Riding Boots/Grace Boots

These are my riding boots. My Dad calls these boots my Grace boots.

These riding boots are definitely the shoes I wear most often. Summer, spring, winter and fall, these boots are perfect. They withstand slushy snow, but on the flip side they can be very breathable too. I know I’m contradicting myself, but I swear it’s true! Whatever the weather I’m somehow comfy in these boots.

I love everything about them: the color, the lightness, the buckles, the strap in the front, the warmth, the zipper on the side, the height. Not only are they my favorite to wear but they remind me of two of my favorite things in the world too…horseback riding and Grace Potter.

I was with my Mom when I got these boots. I was at Charlotte Russe with my little brother (he was super thrilled to be there), and my Mom was somewhere else in the mall. It was around Christmas time and I was supposed to be shopping for other people. But I convinced myself it was perfectly okay to help my Mom out with her Xmas shopping, and pick out some things for myself since we were there. Plus, I can’t physically walk past Charlotte Russe without going in...they notoriously have the entire back wall designated for shoes, so you can imagine how difficult it is.

When I found them I was immediately drawn to them. They reminded me of horseback riding. I’ve been riding since I was about 10 years old and so I was used to wearing those tight tight tight riding pants and the riding boots that go up to your knees. When riding boots came into style about a year ago, I was ecstatic. I’d been wearing these for years already! My friend Shevawn, who I used to ride with a lot, jokes that we were ready for this trend since the beginning of the millennium.  

Horseback riding is an amazing experience. Having a 1,000 pound animal underneath you is terrifying and powerful at the same time. There are so many things that the average person doesn’t realize about English style horseback riding. I often hear people say that “it looks easy” and they bet they “could do it no problem.” What they don’t realize is you use every muscle in your body. You don’t just sit there and ride. There’s a technique. Your knees have to be in, close to the horse, your heels stretch down and out, while your toes are pointed toward the horse. Try to sit in that position for more than 30 seconds…it’s painful. The reins have to be laced between your fingers a certain way, thumbs pointed forward. The horses head should be down and you have to have a firm, blistered grip onto the leather reins and constantly be alternating pulls so the horses head drops. Your back will feel pain it’s never felt because you have to scooch your butt out, with your middle back in and your shoulders back. You must remain composed and perfectly straight and posed while a horse runs beneath you.

But horseback riding isn’t all pain. When you do it right, you can feel it and it’s exhilarating. The wind in your hair, the movement of the animal beneath you and the power you can control with a single clucking noise or jerk of the hand.

When I wear these boots I think about that feeling. That feeling of control, beauty and perfection.

These boots also remind me of my favorite band Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. My Dad and I are obsessed with Grace Potter and her music. They’re sound is unlike anything I’ve ever heard before and the stage presence of Grace is beyond extraordinary. Her voice is beautiful, it commands attention. Her lyrics and power in her voice are mesmerizing.

My father and I go to her concerts constantly and we even met her backstage at a concert last October. My Dad and I re-connected after a long time of being estranged over finding a common interest in Grace and her music. My father and I hold Grace Potter close in our hearts because it reminds us of what we almost lost and how amazing it was that we got it back.

Grace Potter is notorious for wearing short dresses and knee high boots. Almost every time we go to her concerts in Burlington VT, she’ll be wearing the shortest dress imaginable and the highest boots imaginable. The first day I came over to my Dad’s house wearing my riding boots, he didn’t notice until I was about to leave. He called them “grace boots” and the name has forever stuck.

When I listen to Grace Potter and the Nocturnals or talk about them with my Dad, I’m reminded of how happy I am that I’m close with my Dad again.

When I wear these boots I think about that feeling. That feeling of re-connecting again when you weren’t sure you would, of getting something back you thought was lost and the joy of being passionate about the same thing.

Shoes can remind you of things beyond people, memories, events or where you bought them. Sometimes shoes can remind you of an emotion or a passion or a moment where you felt a way you thought you couldn’t ever feel. Horseback riding and Grace Potter are important to me because I wouldn’t be who I am today without either of them. The feelings I get when I wear these shoes, or when I ride, or when I listen to Grace is beyond a material object, a blister from the reins, or a song I can’t stop listening to…there’s something deeper there, something more profound and deep-routed in our senses than a pair of cute shoes. There are bigger things going on. 


Here's a video of Grace Potter and the Nocturnals most famous song "Paris." She's so beautifully bad ass.

And below is a picture of me meeting Grace. One of the best days of my life. She loved that my Dad and I were there together. And she told me I have pretty hair. My dad said I was freaking out so much that I "practically shit my pants." Thanks Dad, haha. 

"Rainbow Shoes: Soul Sister Connection"

Whenever there’s beautiful weather, like we’ve had this week, I think of two things: I get to wear sandals and I get to see Vanessa soon.
My cousin and I have always been inseparable. 

