SHOES NEWS
Hello Stiletto Shoe Club Newsletter
January 2008
My Fantasy Shoe Birthday Party
By Debbie Mellor
When my best friend Missy (aka Shoe Club Prez, Melissa, O'Shea) called and told me and my husband
(Art) to reserve Saturday night, January 5th to celebrate my birthday, I was happy to do so. I thought
we may end up sampling martinis at Copley, and who knows, maybe that 70's cover band would be
there and we could make spectacles of ourselves on the dance floor. Again.
In reality, the night that lay before me was quite different.
Early in the evening of the 5th, the O'Sheas picked us up and we headed downtown. As we
approached our destination, Missy told me that she needed to stop at Barneys to pick up something
or other for Shoe Club. Would it be ok?
Now, to be truthful, I had a moment of hesitation. An O'Shea orchestrated trip to the shoe
department meant in all likelihood I would see something I would to want. This would then (trust me)
lead to a discussion with our husbands about what is appropriate to spend on a single pair of shoes.
Fortunately, the hesitation lasted just for that moment.
When we arrived at Barneys, I was surprised to see my friend Julie there. And before I could really
figure it all out, Art turned to me and said the following magical words:
“This is your birthday surprise. Pick out ANY pair of shoes in the department and we're buying them for
you.” The “we” being Art and a long list of friends he and Missy had conspired with. Many were
showing up to join in the fun, as well.
I had about an hour to make my decision and in between shopping, greeted friends as they arrived.
Fortunately, the Barneys staff helped me keep focused. As best I could, I combed the department,
careful not to miss anything. My mind was aflutter. What am I going to walk away with? Where is the
Marc Jacobs section? Do I go practical? Did he say “any” pair?
As the clock ticked down, I narrowed my choices to a pair of black, studded Christian Louboutin
pumps (a choice I would be sure to enjoy well into my golden years) and a few pairs of leather dress
boots (something I'd been wanting for a long time). I tried the Louboutins first. Sitting on the sofa, and
seeing them on my feet, they were crazy beautiful. Sadly though, as I stood up to walk in them, I
wobbled. It wasn't an awful wobble, but it was noticeable. And not very sexy. How does Katie
Holmes do it? She really must be a robot. But I digress.
Next on deck? A pair of black leather Manolo Blahnik knee-high, high-heeled boots made of soft
buttery leather. There was no zipper on them, but when I slid them over my calf, it was clear they had
been made for me. Or at least a wealthy woman with my sized calf. As for the walking test? Walking
in them, and I'm not lying here, was a dream. I felt like I could save the world. Or at least seduce it.
In the name of making sure this was my choice, I decided to try on yet another pair. However, as I
was waiting for the next pair to come out, without thinking, I put the Manolos back on my feet. I
simply couldn't stand to have them off my legs for any longer than they needed to be. And with this
act, my decision was made.
I kept those boots on for the rest of the evening
(and well into the morning, if you must know),
strutting through Copley with my friends in tow.
Art took everyone out for food and martinis at
Bar 10.
As we waited in line to be served, one of the
women sitting at the bar checked me out when
she thought I wasn't looking, and commented,
"Look at that girl. And look at her boots. Those
are exactly what I want." I half wondered if
someone had paid her to say it, just to make my
night, but looking down at my legs, I knew that
just wasn't the case.
Alas, the evening did finally come to an end. But
I carry on the feeling of having a husband who
totally gets me, and a set of friends that just blew
me away. Oh, and the most magnificent black
knee-high boots I ever did see!
Birthday girl Debbie in “the boots.”
If someone asks you what you want for your
birthday, steal my idea. Tell them you want a
Manolo Blahnik Pascalare over-the-knee
fantasy shoe birthday party. Trust me, it's the best
boots in black stretch leather available at
party a shoe lover can have.
Barneys New York.
