High Heel Shopping at Famous Footwear Just in Time for the Holidays

Its holiday party time and high heels can give you that extra confidence boost or make an outfit. Or...they can cause blisters and pain. 

I have found myself shying away from heels, especially for work because I often cannot tell if I will be on my feet a lot.

Recently I was in Famous Footwear and found heels in the clearance racks that were actually comfy and cute! Priced at about $25, I couldn't go wrong. 

Aerosoles Mary Janes 

After recent success with Aerosoles boots, I have been liking the brand's padding in its shoes.

These heels have the same padding. The heel is thick a sturdy. The mix of textures and shades adds interest, while suede makes them wintry. They can be worn dressy or for work. 

Boot Shopping at Marshalls and Famous Footwear

#fabfound #myvictory



I live in boots when temperatures drop. Unfortunately, after a season, I often find my boots get pretty dead, so each season I am on the hunt for new comfortable and stylish boots.

This year I was looking for flat booties and flat tall boots. My job often requires many hours on my feet, so I want to be comfortable and stylish.

I hit up two of my favorite discounters, Marshalls and Famous Footwear and walking away with 3 pairs of boots.

Marshalls:

I picked up these Nine West fringe booties in Marshalls for $25.

As I previously shared, Marshalls is a great place to find boots.

Most booties have high heels, which are very difficult to walk in. These are nice and flat. The fringe adds a fun touch. They are more on the casual side, but with the right outfit can be work appropriate, depending on how formal your office is. These booties work great with pants or work well to dress down skirts and dresses. The color works with black and brown.

I have been wearing them a ton as a fall transitional shoe. However, I do wish they have more padding. My feet tend to become tired by the end of the day. I have been adding very thin insoles to help.

As I have revealed before, I often shop in the kids section for boots. Its a great way to get stylish boots from great companies for less. These Nine West boots are kids. The size 4 is a size 6 womens'. Great tip for those of us with small feet!

The difficulty with Marshalls is that selection is sometimes limited, lacking a full range of sizes. Items are often from the season before. However, the thrill of a find for a steal is amazing!

Famous Footwear:

Famous Footwear has a much larger shoe selection than Marshalls. Unlike Marshalls, you can also shop online. If you find a shoe in store that they don't have in your size, be sure to check online.The shoes are also usually same season. The downside is they offer less of a discount. Be sure to join their rewards club to earn points towards rewards certificates (free shoes!) and other coupons.

Great Boot Shopping Deals at Marshalls

Recently, I decided to prepare for the upcoming wintery weather by searching for new boots. Luckily Marshalls provided tons of options at prices that could only considered deals. They had a wide selection from top designers. I walked out with short casual brown Michael Kors boots and grey slightly slouchy Unlisted boots. Ok, now I’ll let you in on a secret, they were from the kids department, but fit me perfectly.

Awesome and Stylish Aussie Dogs Boots

I recently received two pairs of Aussie Dogs brand boots and they may actually make me excited for the upcoming chilly weather. In general, the boots are comfortable, stylish, and seem to be warm. (Ithaca weather has been surprisingly mild so far and I can’t say I’m wishing for a cold front.)

I have two pairs, including a classic sheepskin-style black tall boot, which is from the Aussie Girl line and is completely man-made! As a vegetarian and an animal rights activist the availability of well-made, comfy, and stylish shoes without animal products is very exciting. The other pair is the La Croix style in cream. This boot is mid-height and made of sheepskin with a rubber sole. The boot has fur detail and fringe on the side.

Skating Through Winter: A Guide to Ice Skates: Part 3: How to Tie Ice Skates

Tying my skates

Now that you learned how to buy ice skates its time to lace them properly to avoid injuries.

How to Tie Ice Skates:

Proper lacing of ice skates takes time at the beginning, usually 15 to 20 minutes, but with a little practice you will get much quicker.

Please note: These instructions are based on figure-type skates with laces and hooks.

To tie you ice skates sit on a bench or chair where you feet easily touch the ground. Make sure the ground has rubber mats or that you are using guards to protect you blades.

Skating Through Winter: A Guide to Ice Skates: Part 2: How to Buy Ice Skates

Hope you enjoyed my discussion of the history of ice skates and are ready for part 2

How to Buy Ice Skates:

Although not everyone is a competitive figure skater or hockey player, you need proper ice skates to prevent injuries.

Ideally to buy an ice skate you should go to a store that specializes in ice skates and has a sales representative who can fit your feet and abilities. Even beginner skates typically cost at least $150. Although many department and discount stores offer cheaper options, without an experienced sales person you are less likely to find skates that will properly fit. A cheaper option is to buy used boots and blades (USFSA, n.d.).

Skating Through Winter: A Guide to Ice Skates: Part 1: The History of Ice Skates

My Klingbeil ice skates.

Happy Belated Groundhog Day! Although, spring will be early this year, there is still winter weather to contend with. One of my favorite winter activities is ice skating, so I decide to share some information about the special shoes known as ice skates. This will be a series of posts.

Some personal background, I am a figure skater and have been skating for over ten years.

History:

Ice skates have been around for the past 5000 years (Bellis, n.d.). They were invented in Finland as a means of traveling in the cold winter months (Lovgren, 2008). The oldest pair of ice skates was found in the bottom of a Swedish lake and date back to 3000 BCE. These skates were made from the legs of animals. Holes were cut into the bones so leather straps could be used to tie them to one’s feet, see image below (Bellis). The bones were shaved flat on the bottom and skaters used ski-pole like sticks with sharp points to grab the ice (SkateNY, 2007).

Shoes for Winter Weather: My Boot Collection

My winter boot collection at college.

This winter Mother Nature is giving the Eastern United States the worst of winter to deal with—blizzards and subfreezing temperatures. Choosing the right footwear in winter is an important task. Having cold wet feet or slipping because your shoes lack traction are some of the consequences of poor footwear choices. I am pulling on my own experiences as a college student in the winter wonderland known as upstate New York’s Finger Lakes, and research to help you have the appropriate footwear.