Thursday, May 24, 2012

Got Shoes (Hamvention Fashion Note)

In my favorite slingbacks.

I packed six pairs of shoes for the Hamvention. I only wore three pairs.

Three pairs were intended to match four outfits that I planned to wear. Included in that three were a pair that I love, but have been problematical in the past: a pair of black patent open-toed sling-backs with a 4-inch heel and 1/2-inch platform. I love how they look, but after about three to four hours of wear, they become painful and must come off.

I also packed a back-up pair of sling-backs that are not as pretty, but are more comfortable, a black mid-heel pair of Mary-Janes that are always comfortable, my Nine West patent red and black Mary-Janes, a white pair of pumps, and a new pair of black flats. 

Wednesday evening, in my hotel room on the Ohio-Pennsylvania border, I installed a pair of Insolia shoe inserts in the black patent open-toed sling-backs.

I wore the new black flats during the 4.5-hour drive from the Ohio-Pennsylvania border to the hotel south of Dayton. They were very comfortable.

When I arrived at the hotel at 3 PM, I slipped on the black patent open-toed sling-backs and wore them the rest of the day (until about 10 PM). My feet hurt a bit, but no where near the excruciating pain that normally shows up at hour number three. Admittedly, I was sitting most of the time (at my board of directors dinner meeting), so I was not sure if the low amount of pain was due to the inserts or my rear end.

Friday, the Hamvention began. I wore the black patent open-toed sling-backs again and brought along my new black flats for backup. I slipped on the sling-backs at 7 AM and did not remove them until 11 PM. I was amazed that like the day before, my feet hurt a bit, but not so much that the shoes had to come off. I did sit some of the time (during the day while staffing our booth, attending various forums, and dining at our banquet), but I was also on my feet a lot while staffing our booth and walking around the convention.

Saturday, I wore my red and black Mary-Janes and again brought along my flats for backup. The Mary-Janes also have the Insolia inserts, but throughout the day, I had to switch back and forth between the flats and the Mary-Janes because they were not as comfortable as the sling-backs. I wore the Mary-Janes while I was working the booth or if I only had to walk short distances like to the forum area or to the ladies' room. I switched to the flats when I had to walk greater distances like when I made the grand tour of the whole convention floor.

Saturday evening, I wore the sling-backs again when I attended the outdoor cook-out party and I did not bother to bring along my backups.

I am sold on Insolia's high heel inserts and highly recommend them to anyone who owns hurting high heels that they just have to wear.

By the way, while I was working the booth in heels Friday and Saturday, I received two comments regarding my shoes from guys passing by the booth:

"You need sneakers, my dear,"

"Not really," I replied.

...and...

"Are you wearing high heels? Because you are a very tall woman."

"Even without the heels," I thought to myself.

And so it goes

2 comments:

  1. Stana,

    Thanks for the update on the shoes and the Insolias. It is always nice to go through a shoe review and then also finding a key to high heel comfort is great.

    Thank you, however, many, many times over for the fine ambassador work that you have done on behalf of all of us.

    Spending several days out and about in the civilian population coming in visible contact with thousands of people and actually interacting with hundreds of individuals does enormous good for TGs across the 'spectrum'.

    In your pictures you look wonderful and based on your posts it seems that your interactions were all positive. I suspect that some people, on first encountering you, may have wondered about the tall woman in the high heels. I also suspect that by and large you did some 'passing' but an overwhelming amount of positive 'blending'.

    Based on the people you encountered at the convention, the many meals that you had out and about, the people you encountered on your travels and the folks that you met at the BBQ, there are now hundreds of additional people who have had a positive encounter with 'one of us'.

    Now it is up to us to do what we can to follow the high heeled path that you have walked.

    Thanks again.
    Best regards,
    Pat

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  2. Great picture, Stana. I love that dress. It's nice to hear that you found a way to make those cute shoes comfortable.

    I also wish I was as articulate as Pat. Thanks again for your wonderful blog.

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