It sounds corny but we’re convinced that we’re really twins (even though we’re more than a year apart in age and she’s almost 6 foot and I’m barely over 5 foot). I’ve known her since she was born and we’ve always had a crazy connection from childhood. She lives in Virginia and I live in New York but that has never been a factor in our relationship. For a week in the summer, our families visit, yearly alternating what state. We firmly believe that distance makes the heart grow fonder and I’ve already decided I’m moving to Virginia when I graduate college.

We have a million inside jokes, can communicate an entire conversation in gestures and faces and can guess what the other is thinking. She is the one person who I’ve never been afraid to be 100% myself around and who understands me more than I understand myself. She is giving, optimistic, strong and kind-hearted. When I'm with her or I talk about her, all the corny cliches come out...but I can't help but say that I truly feel blessed to have her and when I'm with her I feel complete. I’ve never had such an incredible, undeniable connection with another human being and I’ve considered myself extremely lucky to have her in my life and on top of that, be related to her.

                                
We call each other soul sisters.

I love shopping with Vanessa. She’s one of the few people who have extremely similar taste in style to mine and we love all the same stores. We even had a chant when we were younger when we wanted our parents to take us to the mall (it involved a lot of clapping and embarrassing singing). We’ve since moved on from the chant for our parents since we can drive ourselves now, but we still pay a tribute with a few claps before we enter a mall.

When we were younger we loved anything rainbow and we loved to buy matching things. Since we are so alike it’s inevitable that we had countless jewelry and clothes that matched. But I’d be lying if I said that was the only reason because the other half of the reason was that so when we wore it, we could be reminded of the other.

When we found our “rainbow shoes” (yes, we’re aware they’re not actually fully rainbow) we knew we had to buy them immediately. Vanessa and I got them at Rue 21 and they cost a whooping 2 dollars each. They’re not exactly well made, but regardless we love them.

The thing about sandals and flip-flops is that they’re either incredibly comfortable or they’re really kind of uncomfortable. It’s not exactly natural to have a thong of plastic of leather between your toes and wear a shoe that slaps you back when you walk. But man, does it feel good to have that fresh spring air hit those toes after a long winter squished up into boots.

A few months ago Vanessa texted me in the middle of the night and I squinted at my phone without my glasses to read it.

“I’m having a terrible night.”

“What, why? Are you okay??” I asked. I was awake now.

“No, I’m having a bad night, I’m crying and then to make it even worse, my rainbow sandals broke and no one understands except you." 

“Awh, Ness. I love you, its okay. Do you need me to call? I miss you.”

Although I always want to be with Vanessa, I wanted more than anything to be with her in that moment. Sometimes it’s okay to cry over a broken shoe.

I’m always missing Vanessa. Even when I’m sitting right next to her, I know that my time with her is limited. The rainbow shoes, just like so many other things, were one of the ways we tried to be physically present in each other’s lives. We have the type of relationship that picks up right where it left off, but we still need a few things that make us feel closer together when we’re hundreds of miles apart. 

When I slip into these sandals I think about summer and I think about Vanessa. This summer our families are going to a beach in North Carolina for a week and I know we'll come back with a ridiculous amount of similar merchandise. The rainbow shoes are easily replaceable, but our connection definitely isn't. 

"Black Fringe Heels: Fabulous?"

     Every girl has that one pair of shoes. 

             The go to pair. The pair that makes you feel sexy, confident and fabulous.

 I have my pair. They are black with fringe, a four inch heel with a one inch platform making me about 5 inches taller. I’m about 5’2 normally and when I put them on I’m a whooping 5’7. 

And on a side note, heels really can change your body. Not only do my legs look longer and skinnier in the heels picture, but my stance seems more sure and confident. I just wanted to add that because I didn't even notice it until I uploaded both pictures to my computer. The power of a good pair of heels really is a power to be reckoned with. 

But the thing about these shoes is that there is a long story about them that really changed the way I feel about ordering shoes online. Ordering shoes through the internet is almost impossible to avoid if you’re a shoe fiend like me. There’s more selection, there’s more brands and there’s more sizes. Growing up in Plattsburgh NY, there really aren’t a lot of options around here. We only have about half a dozen stores that solely sell shoes.

One day on Facebook, I saw an advertisement on the side of my home page that told me to check out a shoe website...that shall remain nameless…but I’m sure you guys have probably seen it advertized on a commercial. There’s a couple of these sites that you “simply go online, take a style quiz, and a stylist will hand pick your personal shoe collection! Only $39.95 a pair! No Shipping and Handling!” Of course, I was interested…a PERSONAL shoe collection? A personal STYLIST? No shipping and handling?! I signed up immediately and found a pair of shoes I was crazy about in minutes, no insane feat, before I even received my personal collection, since it takes a few days.

