A perfect shoe. . . . . . .

I remember the many years I hated my feet! 
My long, narrow, on a good day. . . .size 10 feet! 
Of course in those days I was also 5' 8" tall so probably required this size to stay balanced. Well that's what I told myself. My most recent height measurement taken at a doctor's office noted I was 5' 71/4", damn it, I'm shrinking! 

My younger feet seemed only to fit comfortably into very expensive shoes. Shoes that were definitely not within my budget. Sometimes I even required a whopping 10-1/2AA, and in killer pointy toes they needed to be a narrow fitting to stay on and be comfortable. My mother had beautiful feet into her early nineties - long, narrow, and always wore a size 12AA. She often had to special order shoes. With her great fashion sense - being a professional dressmaker - her shoes were also very important to her. 

In those long ago days, when I liked to think of myself as a well-dressed, quite fashionable young woman, the only shoes available in size 10-1/2AA were brands such as the amazingly beautiful, and very expensive, Italian handcrafted Salvatore Ferragamo brand. I have owned two pairs in my lifetime. One, a gorgeous burnt red and cream summer classic spectator with a chunky mid heel - sadly long gone - requiring pleated mid-calf skirts or a tailored black one with a kick pleat in the back. . . . . . and sometimes a true trouser, hi-rise waist with a fuller leg and cuffs, decidedly Katherine Hepburn, and thankfully now back in style!

The second pair, above, I splurged on and ordered in my perfect size from the SAKS Fifth Avenue catalog long before computers and online shopping. When they arrived I loved them from the first moment! I still wear them on occasions where a higher heel works for a short time, such as a restaurant dinner, or a funeral! They are black and brown, the smoothest, most velvety calf leather, the top stitching so fine. Even though over 30 years old, they are the 'spectator' style, classic and timeless. I feel they can be worn forever. The last time I wore them when traveling was many years ago when in Montreal where I joined Bob on a business trip. I recall walking on the ancient cobbled streets, from our hotel to a restaurant, and swore "never again" would I pack them for travel as I realized my tottering on heels on rough ground days were over! 

I still love shoes and probably have too many!  Is there actually a woman who doesn't? A few days ago while looking online at spectator style shoes, Etsy popped up with some amazing vintage beauties, including many Salvatore Ferragamo! There was a '50's pair made for Greta Garbo, asking price now $925.00! Thankfully she wore size 8 so were not even considered. As for current Ferragamo shoes, still beautiful, often quirky rather than classic, and way beyond my budget. 

Do you have a favorite pair of shoes you will never say goodbye to?

I'm back to serious preparation and packing for the upcoming trip and it's taking up my time as we're leaving next week. Choosing other footwear for shipboard, sightseeing in cities, the desert and islands, is quite a chore. Packing a lot of shoes is a no-no . . . . . . . . too heavy and take up too much space in that one checked bag!