Just Another Day in Pair of Wedges

Shoes

Saturday, I slipped on my wedge heels (Payless' Mink Wedge from Fioni) at 7 AM and took them off at 5 PM. By my calculations, that's ten hours in 3-1/2-inch heels and my feet never complained.

My experience is that wedge heels are very comfortable even wearing them over long periods of time. During one of my recent stints at Hamvention, I wore a pair both days that I attended the event ― most of the time standing while staffing a booth on a concrete floor and I had happy feet at the end of each day. So I swear by wedges and need to add more to my shoe collection.

RIP

After a wonderful Saturday at the Transgender Lives Conference, I saw an obituary in Sunday's newspaper that broke my heart. A 20-something transperson died. Her name was listed with a male first name, followed by a female first name in parenthesis and then her surname, e.g., Michael (Michelle) Smith.

I assumed she was a transwoman because female pronouns were used throughout the obit and her photo presented a female visage.

Her cause of death was not mentioned, so I assumed the worst.

Thought for the Day

Living as a man is highly overrated.

Wearing ML Monique Lhuillier (Source: Rent the Runway)

Professional femulator Paolo Ballesteros and family.

My Lucky Day

I was supposed to do outreach on Thursday for a Human Sexuality class at Southern Connecticut State University.

I wore a new "cut-out" top that I just got from Avon, relatively new dressy wedges from Payless and a very old, but seldom-worn ankle-length skirt from Newport News (remember them?). I took along my blue trench coat because light rain was in the forecast, then I grabbed my black purse and was out the door at 11:15 AM for a 45-minute drive to the campus.

Half way to New Haven, the rear passenger-side tire went flat. Luckily, I was on a two-lane state road and not an Interstate, so I was able to pull over to the side of the road without dodging traffic at Interstate speeds.

I have changed many tires in the past, but I have never changed one as a woman, so I was about to have a new real life experience. I knew my hands would get dirty, but I wondered if my stick-on nails would survive. I had the option of calling AAA, but from past experience, I knew I could change the tire before they would arrive on the scene and if I wanted to get to outreach on time, I had better do it myself.

So I switched to a pair of flats that I carry along just in case, got out of the car, opened the hatchback, got out the spare tire, car jack and wrench and it began to rain. Nuts!

I struggled loosening the lug nuts and just as I was about to jack up the car, it began to rain harder. I decided to wait until the rain slowed down, so I sat in my car, looking at my filthy hands and wondering how I would remove all the grime since all I had in the car were paper towels and no soap.

The clock was running. I was about 20 minutes away from campus and it was 20 minutes before the class started, so I knew at best I would be late getting to class. And the rain kept falling.

About five minutes later, the rain let up a little, so I decided to tackle the tire again. As I began jacking up the car, a car pulled up and parked behind me. A 20-something guy got out and said, "Let me do that. You go sit in the car" and proceeded to change the tire for me.

About five minutes later, he tapped on my window. "Ma'am, I have some bad news. Your spare is flat."

I suspected that the spare was good, just flat after sitting in my car unused for 10 years. Luckily (yes, it was my "lucky" day), I carry a tire pump that is powered through the cigarette lighter. It is slow, but it works. We got it going, inflated the spare and "Mike" finished changing the tire.

I thanked my knight in shining armor profusely and as he drove off, I looked at my watch. The class had already started and I figured that by the time I showed up, it would be almost over, so instead of driving to New Haven, I drove home to wash my hands.

Wearing Monse dress and Helmut Lang shoes (Source: ShopBop).

New Shoes: The Rest of the Story

The remainder of my shoe order from Payless arrived and they are all keepers, that is, they fit and don’t hurt.

Layla Front-Zip Heel

"Elevate your style with the Layla from Fioni! It features a glitter mesh upper, zipper up the vamp, peep toe, pearlized lining, padded footbed, 4-inch heel with a 1/2-inch platform, and a sturdy outsole."

When this pair arrived, I eyeballed the heel and thought it looked higher than 4 inches. So I  measured it and it is almost 5 inches high. The glitter is so subtle that I would not hesitate to wear these shoes out anywhere... except on the cobblestone streets of Provincetown. I paid $27.99 for these beauties on sale versus the regular price of $39.99.

Sinclair High Wedge

"Easily dressed up or dressed down, the Sinclair espadrille from American Eagle features a faux suede upper, ankle sling with adjustable strap, faux leather lining and padded footbed, woven 4-inch wedge with 1-inch platform, and a durable outsole."

This is a shoe I probably won't wear much until next spring, but at $12 a pair, I bought a pair now (in red) before they disappeared in my size.

Mink Medallion Wedge

"The Mink Wedge from Fioni can take you from work to weekend in no time flat! It features a pretty round toe with shiny medallion, 3-inch wrapped wedge, jersey lining, padded insole, and rubber outsole."

I chased this shoe for months, but it was always sold out in my size online and in the store. Then surprise, it was suddenly available this week in my size online and at an incredible clearance price of only $10. I bought a pair in black patent.

One problem that occurred when my new shoes arrived is where to store them. My closet space is overflowing, so I guess it's time to go through my shoe collection and eliminate the seldom worn footwear.

Wearing Boston Proper (I love the necklace!)

Gene Wilder femulates in the 1982 film Hanky Panky.

New Shoes

I had some gift cards from Payless and recently visited the local Payless store to use them. Lately, the local stores do not have much in my size for women, so I bought two pairs of men's footwear and still had a balance left on the gift cards.

Going to Fantasia Fair in October, I decided I wanted some new shoes for the trip, so I used my gift card balance online where the inventory in women's footwear in my size is much more plentiful. I bought four pairs (most on sale or clearance) and only had to add $20 out-of-pocket to cover the amount the gift card balance did not. And I spent enough to qualify for free shipping. (By the way, shipping is always free no matter how much you spend if you have the order delivered to a local Payless store.)

The mailman delivered the first pair yesterday. They fit perfectly, were comfortable throughout the time I wore them and looked very attractive. The shoe is called "Eleanor Wedge" and this is its description:

Update your classic ballet flat with this stylish wedge! It features a round toe, pleated details with buckle accent, jersey lining, breathable insole, 2" wedge, and sturdy outsole. The soft footbed boasts a two layer insole. Memory foam, like pillows provided in five-star hotels, absorbs shock, shapes and holds perfectly to cradle the foot for lasting comfort. Latex foam has a premier bouncing nature which provides cushion and a feeling of protection with every step. Manmade materials.

I paid $16 for the pair.

I have been buying more and more wedges lately. I find that they are usually more comfortable than flats and heels... not that I am giving up on flats and heels, but they are very comfortable without looking like they should be!

Wearing Just Fab.

Graham Weaver, Richard Grieve and Jason Donovan
on the London stage in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.