The Curse of the Narrow Width Shoe
By Vicki Oleskey
In a small shoe boutique in Hollywood, I watched another
customer try on the Anyi Lu "Spicy" red croc patent pump
and lusted after it. It was a knockout. I asked to see the
shoe in a size 38.5, pretending it would fit. Deep down I
knew that it wouldn't be right... because of The Curse of
the Narrow Width.
Having a narrow foot (a AA to be exact) makes finding a
Cole Haan 'Fiona High Air'
designer, or for that matter any type of snazzy shoe
Patent Pump available in
(formal or casual), a challenge. It can be done, but
narrow sizes at Nordstrom
there are a few things I've learned over the years to make
it easier.
First, forget about shoes that come in European sizes.
They rarely come in narrow. Second, don't listen to
salespeople who tell you a shoe may fit because it "runs
small." Third, not every narrow is really a narrow. It
depends on the maker. Fourth, don't expect many stores
to stock a wide variety of narrow shoes even when they
carry lines that do make narrow shoes. So where do you
go?
I have found the best place by far for narrow shoes is
Nordstrom. You can shop in store and you might hit it
Marc By Marc Jacobs '674920'
right, but you will find a much better selection if you shop
Oxford available in narrow sizes
at Nordstrom
on-line at Nordstrom.com. Just plug in your AA size and you won't be disappointed. In fact, you
might feel like a kid in a candy store. Just yesterday my search produced 410 items.
In price, I find that decent narrow shoes ranged from below $100 to $450. If price is no object, there
are sandals, pumps, espadrilles, you name it from high-end designers such as Stuart Weitzman, Cole-
Haan, Donald J. Pliner, and Bruno Magli. For more economical choices check out Amalfi, Joan &
David, Vaneli, Magdesians, Linea Paolo, and Boutique Nordstrom.
One line that I discovered recently was Sofft. The shoes are pretty true to size and some are stylish
enough to be mistaken for a much more expensive shoe. I was sorry I missed the 25% discount
offered to Hello Stiletto Shoe Club members.
Shopping on-line does have its drawbacks. For instance, if the shoe arrives and you don't like the way
it looks on your foot or it doesn't fit quite right, it can be inconvenient to ship it back. However, most
on-line retailers are making it easier and cheaper to return merchandise. Nordstrom makes it
particularly easy, putting a return label right in the box and accepting returns with no questions asked.
I still drool over the Anyi Lu shoe when I see it but I take solace in knowing I can go shoe shopping, in
the comfort of my own home no less, for something that actually fits if I really try. And am I ever
happy that I don't have a AAA width. Then the going gets really tough.
Hello Stiletto DISCOUNT on Fabulous Shoes from Heels.com
Heels.com is extending a 17% discount to Hello Stiletto Shoe Club Members now through
January 31, 2008! Visit www.heels.com and upon checkout, enter coupon code
hellostiletto17 to take advantage of the offer. Overnight shipping and returns are FREE.
Be sure to also check out Heels.com's blog high.heels.com as well. Become a guest blogger
on the site and for every ten blogs you provide, you can get a free pair of shoes. Email
info@heels.com for more details.
Tie up your look with these uniquely patterned
Upgrade your "go to" black shoes to these cute
sandals by Guess available at heels.com
suede booties by Luichiny available at heels.com
Spice up Valentine's Day in these sumptuous red
satin slingbacks by Nine West available at heels.com
How I started Hello Stiletto’s Atlanta Shoe Club
By Amanda Viciana
It's been nearly two years since my husband and I put the house up for sale, packed up our
belongings, and made the drive from Boston to Atlanta. With our then 11-month old daughter in
tow, we set off to start a new life, my husband accepting a job with SunTrust and myself ready to
meet some new friends in a warm, friendly environment.
Looking back, I cannot believe so much has happened in such a short space of time. I could not
have imagined I would make so many friends so quickly, but that is the nature of this wonderful city.
