Ladies Wedge Shoes

I confess! I’m a shoe-aholic. My illness began long ago, when I was about 3 or so and I tried on my mom’s blue suede platforms (yes it was about 1969), and I still haven’t found a cure. The evidence of my grave illness continues to mount as I persist in adding to my existing collection of about 75 pairs of shoes. Now that I’ve returned to Spain, where some of the best shoes are made, the temptation for multiple relapses is worse than ever.

However, this shoe addiction problem of mine qualifies me, almost as much as Carry Bradshaw (from Sex and the City), to talk about shoes. Although I haven’t managed to acquire as many pairs of Monolo Blahnik creations as Carry, I am in a similar position financially – unable to finish my house while my closet glimmers and glistens with a small fortune in SHOE Investments (although I have already found MY Mister Big!).

I have a diverse shoe portfolio, from very high stilettos to my favorite strappy cork wedge shoes I wear even in the garden. Since I’m a 24/7 high-heel kind of gal, and I know it isn’t always practical, I was delighted when ladies wedge shoes made a comeback because high heeled wedge shoes are much more comfortable and practical than thin stilettos or even platform wedge shoes that were popular in the 70’s which I personally find too heavy.

Most women’s wedge shoes these days are light and easy to wear for any occasion, daytime or glamor without being out of place. The other great thing about wedge shoes is the large array of colors they come in. I have brown and black wedge shoes and a simple pair of white wedge shoes for the seaside. I have three pairs of different shades of red wedge shoes for informal evening wear and a pair of orange and gold wedge shoes that my husband adores because they strap around my ankles. I don’t have a single pair of pink or purple wedge shoes because I don’t own a pink or purple dress but I have four black patent leather pairs and one silver pair that are super sexy wedge shoes because they have gemstones that are attached to thin straps and make my feet sparkle. I wear them barefoot, no pantyhose or nylons.

I have seen some very funky wedge tennis shoes, especially in Asia, in which I doubt anyone actually plays tennis, but I don’t own a single pair of sports shoes, wedge or other. My sport is dancing tango, salsa, rumba and a little flamenco, and for that, high-heels are the required footwear!

Naturally all shoe-aholics like me are in love with designers. Not because of the truly scary price tags, but for their creations that just keep coming year after year, better and better. And because of the quality footwear they offer. This year, there are some designer wedge shoes to kill for. I’ll write about that in a separate article because there are just too many fantastic designers to not give each their own space.

Anyway, my favorite wedge shoe this year is orange- Attilio Giusti Leombruni Crisscross Wedge Sandal, and the runner up is yellow – Stuart Weitzman Saturn Espadrille Wedge Sandal. I don’t have either yet but I see they are both available Online. The wedge heel on each of these is a little different. One, the yellow one, has a natural weave wedge and the other, the orange one, has a leather covered wedge which is much more elegant. Since both are wedge sandals, I have had to remind myself that summer won’t last for ever because even here in the south of Spain it gets cold.

My next shoe project will be to research and buy myself a pair of wedge boots before November. The autumns and winter lines have already come out so it shouldn’t be too difficult.