By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Sun-Times
January 8, 2003
Everyone has a favorite shoe designer, be it lowbrow (Keds) or haute couture (Jimmy Choo).
Though Sarah Jessica Parker steps into Choo and Manolo Blahnik shoes on “Sex and the City,” the diminutive actress has been known to scour Soho boutiques for a great pair of Robert Clergerie boots. And Chicago-based actress Shane Williams has a love affair with Ferragamo.
“I am really hard on my shoes, which is why I have so many pairs,” says Williams, who co-starred on “Early Edition.” “I love my Ferragamos. They last forever and are beautiful. It’s like making an investment.
“But when I’m feeling funky and want to be comfortable, I’ll go with my Kenneth Coles. I’ll also buy Prada, ’cause it’s like buying artwork.”
One common denominator in the majority of her shoes, though, is they have high heels.
“I’m probably going to regret my decision in 30 years or so,” Williams says. “But while I’m young and cute, I’m going to enjoy wearing them.”
Let’s face it. Women always have had a love affair with shoes. But rather than being embarrassed by it these days, we’re embracing it. Take, for instance, Kimberly Horton and her four friends.
Armed with walkie-talkies, they cover Marshall Field’s State Street store like a seasoned reconnaissance team. They are women on a mission.
“We’re in from Minneapolis for a girls’ weekend,” says Horton, 36, trying on a pair of Enzo Angiolini knee-high boots. “We couldn’t come to Chicago and not try on some shoes.”
Hyde Park’s Sylvia Smith-Demuth, who was shopping solo, says she tends to stock up on shoes seasonally. On this day, her purchases included three pairs of Enzo Angiolini shoes and a pair of Isaac Mizrahis on order.
“I’ll buy shoes maybe once every four months or so,” she says. “I generally go for comfortable, low heels.”
The scene isn’t much different in Carson Pirie Scott’s shoe department at the Randhurst Shopping Center in Mount Prospect. Allison Thine and her friends are scoping out the sale. Flagging down a saleswoman to help them out, they try on 23 pairs of shoes, four pairs of boots, and end up leaving with two pairs of shoes each.
“I don’t know what it is about women and shoes, but we go together,” says Thine, 27. “Men can function fine with a pair of black or brown dress shoes and some sneakers. That doesn’t work for women.”
Thank goodness, too. Those Manolo heels wouldn’t go over nearly as well with men.
Thine, who owns a pair of Jimmy Choos, says she wouldn’t mind adding a couple more to her collection one day, but says she can’t justify going broke to pay for them.
Over at DSW Shoes in Schaumburg, Elaine Wang, 21, was picking through the cavernous store for a pair of boots for the winter. A first-year graduate student, Wang says she has to be careful not to let her fashion tastes over power her pocketbook.
“I can usually find something comparable to the designer shoes that are too expensive for me to buy,” Wang says. “I usually do well with Guess boots. Charles David makes some really nice shoes. And I’ll tell you, Nine West make some awesome shoes as well. I would really like to wear killer high heels, but for practicality, I have to stick with about 2-inch heels, max.”
Her 17-year-old brother Andrew shakes his head.
“I got these boots for $10 at a thrift store,” he says. “They look as good as her old Steve Maddens.”
Wait a minute. A guy who knows what Steve Maddens are? There’s hope for men yet.
Jonesin’ for a deal
“The View” fans know Ms. Star Jones is a fashionista when it comes to shoes. But when she’s jonesing for a pair of cute heels, does she opt for Jimmy Choo’s showroom or Payless, the discount shoe chain for whom she does commercials? According to her spokesmen and the diva’s own on-air proclamations, both!
During one episode of “The View,” her colleagues teased that she was a shopaholic. Jones kidded back that she had hundreds of shoes–but they all cost less than $4.
Jones was exaggerating about the low, low, low price, of course. But it just goes to show that good taste comes in all price ranges.
