why do we wear heels? I can only tell you why I do: I'm short. They make me look taller. I went through most of my life looking up to people, with companions having to walk in the gutter. Then I realized I could wear a pair of shoes and look people in the eye. That simple, and I'm sorry but that's a good thing. Men don't have the pressure to torture their feet? They also don't have the option of increasing their height. Well, not without a hefty side of ridicule (and the time poor teenage uncle D bought elevator shoes still looms large in family lore.) But that said, I make no claims to moral superiority, and I'd add to this that wearing heels is like riding a bike: don't do it if you don't know how. It's dangerous and stupid-looking. It's like heavy makeup - you only notice it when it's bad. There are plenty of us striding around comfortably whom you don't notice because someone's teetering by further down the block. I'm not saying you should run in heels - ankles etc. etc. - but I can, most of us can. Of course, I choose my shoes with care - for walking, chunky heels and, whenever possible, good engineering like the estimable Faryl Robin's. "Fashion heels", yes, but not just any! Sure, good ones are pricey, but it's not an area where you want to compromise, and if we're gonna come down hard on anything, surely it should be budget do-mes, with their lack of cushioning and flimsy heels! Caveat emptor, sisters. But for non-heelers: Don't like it? Don't do it. I understand that there's pressure still in some professional environments to don a heel (although surely fewer and fewer) but for most of us, it's a choice. Sometimes, in this world, we want to control our risks for a few hours. The further things move from necessity, the more closely they approach decadence and I suppose for the naysayers, Nero's fiddling as we blithely toss away the gains of our mother's generation. But there's something to be said for reclamation. And you know what? Some of us like the option of riding roller-coasters occasionally. Or, you know, appearing in surrealist operas.

Why We Love The Shoes That Hurt Us [NYT]

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<![CDATA[Dina Lohan: Shoe Designer]]> On the heels (heh) of Lindsay's fashion week disaster, her mother, Dina, will unveil her new "celebrity" shoe line — called "Shoe-Han" — at Trump Plaza today. Betcha that's some classy footwear. [Page Six]

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<![CDATA[Cinderella Story]]> Why even lie? The 5-year-old in us secretly covets these Maison Martin Margiela glass slippers. The adult, however, sees emergency room visits, a $2,580 price tag, and the fact that bloody, ungroomed toes would be totally visible. [FWD]

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<![CDATA[“Each Concession We Make Is Accompanied By An Inner Diminution Of Which We Are Not Immediately Conscious.”]]> Teri Agins: "There are stylish footwear options for women with bunions-so long as you're prepared to make concessions. That means no stilettos or pointed-toe styles." [WSJ]

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<![CDATA[Elephants On Parade!]]> When this elephant suffered a sore foot, the zookeepers at her British home had a custom shoe made. (It's actually more like a heavy-duty booty. But still.) [Scientific American]

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<![CDATA[High-Heeled Running Shoes: Awesome Or Awful?]]> These high heels by Japanese brand B by Aperire are made with materials usually found in athletic shoes. While we're all for making fashionable shoes more comfortable, the idea of someone trying to run in these? Frightening. [Inventor Spot]

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<![CDATA[Fall At J. Crew: Romantic Ruffles, Destroyed Jeans, Hideous Shoes]]> Look what blew into town: The August J. Crew catalog, in which "each piece is meant to be affectionately weathered and worn — much like your favorite paperback." But unlike the "destroyed" jeans inside, a paperback won't cost $118.



Shades of gray are gorgeous, so is the wind-swept scenery. Too bad it's so humid right now that merely looking at that sweater is giving me hives.



Ah, to be a well-tailored writer, pensive at a typewriter, instead of a muumuu-wearing blogger, snarky at a Mac.



This silk ruffled cami is so pretty, even if you're feeling ixnay on the paper-bag waist skirt. Of course, on some people, a silk cami means underarm sweat stains, and a general feeling of discomfort, but that's neither here nor there.



Look at all the colors!



"Jenna's picks" are predictably pale, soft and ladylike; but any whimpering you may hear is me, wanting that "Libretto" necklace very badly. (Click "full size" to enlarge photo.)



Whimper. Whimper. Whine. Whine.



Maybe I'm closed-minded and behind the times, but when I see these doo-doo brown, misshapen, ortho-fug shoes, one word comes to mind, and that word is: Ew. (Then I see the $225 price tag, and I think: LOL.)



These shorts are pictured with herringbone tights and just one of several pairs of shorts shown with tights. Is this the part of the anti-pants agenda?



More shorts with tights, modeled by someone who looks like Jennifer Jason Leigh in Fast Times.



What we have here, friends is some "creative" styling. She is wearing rhinestones and sweatpants. But that's not all! The caption reads: "Paris Drawstring Pant. Our stylist cut these off and rolled them up." I think it looks ridiculous, but apparently they consider it a serving suggestion?



