Looking Shoespicious

Do we feel more violated or more safe during the screenings at airport security? On my way to Reno, I had to fly out of LAX airport (probably the most obnoxious airport to fly in and out of during high traffic times). I was wearing my Rag & Bone Classic Newbury boots in bronze and had to take them off, dump them in a bin, and send them on the conveyor belt to get x-rayed. The Newburys began complaining about being degraded to feel like criminals, getting checked and looked at inside and out like they were already guilty of plotting something or being armed and dangerous. I had to explain that although we aren’t psychopaths, there definitely are some out there; no one can tell who falls into which category just by looking at us or taking our word. There were some awful things that have happened at airports and on planes in the past and there are still some people out there who are evil enough to use our airport system as a means to hurt people and/or to smuggle in and out illegal substances or objects. Those people also think of ways to use things, sometimes things like their shoes, to assist in concealing weapons, drugs, or other non-permitted items. My boots just couldn’t believe that other shoes could have actually participated in being accessories to criminal activity and thought shoes being accessories to anything other than fashion in unfathomable. My boots held the opinion that “killer stilettos” was just a saying and could never be taken literally. After seeing every one’s bare or sock-covered feet and all the shoes on the conveyor belt going through the same process, my shoes stopped complaining. I guess they realized that every one and everything is under suspicion, and it’s not just because some one thought the Newburys were the only ones that were looking shoespicious.

MMA Edshoecation

Have you ever watched a Mixed Martial Arts fight live up close and personal? I wore my Jeffrey Campbell Tripoli cutout boots to the Bellator MMA Championship Tournament at the Bren Events Center at UC Irvine, CA, which was also televised on Spike TV. My boyfriend and I went to support by bf’s trainer, Savant Young from the Fight Academy in Pasadena, who fought and beat Mike “The Joker” Guymon in spectacular fashion with a 2nd round knock out. This was the first time my boots went to a live MMA event. I wore them thinking they were perfect for the occasion since most of the fighters look tough and cut, and these boots look pretty tough and cut (out at the heel). Looks; however, can be deceiving, as the Tripoli’s weren’t as tough as they appeared. At first, they were a little squeamish while watching the punches fly and the countless submission attempts in the 4th row from the floor, so I had to explain that there is more to this sport than meets the eye. Although MMA and various Martial Arts in general have been around for a long time, MMA has only been in the main stream relatively recently. To those who aren’t knowledgable or who don’t appreciate the arts behind the fights, it can appear to be a violent blood sport. After being a little educated; however, my boots started to understand that there’s actually a method behind all this MMA madness. The training that is involved in this sport is so intense and the discipline, skill level, and conditioning that these fighters have to have in order to perform well in the three (or five, is it’s a championship fight) five-minute rounds (or less if there’s a stoppage by ref: KO, TKO, submission, tap-out, DQ, or by doctor’s recommendation) is no small feat. The countless hours of training, figuring out an opponent’s weaknesses, and the weight maintenance or cutting, are all in preparation to win the fight, with hopes of entertaining the fans. The entertainment to me is that the mental toughness and strategy involved and how being a ‘smart’ fighter is just as important as being strong or skilled, like a physical chess game in which a fighter must anticipate or be prepared for his opponent’s next move. It may not seem expected, but the best champions are as humble in defeat as they are victory and are always striving to be better at their craft. I also almost always see, at the end of the fight, a show of respect when two fighters (win, lose, or draw) touch gloves or hug each other after going after each other in a war of physical domination, demonstrating that the violence isn’t personal. By the end of the night, after several great and entertaining fights, my boots were yelling, “Improve your positioning, pass his guard! Get his back, put the hooks in, and sink in the rear naked choke!” That’s what I call MMA Edshoecation.

Fringe Benefits

What is a fringe benefit? Well, if you ask my booties, they are the feature that make me want to wear them. For date night at the movies (we watched Django, the acting was second to none), I wore my Betsey Johnson Ziah Booties. These booties have proved to be pretty reliable and comfortable to walk in. They have already mentioned to me that I should show some appreciation to them by wearing them more often since they are so cool and trendy, listing other qualities like being perfect to wear with jeans or dresses. It was kind of funny that I was sitting there with my shoes trying to barter a deal on how often to wear them. It was like a job interview or promotion review about what fringe benefits or perks to expect from a company. It does seem like there is a negotiation on what you can bring to the table to warrant extra pay, health and dental insurance, vacation time, 401k package, extra flexibility at work, or car and gas allowance. It’s always an awkward situation trying to sell one’s self or one’s abilities. So, I made a deal with these booties to have them in a more frequent rotation. It’s always a great feeling to be recognized for your qualities, and if that equates to fringe benefits from your employer, its more money to boot. In my case, it’s more money for boots…

Bootie Call

Do you have a pair of go-to boots? Isabel Marant’s Dicker Bootie is a staple for many shoe lovers and fashionistas. For me, he’s the bootie that I can always call on, who will come through for me no matter what. He isn’t the hottest, most flashy pair, but at the end of the day (or night), Dicker is a frequent flier, I don’t ever get tired of him. Don’t get me wrong, Dicker is quite an attractive bootie, It actually took me a while to get a hold of him. When he was all the rage, there wasn’t an IM in the LA area and I wasn’t yet familiar with the boutiques that carried the IM line yet, so when I was at the Isabel Marant store in New York last winter, I thought I might luck out. Of course, he was not available and had a 5 page wait list. Months later, I finally got my hands on a pair. I was this close to not even wanting Dicker any longer bc I was obsessing for so long and the wait was getting old. It was such a tease to see him on some one and continued to be told it was impossible to buy a pair. I was starting to think he was just to damn cool for me.. Well, I’m glad I waited, he has not yet let me down yet. The black suede Dicker is perfect and timeless, with a low heel that can be worn with almost any outfit. Dicker is simple enough to wear at work (which I am doing today), comfortable enough to walk around in for the entire day and easy enough to slip on and off going through security at the airport while traveling. For as often as I wear these booties, you’d think Dicker wouldn’t let me wear another boot. It’s not; however, him; he’s definitely not the jealous type. 😉