Atlanta truly is a melting pot and home to some of the friendliest, most diverse people I've ever met.
So it was only natural that, after a year of settling in (and many park play dates featuring my comfy
Crocs) that I would start the Atlanta chapter of the Hello Stiletto Shoe Club. I knew I wasn't going to
initially have the number of members that my sister's Boston group had after years of successful
events, but certainly it would be a fun way to get my friends together. Most importantly, it would be
an opportunity to get dressed up in something sexy, grownup, and completely inappropriate for a
day at an inflatable bounce house.
Armed with the email addresses of about thirty friends, I put together an invitation and in March of
2007, hosted my very first shoe party at Simpatico in Marietta Square. There were only seven of us,
but we enjoyed a fabulous dinner, drinks, and conversation that did not include toddler input. That
was enough for me, so I continued to schedule the monthly outings. It didn't take long for my email
list to grow from 30 friends to 65 friends of friends, and so on. On average that summer, I had an
attendance of 15-20 people at each event. I had no idea how much bigger the club would soon
get!
One day, I decided to email the Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper and was promptly put in
touch with Nedra Rhone, the Fashion and Shopping Reporter. I was delighted to meet Nedra at the
August shoe party (held at "Twist" in Phipps Plaza) and it is to her that I owe my greatest thanks and
appreciation. Who would have known that the feature she did about us in the AJC in August of
2007 would spark such interest, and reach such a large population of fellow shoe enthusiasts? It
seems that overnight (or at least within a couple of weeks) my membership went from 65 to well
over 400 people!
From the AJC article to a morning interview on Star 94FM to my sister's Today show appearance,
things got crazier by the minute. To date, the Atlanta group has over 600 members, steadily
catching up to the Boston group. We've appeared on CBS 46 Better Mornings and have also been
featured in the Social Butterfly blog section of the AJC.
I am honored to have venues seeking us out to host events, donate prizes, food, and cocktails.
Nowadays, the shoe parties average 50+ attendees and I've made some new friends and contacts
that I might not otherwise have had the pleasure to meet.
And let me tell you, these ladies certainly step it up! Some of the best shoes on the planet have
graced my red carpet. I continue to look forward to each event where I can be in the presence of
such fabulous footwear...and the fabulous women wearing them!
Amanda with Corinna Allen
of CBS 46’s Better Mornings
Atlanta Shoe Club
members at “Strip”
Hello Stiletto Press, Pictures,
and Happenings
Here's what's new with the Hello Stiletto
Shoe Club...
We’ve launched yet another new chapter
Hello Stiletto shoe club! This one's in San
Francisco and the first party is set for
February 12th at Nectar Wine Lounge . If you
Barneys Shoe
have friends in San Fran, be sure to tell them
Party (Boston)
to sign up for updates on upcoming parties.
The Atlanta club had a flurry of media
coverage recently, beginning with a TV
appearance on the CBS Better Mornings
program followed by a mention in the
Social Butterfly blog section of the Atlanta
Journal-Constitution.
“Best in Shoe” Winners.
The Atlanta club had its last outing at The
Food Studio Shoe Party
Food Studio and as usual, attendees went
(Atlanta). Photo by Kareem
all out donning beautiful footwear and
Quow of KQP Photography
walking the red carpet. See right for photos.
The Boston club is getting lots of press over
its upcoming Glow and Behold Winter Ball
taking place Friday February 1st at the
Hampshire House to benefit the
Accelerated Cure Project for MS. The event
was called out in the Boston Herald's Style
Calendar on January 23rd. For further
details about the "Shoe Ball" visit
www.acceleratedcure.org/shoeball
The Boston club also had fun shopping
outings to Barneys New York and Iridesse
recently. Pictures are featured right.
Iridesse and Stuart
For more details on past and upcoming
Weitzman Shoe
events visit www.shoeclub.us/events.php
Party (Boston)
JOIN HELLO STILETTO SHOE CLUB