Once you get over the fact that it's preposterous to purchase something which has already been destroyed, decide if J. Crew is trying to push thinspiration: These jeans are "matchstick"; the ones on the next page are "toothpick": and they are all set off by "superskinny" belts.



How do this dress and these shoes work together, unless she is headed to a prom slash pow wow?



Ew. There's the Ew Shoe. It is Ew.



The wedding/party dresses always manage to be light, ethereal, feminine and cut curiously small in the bust.



But the colors! The colors are fresh and juicy.



Although this is more like what I would wear if I still Ieft the house.


Hey look! Free shipping on multi-culti kids! (Click "full size" to enlarge photo.)


Time to place an order.

[J. Crew]

Earlier: Summer At J. Crew: Pretty, Pastel, Pricey
The WASPiest Items In "Vineyard Vines"
5 Hideous Things Urban Outfitters Wants You To Wear This Summer
May Anthropologie Catalog: Totally Watered Down

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<![CDATA[Are Women Faking Their Love For Shoes, Zappos.com?]]> Guerrilla marketing agency Renegade created the fake commercial at left to show how they'd advertise for Zappos.com: using the orgasm scene from When Harry Met Sally. Doesn't the ad suggest that Meg Ryan's only pretending to love Zappos? [Ad Rants]

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<![CDATA[Women's Website Discovers Secret To Wearing Heels, But Science Knows Better]]> Ever since I broke my foot four years ago, I don't really wear heels anymore. But that doesn't mean I don't get blisters. Luckily, blisterenterolgists at The Frisky are on the case.

The Frisky's Leonora Epstein writes,

You wear your new super hot, strappy high heels and the next day your feet look like they've been in the boxing ring. Then, the only way to wear your shoes again is to protect your wounds with band-aids that slip out of place, or you end up taking them off anyhow because they're so unsightly and you're wincing every time you take a step.

Foot-boxing actually sounds kind of fun, and a better reason to get a foot injury than ill-fitting shoes. But no matter, the solution to all podiatric problems is ... Nexcare Clear First Aid Tape! Yes, just tape over those seeping wounds and strap your hot high heels right back on again. The Frisky calls this "tip" (originally from Teen Vogue) an "amazing insider fashion secret."

Of course, this "insider secret" can be found in any drugstore, but more to the point, if your shoes make your feet bleed, just don't wear them for a while! Or do as I did the last time a pair of peep-toe flats made my feet an oozy mess (damn you, Paris Hilton Collection!), and recognize that they don't actually fit you, and by a different pair. This is easier if, like me, you only buy $40 shoes.

Or, for a more radical solution, try never wearing shoes at all. Scientists studied the feet of people from South India who "walk barefoot throughout life, mostly for spiritual or financial reasons." Their feet were a different shape than those of shoe-wearers, and pressure was more evenly distributed over the soles. This means shoes probably change the way our feet work, and not in a good way. However, they do protect us from hot asphalt and broken glass, which would probably necessitate more Nexcare Tape.

How To Wear High Heels Even When You Have Blisters [The Frisky]
Footwear Alters Normal Form And Function Of The Foot [ScienceDaily]

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<![CDATA[An Analysis Of The Underlying Themes In Britney's New Candie's Commerical]]> While watching the brand new 30-second Candie's spot starring Britney Spears, I had some deep thoughts.


Our story begins behind a fence. You see, pop stars have to build up walls, to keep out the world — fame is a cage, really. These three hardened, sharpened points represent the past, present, and the future.


You may think this statue means the car has arrived at a polo club. But the horse is a symbol of the yearning to be free. Native Americans equated horses with spirit winds and messengers. Horses also stand for strength and hard work. Hello? Britney works hard for the money, so you better treat her right!


Product placement.


Our heroine emerges. No one greets her.


The choice to shoot Britney framed by the crotch of a horse is to remind us that she is a mere human, a small person on a large planet; fragile. Also: Thin, now.


Product placement.


Our heroine has magically changed clothes. She descends a staircase — goes down the rabbit hole, if you will, deep into her subconscious. There's a light on. And a package with some balls. You do the math.


She peeks around the corner.


A man is finishing getting dressed, which means we — er — she just missed him bare-chested. Damn.


Like many men who exist only in one's subconscious, he remains faceless. Also, there are no razors in the subconscious.


Suddenly, the man is astride a muscular steed, brandishing a polo mallet. Note the number 3 — the most mystical number. Three is the first odd prime number, and there are three types of molecular bonds. There were three witches in Macbeth; Adolf Hitler's Empire was the 3rd Reich; shamrocks have three leaves; three little bears, three billy goats gruff, you always get three wishes and there's a Christian Holy Trinity. Britney Spears is only female artist in music history to have her first three albums debut at number one. She married her first husband, Jason Alexander, on January 3. She got engaged to Kevin Federline three months after they met. The book Britney wrote with her mom, Britney Spears's Heart to Heart, was printed by Three Rivers Press.