I placed an order for my black fringe shoes. I even received a special one day only deal that gave me 50% off. It was the deal of the century! A pair of adorable shoes for $19.95, and no shipping and handling? I was absolutely in love.

I got my shoes about a week later and I wore them around the house the whole day. All my friends told me I was way too tall and because the carpet in our house is terrible, I kept tripping on the bumps and lumps. I was breaking them in and showing them off.

About a month later, I checked my bank account statement to make sure that the online purchase went through. I don’t usually check my bank account much during the semester because I don’t really use my card very much. I was shocked to find that not only was the $19.95 purchase there but there was also two more payments taken from my account by this company for $39.95. My first thought was that someone had stolen my card. But why would they steal my card and then buy shoes from a site that will only send me my size to my house? No one knew my password to the site. Had I bought shoes unconsciously? It didn’t make any sense.

I logged onto the website and looked up the shipping information. I found that I had the shoes I ordered for 50% off there, but I also had two store credits for the $39.95 that I was charged for on my debit card. I immediately tried to call but of course it went straight to a machine. What was going on?

I put the name of the website on Google and looked up reviews. The first link read:

“ALERT: complaints, rip offs, scams or fraud have been reported.” I panicked. Scams? Fraud? My heart was pounding. This shouldn’t be the first thing that pops up.

I called my Dad, the solver of all my young adult problems, and explained the situation to him with a trembling voice.

“Sounds like an overseas scam. Sorry honey, but you got duped.”

“It must be a mistake though, I don’t understand why I would be charged for shoes I didn’t purchase,” I said.

“It’s a membership and they scammed you. They didn’t tell you that they would charge you for the membership whether you bought shoes or not.”

My head was swimming. I was a young, naïve, broke college student in the middle of finals week. I felt so stupid for falling for the unbelievable offers and fabulous deals and not reading the fine print. No one really does, but I’ll tell you what, I certainly do now.

The worst part about this website was the customer service. It was an incredible struggle to try to cancel my membership from this website. You had to call and they would weasel their way into convincing you that you were being silly, and you didn’t want to cancel! Not yet anyway. The receptionists were rude, mean and scheming. Every time I talked to them on the phone my blood pressure rose and I became red in the face.

“I’m a college student, and you are stealing from me! I want my money back, I’m not happy. This website is a scam and you guys do anything you can to squeeze a little more money out of your unsuspecting customers.”

“I’m sorry you feel like that ma’am, but if you’ll just try to understand you will realize that you are about to miss out on a great deal. You are allowed to skip each month is what you do not realize ma’am.”

“I do realize, and I am telling you that I want to cancel my membership because I don’t have to time to do that every month and I already feel duped and cheated so I’m not happy enough with the site to put up with skipping each month.”

I did the run around with them for a least a week, calling them every day, getting frustrated and feeling like I’d never get out of this mess. They were about to charge me again soon, if I didn’t cancel. Finally, I canceled but it was an exhausting experience.

Be careful when you buy shoes, or buy anything, online. There are sites out there that will scam you. And just because I never thought it would happen to me, didn’t stop it from happening. I realized that I was too trusting of companies online and I needed to read the fine print before I signed up for things.

I love my black fringe heels but I sometimes wonder if they were worth the time, stress and money that I paid for them. Whenever I wear them, I am reminded of the website and my horrible experience. But then I just smile and realize that I have the power to make my own memories in these shoes. I have the ability to create those happy, fabulous memories in my black fringe heels. 

"New Shoes: Paolo Nutini"

Since it's a beautiful sunny day out I thought I'd put this song up here because I heard it when I was walking to class and thought of all of you! 

It's "New Shoes" by Paolo Nutini. 

New shoes really can change your whole day and I hope all of you have experienced that "new shoes" feeling! 

Thank you guys so much for all of your support! I really appreciate it and it makes me really happy that you guys keep reading and you're still interested. Working on a post to put up later this week...it's about a shoe website I got duped by..and the amazing shoes that came out of it. 

Also, here is a cat wearing sneakers. 

<3 

“Unexpected, Eclectic and Relaxed: Three Shoe Philosophies”

    This week I decided to do something different. I interviewed three different girls with various types of shoe ideologies. Valissa Hicks, Melanie Hoffman and Leigh Rusyn. 

****

     Valissa Hicks is a 19 year old girl from Nanuet NY. I know her through my house mate Talia, who went to high school with her. Knowing she is obsessed with shoes, I ask her if I can interview her.

     Valissa owns around 100 pairs of shoes. She told me that it’s not just clothes that make her feel different or special, but shoes are also a great way to show that she has style. She expresses her personality through shoes and relishes in the idea that her shoes are “different” or “stand out.”

Her favorite shoes? A pair of tan fringe heels, 4 inches tall. Based on the fact that they are “unbelievably” comfortable and different from any other type of shoe she has seen before.

