men's corner: shine them shoes...

it happened again the other day...not the first time...and unfortunately...i'm sure it won't be the last time...there i was...in the elevator...the door opened up...and this man walks in...impeccably dressed...i mean...perfection...that is...until i looked at his shoes...they were dull......unpolished...and scuffed...

this is travesty!  ok...maybe a slight exaggeration there...but seriously...shoes can make or break the outfit...and although this is directed to the men today...it applies to all of us...women included...one of the easiest things to do...have your shoes polished...you may think they are on the bottom...covered by your pant leg...but believe me...people notice...and when they notice...they forget how the rest of you is impeccably dressed...

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my shoe review...

as i have been diligently cleaning out my closet...well...not only my closet...my whole house...i have been thinking of creative ways to store my things...the things that won't be purged...such as my lovely shoes...being that i continually wear them...year after year...it is one area in my life...that i will never claim...i have too much of...no no never...

but with the constant accumulation of new shoes...my dream for a shoe closet would look something like this...be still my heart...

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but then reality sets in...and i am brought back to the real world...the world that does not have that kind of space...a girl can dream though...right? and whether i have the space or not...i do look at my lovely array of shoes as works of art...as most of them are pretty unique (i don't go for the standard black pump...no no...)so shouldn't they be displayed as such?

everyone can agree that tossing shoes into the bottom of the closet doesn't work...right? you lose track of what you have and when you do manage to fish out a matching pair...the once magnificent duo is misshapen...creased...scuffed...how could one do that to a beautiful pair of shoes?

there are some who keep their shoes in the cardboard boxes they arrived in...sometimes with a lovely pic on the side of the box to quickly identify its contents...this does not work for me...as all i get in stacking the boxes (although they are nicely protected) is a toppling of the box when i go shuffling around for that long lost pair of wedges...

so i have assessed my closet...and there is one wall that is completely bare...and i'm thinking...built-in or freestanding shoe cubicles or racks...my shoes will be segregrated from each other...their shape will be protected...and they will be easily identified...and none will be forgotten...

or maybe...i should just display them on racks in my bedroom...as the true works of art that they are...too much?

how are your shoes displayed?

men's corner: put on the shine...

in the midst of my day today...running errands...as i was standing in line...day dreaming...my eyes stopped at a very well dressed man...now before you start the teasing...may i just say...that i'm constantly looking at outfits...whether male or female...but as zz top so eloquently sang..."coz' every girl's crazy 'bout a sharp dressed man..."

well...i was "crazy" until i got down to his shoes...they were scuffed...all over the place...ok...maybe not as bad as the pic i've chosen below...but close enough...if you are going to go to all the trouble of dressing nicely...well...really it shouldn't be any trouble...but i digress...once again...at least have your shoes shined & polished...

not only will this enhance the look of your outfit...but it will prolong the life of your shoes...and hello...as much as you think people aren't looking at your feet...they are...so...whether you are going for a good first impression...or second...um...put on the shine...

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men's corner: start at the bottom...

you will often hear me say..."shoes can make or break an outfit"...and men...well...this applies to you as well...you may have the most superb suit on...but no matter how nice...if it is accompanied with a pair of bad shoes...it just won't matter...honestly...it doesn't even have to be a suit...any outfit...with a pair of bad shoes...just won't do...

now i know the easiest to gravitate to is a black pair of shoes...but let's go wild...and start with brown...there are so many beautiful shades in shoes to try...cognac or cigar...with these colors...you are able to see a lot more of the details of the shoe...and...they go great with black, navy or grey...brown is a nuetral...so don't think of it as a color...it is natural...and nuetrals go with everything...

and when polishing those beautiful brown shoes? always use a neutral polish...you just want the protection and to bring the luster back...you don't want the polish to add any color...think of it like moisturizing your skin...

when traveling...bag those babies...dress shoes usually come with felt shoe bags...these are great when traveling as they prevent your shoes from dirtying everything in your suitcase...but...do put the shoes in separate bags so they don't scuff each other...

if you are looking for space when traveling...stuff those shoes with your socks, your underwear...whatever works...

and above all...give your shoes a rest...one nice pair of shoes isn't enough...the leather needs a break from the heat and moisture of your feet...keep two or three in rotation and they'll all last a lot longer...

cole haan "air jefferson moc" oxford
nordstrom

men's corner: shine it on...

i've always been a little envious of seeing men getting their shoes shined at the airport (or hotel, or even on the streets of san francisco...) it just seems like such a nice treat...but one that i never consider doing myself...it seems like such a 'guy' thing...

well...looks like you don't have to wait for a trip to make sure your shoes look their absolute best...here are some tips (courtesy of gq) on how to get that lustrous look to your shoes:

* first...clean the shoes well...antonio (of jim's shoe repair in ny) recommends fiebing's spot remover...use an old toothbrush to clean the welts...

* next...condition with meltonian leather balm...or another high-quality brand of your choice...

* apply the wax (kiwi, what else?) in small, tight swirls, using your first two fingers wrapped in an old tee-shirt...by the time you've applied the wax to the second shoe...the first will be ready to buff with a horse-hair brush...


* the second coat of kiwi can either be applied with the cloth lightly watered...or applied to the shoe then lightly sprayed with water...and then buffed to a 'spit shine' with a clean cloth...

voila...nothing puts together an outfit better then a nicely shined pair of shoes...