Shakespeare often made puns about riding — meaning sex. Some believe that when a young woman gets really into horseback riding, she is channeling her sexual urges.


In any case, Britney has changed her ensemble again, so she can watch the action. Note how she wears all black, to signify how deep and dark she is; the white room reminds you: None of this is really happening.


She looks out on the cold, isolated landscape to find her Faceless Man; and the sexy freedom of him straddling a horse. Somehow you can tell that she thinks he holds all the answers, all the keys to the mysteries she can't solve.


But he's just playing with his balls.


It's disappointing, to say the least. This is her subconscious fantasy, dammit!


Product placement.


Product placement. And proof of empty uterus: At least she didn't have unprotected sex with the guy. Also: Thin!


…And: Scene.

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<![CDATA[Levi Johnston's Best Dude Steals Show On L.A. Shopping Trip]]> I have what is rapidly becoming a well-documented obsession with Levi Johnston's manager/friend/companion Tank Jones. Renata Espinosa's Daily Beast piece, which goes behind the scenes of their bromance does nothing to quell it. Oh, and she asks Levi about Letterman.

She goes bargain shopping with them in L.A. after meeting them at an event, and I remain smitten with Tank — just like many women in L.A. are (and not just the two he blew kisses at in the TMZ video). She says:

Besides acting as Levi's handler, Tank is his personal Tim Gunn and Henry Higgins all in one, instructing him on the subtleties of wearing a fedora and reminding him to be open-minded about the different types of people he might encounter. Tank is the ultimate 21st-century version of an American father: multicultural and media-savvy.

Somehow, I don't associate Tank with my dad, who is neither multicultural nor media savvy and probably doesn't know how to wear a fedora — though he did help teach me open-mindedness.

But maybe Espinosa equates Tank with Tim Gunn because he's such a clothes horse?

Tank's huge array of wardrobe options-his suits are custom-made for him by a tailor in Hong Kong and he estimates that he owns around 100 pairs of shoes-baffles Levi, who says he has 10 pairs of shoes and wears "like, two of them."

"I have different watches and rings that go with the outfits, too," says Tank. "Like when I have a blue suit on, I have a blue ring and a blue watch."

Tank and I are obviously kindred spirits in the shoe department, I admit.

And, like the rest of us, Tank would like to see Levi do something more with his look than jeans, work pants and flannels.

"Levi has his own style, and it works for him," says Tank. "But, if he's going to go into the entertainment field, he has to be versatile. That's one of the things I want him to start seeing-feeling those colors, and feeling those textures. That's a lot for him, especially when you're used to doing something a certain way."

I have some colors and textures Tank could feel, that's for certain.

Espinosa even gets pictures of Tank dancing with an Israeli shopkeeper to some music on in the background of her shop.

"Hold this," says Tank to Levi, handing him his hot dog. "Let me work this." Israeli music plays over the loudspeakers as Tank pays for his purchase. "I want to see the dance of your culture," says Tank to Dahan, motioning to her to come out from behind the counter to dance, and she enthusiastically obliges. As Tank leaves the store, he turns to Levi and says, "I just love meeting different people."

Oh, hells yeah.

Espinosa also asks Levi about Letterman's Bristol-A-Rod joke.

Levi, for the record, thought the joke was in poor taste, but he gets that Letterman is just a comedian. "I don't think he was trying to be malicious," he told The Daily Beast. "I just think the joke maybe went too far. I don't think that David was trying to advocate any sexual misconduct of any nature."

Whether or not the joke was funny or ill-conceived, though, Levi was mostly concerned about how it affected Bristol and Willow. "I don't like to see anybody hurt, especially if it got to the girls and their feelings were hurt," he said. "[The media] has said a million things about me and my family, and sometimes you have to take things with a grain of salt. But in this instance, things went a little too far."

Levi seems like a decent enough kid, but, really, men are always going to be more interesting. So can we talk some more about Tank now?

Shopping with Levi Johnston [Daily Beast]

Related: Levi Johnston Practices Unsafe SPF [TMZ]

Earlier: Levi Johnston Is Everyone's First Boyfriend
Levi Johnston Bares Nothing In L.A.

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<![CDATA[Drew's Rose Toes]]>

[Hollywood, June 2. Image via Splash.]

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<![CDATA[Booze Shoes]]> The problem with these stilettos for bartenders, in addition to being hideous and silly - and a rip-off of these - is that you will most certainly spill your drink on the floor. [Inventor Spot]

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