Valissa doesn’t discriminate against shoes either. She adores high heels, but says she admits they kill her feet sometimes, but it’s the price she pays for fashion. Though she doesn’t personally own any shoes she wouldn’t wear, Valissa isn’t really interested in the platform heels that are making a comeback though. “They just look awful with the huge chunky heel.”

When I asked her how often she buys shoes she says,

“It depends really; I can go weeks or months without buying shoes. But when I do buy shoes, I definitely go a little crazy and buy a lot of different pairs of shoes with different prices and looks.”

When I ask what her favorite shoes are, after a long pause, she tells me that they would be  gladiator sandals, but within the same sentence she mentions a pair of boots she just bought that have feathers on them are sure to be a good contender. “Once again, they are different, and not too many people would be willing to buy something like that.”

Valissa immediately says “oh, god” when I ask her to describe her shoe style in one word but she eventually says “unexpected.”

****

Leigh Rusyn is a student at Oswego State with a busy schedule. She’s actively involved in clubs, classes and campus activities but still finds the time to talk to me about something she rarely discusses: shoe style.

I met Leigh my freshman year in a creative writing class and we've had classes together one in a while. She runs the Great Laker Review, which I am a part of and I've gotten to know her better this year.

      Leigh tells me that she owns around 20 pairs of shoes and she buys shoes whenever an old pair runs out. Her favorite pair of shoes are her black sneakers. She tells me this is because:

1.)    They go with most anything

2.)    They’re super comfy

3.)    If she needs to run, she can

4.)    She never wanted to be that kid who forgot sneakers on gym day

“Most men just wear sneakers everywhere, so why can’t I?” She laughs. “Sneakers are comfortable, and I usually can kick them off and throw them on easily and move quickly with them on.”

She tells me that she’s usually wearing her sneakers, unless it’s bizarre weather, in which case she will wear boots.

“I don’t own UGGS. I’ve heard they’re the most wonderful things but they seem too much like slippers to me that I’m afraid I’d ruin them so fast.”

Leigh prefers wedges to heels, but she’ll wear heels when she dresses up. She owns a pair of stiletto boots that she says she’s not a big fan of. She tells me,

“I really like the shoes, but I can never move fast in them. After a while they gave me blisters too. But the big reason they bug me is that sometimes I'll misstep and I'll feel like the heel will bend or something. And I'm ready for the day it snaps and then I'm stuck with a heel-less boots.”

Leigh believes that the right shoes need to be worn for the right occasion. Most of her shoes are neutral colors and patterns so she can mix and match them with a lot of different outfits. She has previously owned wildly colored shoes that she was “stuck with” after she got rid of certain outfits.

Her response when I ask her to describe her shoes in one word is immediate. “Relaxed,” she says confidently.

****

Melanie Hoffman is a junior at Oswego State from Long Island NY. She's my house mate and best friend. I know her extremely well, so it feels funny to sit down with a notebook and write down what she says when I ask her these questions. 

Melanie owns around 55 pairs of shoes. She goes shopping for shoes when she “needs” some retail therapy. She likes to shop for shoes when she feels blah because if she feels gross she doesn't want to try on pants, she wants shoes. She says shoes really express her mood. She buys more when she’s feeling down, she’ll wear combat boots when she has to kick a long days ass and when she’s feeling happy in the summer, she’ll wear cute, little wedges with a sundress.  

Her favorite shoes? A pair of Forever 21 pink, bow wedges. What she loves about them is how they’re feminine and make her feel tall. She likes wedges the most because heels make her feel clumsy and not feminine at all.

“Heels make me feel like a failure, I always fall, I’m not graceful.”

If Melanie could only have one pair of shoes it would definitely be wedges, but she admits it might be a little awkward with certain clothes, like sweatpants.

Other than heels, she isn’t a big fan of flats because she calls them “awkward” and they give her “cuts and blisters that aren’t sexy.” But they’re cute, and she has an image to uphold of a put together, fashionable girl, so she suffers through occasionally.

Melanie owns many different styles, colors, brands and types of shoes. We sit on her bed together as I interview her and she points to her incredibly small closet that has about a two feet high pile of shoes on the bottom of it.Any type of shoe you can imagine juts out of the pile. 

When I ask her to describe her shoe style in one word she says “eclectic.”

 ****

All three girls believe that shoes make or break an outfit.     

Everyone wears shoes. Everyone has their own opinion on what makes a great pair of shoes and what makes great style. Every girl has their own philosophy. None are right and none are wrong, but each is incredibly individual to the girl. Each girl’s shoe style reflects their personality, what makes them feel comfortable and how they express themselves through their personal style. Whether they’re “unexpected,” “relaxed,” or “eclectic,” they are their unique to them. As long as a girl feels confident and beautiful in her shoes, who are we to judge?

There is no wrong way to love shoes.