Giada Valenti: From Venice With Love: I love shoes and they love me!

Cari amici,

We all have days when everything seems to go wrong. The boss is upset with us, someone said something hurtful, our favorite pants has a hole, and the sun is not shining and it’s frizzing cold! We all have different methods of cheering ourselves up, and what works great for one, might do nothing for the other. However, there is a way, which will make almost every woman's day brighter. If you haven't guessed yet, I am talking about “a pair of new shoes” "un paio di scarpe nuove". Men often don't understand why we are so obsessed with shoes and why we claim that different shoes make us feel special. No matter what they say about men and women being the same, most men will never understand how beautiful and sexy we feel when we wear high heel stilettos, despite of how uncomfortable the heels might be. I wrote a song that was recorded on my first CD ”Italian Signorina” about men don’t getting us when it comes to several aspects of our woman-being. The song is titled “I’m a Woman ……don’t you get it?” Shoes is one of them!!

So what's the big deal about heels and shoes? Why do we spend hundreds of dollars buying shoes, which are uncomfortable and damaging to our feet and back? Or why do we need so many diffrent black shoes or boots, that to a man look any way all the same? First of all, high heels make us look more appealing. Wearing them not only makes our legs look longer, but changes our whole posture and make us carry ourself differently. Of course, it stands true only if we know how to walk on high heels properly. Making wide steps and having knees and back bent doesn't make anyone sexier. For the one of us, who are not willing to sacrifice their comfort for style, buying shoes with moderately high heels is a good alternative. They make our legs look good without compromising our health. And there are so many great middle high shoes and boots to choose from!! And even so many wonderful ballerina shoes!!

We like to have different styles and colors of shoes, because they can compliment and spice up any outfit. We can get so excited when we have matching accessories to go along with them. A simple black dress can change its look by changing the accessories and the shoes: sexy and elegant with high sexy hills and a beautiful bag or clutch, comfortable and sporty with ballerina shoes or boots and a big tote. The shoes and the accessories create the look we want to express and we are in the mood for!

This is why we need plenty of it!! There are so many moods and... those can change easily!! LOL
I do love Italian design shoes. My favorites brands are: Sergio Rossi, Giuseppe Zanotti, Ferragamo, Fratelli Rossetti, Cesare Paciotti, Bruno Magli, Bottega Veneta, Dolce e Gabbana, and Geox and Puma, when it comes to comfortable shoes. All these brands make great looking shoes and since they are really made by a team of designers, these shoes are somehow very comfortable and in balance. I own some very expensive shoes and even if the hills are insane high they are very comfortable…and as you know I’m on high hills on stage and I need to be able to walk and feel great for hours while up there!! I save my money on a dress if a have to choose and invest my money for a great pair of designer shoes!! Other shoes that I adore, but that are not Italians are Jimmy Choo and Christian Louboutin: also those are to die for!! And your heart will stop for a few seconds when you see the price tag!! But they are worth it...I'm a woman, don't you get it?

For some strange and inexplicable reasons buying shoes makes us happier because we love the process of looking for the perfect pair and the satisfaction of finding it. I do get super happy to try different shoes on…even if I don’t buy them at the end, just to try them on give me a boost!! I can spend hours looking for shoes with my girlfriends!! Shopping for shoes is fun and can certainly cheer me up, it’s my obsession, my weakness. I own more shoes than dresses. Why?

To answer the question, “What is it with women and shoes?” I googled “women and shoes.” Here’s some facts I found:

Houston Chronicle writer, Kathy Gibson, began her article, Shoe Obsession Disorder: “Contrary to popular belief, Cinderella's stepsisters were not desperate for Prince Charming -- they were desperate for her glass slipper. Unlike shopping for jeans (which is about as much fun as going to the gynecologist), shopping for shoes is an exhilarating experience. Feet don't have hips, feet don't have thighs. Feet are our friends."

Jane Eldershaw, author of Heart and Soul: The Shoes of My Life (St. Martin, 2004) adds, "Shoes are fun! Shoes are little personalities just waiting to be put on. Shoes can be instant sex appeal or instant comfort or instant glamour. Just add your feet. With the right shoes, you can slip on a whole new image...And shoes are fun to buy. You don't have to diet to fit into them and you can sit down while you try them on!"

Laura Ball, in the Vail Daily News, is perhaps most instructive: “(With shoes), you get to dream a little. And we do love it when men compliment our shoes, because it's like looking right into our souls.”

Shoes: windows to our souls!