Category Archives: Shoes

GOD SAVE MY SHOES Trailer – New Fashion Documentary


VPOD: Vintage Flapper Heels and The Power of Practice


vintage 1930s silk satin cut-out t-strap heelsvintage 1920s copper lame gold leather t-strap heels-2

vintage 1920s flapper dancing heelsvintage 1920s black satin flapper heels

Lao Tzu, the Chinese philosopher who authored The Tao Te Ching, wisely reminds us that the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

What he failed to mention was that the journey of a thousand miles is completed by taking that same step over and over and over and over and over and over again.

It’s this repetition, The Power of Practice, that is a primary factor separating the masters of their crafts from the mere talented.

For instance, in a pioneering study at Florida State University, psychologist K. Anders Ericsson discovered that the best violinists had accumulated 10,000 hours of practice while the good players had only accumulated 8,000 hours and the least skilled had only accumulated 5,000 hours of practice time.

Malcolm Gladwell further popularized this 10,000 Hours of Practice Rule in his book, Outliers, using the Beatles and Bill Gates as examples.

And when you think of the world’s greatest athletes, artists, writers and thought leaders, they all have put in their practice time, haven’t they? I doubt Lance Armstrong, Yo-Yo Ma, Meryl Streep and Richard Branson are the type to hit their snooze alarms three times every morning!

While talent and desire are definitely ingredients in the recipe of success, practice—and lots of it—is also critical to serving up a winning dish.

Recently, I’ve had the pleasure of working with Bo Eason, an ex-NFL star who went on to pen a critically acclaimed one-person show on Broadway.

In this semi-autobiographical story, Bo shares how he caught a football 1000 times a day, every day for twenty years!

And he admits that, as a young boy, when he’d be outside training in the morning dark with the dew still sparkling on the turf, he’d think about all the other young boys his age who wanted to play in the NFL but were still tucked away in their warm beds literally dreaming about it.

So I guess the question is this:

Are you just dreaming about your dream or are you willing to practice it?

Are you willing to devote a dedicated 10,000 hours of toil, sweat and tears to make your dream happen?

If you practice full-time, it’ll take you about five years to reach mastery. Part-time, it’ll take about 10 years. Part-part-time, putting in only an hour a day or a few hours a week, it could take the rest of your life.

And that’s okay, too. Because Masters know that mastery is a never-ending quest.  The practice never stops.

So if you want to be great, then you must commit. All it takes is that first step on your thousand mile journey. And then another and another and another…

And while today’s VPODs may not make your journey any easier, they do promise to add a touch of glamour to your step.

Any one of these four gorgeous pairs of vintage flapper shoes is a fine choice for a Master Vintage Crusader!

Available at Carolyn Forbes/Textile Resource.

(To receive the VPOD free via email with detailed size and price information, sign up for the growing email mailing list here. Your information will never be sold or shared and you can easily unsubscribe at any time. | Disclosure: Zuburbia is an affiliate of the eBay Partner Network.)

Lovin’ It: Vintage Shoes Playing Card Set


shoes playing card set 2

shoes playing card set

Like solitaire? Well, there’s an App for that. But it’s just not as much fun without the tactile sensation of actually holding the cards in your hand. Especially when those cards are as chic and fun as these!

This deck of playing cards was designed especially for us fashionistas and features footware through the ages from the Bata Shoe Museum’s collection.

Of course, you don’t have to limit yourself to Solitaire. Play Go Fish and you just may snag a lovely pair of Vivier pumps or a modern take on Gladiator sandals.

What a lovely little gift for any shoe-lovin’ Vintage Crusader! (As if there’s any other kind!)

Available at LACMA Shop for $12.95.

VPOD: Vintage 1950s Satin Pumps, Ruby Slippers and The Wizard of Oz


vintage 1950s d'orsay satin pumps

ruby slippers from wizard of oz

One of the greatest thrills of my childhood was being cast as Dorothy in a local production of The Wizard of Oz.  I can’t remember exactly how old I was but I do remember the thrill of slipping on those ruby red slippers. And while the stylist in me wouldn’t think of pairing sequin shoes with a gingham pinafore, somehow Dorothy pulled off the look just fine!

Soon, on December 16, Profiles in History will bring one of only four surviving pairs of the iconic ruby red slippers to auction.

The auction estimate?

A cool $2 to $3 million dollars!!!

Now that’s definitely out of this gal’s budget, today’s VPOD fits right in line (which is a good thing because I still harbor an obsession for fabulous red shoes!).

Plus, these vintage 1950s d’Orsay satin pumps are available for a only a few dollars less than their original $69 price tag. Adjusted for inflation, that $69 from the 1950s would almost be enough to buy a shiny new pair of Christian Louboutin’s today, so these beauties are quite a bargain!

And they’re a chic choice not only for a trip to see the Wizard but, if you click their heels together three times, I’m pretty sure they’ll take a Vintage Crusader anywhere she wants to go!

Available at VintageWise.

(Photo Credit for Ruby Slippers: Profiles in History | To receive the VPOD free via email with detailed size and price information, sign up for the growing email mailing list here. Your information will never be sold or shared and you can easily unsubscribe at any time.)

VPOD: Vintage 1940s Pumps and Doing the Happy Dance


vintage 1950s snakeskin and suede pumps

While on my way to LAX on Friday to catch a flight to Santa Clara for the first Experts Industry Association Conference, I witnessed the most extraordinary sight.

As I braked for the stop sign at the intersection of Las Palmas and Barton, right in front of Barton Middle School, I witnessed a man doing the Snoopy Happy Dance.

There he was, in the middle of the afternoon, wearing his signature white earbuds, his eyes closed, his head turned to the sky, and his feet flappin’ and jivin’ just like Snoopy when he’s doing his famous Happy Dance.

I wish I’d been thinking and shot some video on my iPhone to share with all of you because this performance completely re-ignited my day!

It was so wonderful to see him expressing himself so freely and so fully in public.

How many of us are afraid to do that? How many of us hold ourselves back and refrain from expressing the pure joy of our souls because of “what people might think?”

Well, I’m people and I thought it was FANTASTIC!

Isn’t life meant to be lived with the full expression of all that we are?

And as I passed by and continued on my journey, I couldn’t help reflecting…

Who was feeling more alive in that moment—him or me?

Who was less concerned with the opinions of others—him or me?

Who was more fully expressing himself to the world—him or me?

So I dare you to join me right now in doing a little Happy Dance together.

That’s right—RIGHT NOW!

Wherever you’re reading this—airport, doctor’s office, kitchen table, cubicle—just drop what you’re doing and for 30 seconds, do your own little version of a Happy Dance.

For 30 seconds, put aside the concerns and cares that are weighing you down and just feel the joy of being alive. Feel your purpose in being here right now as part of humanity at this particular moment.

No music playing? Then just listen to the song in your soul and let its rhythm course through you until your feet can’t help but do a little tap dancing or break dancing or foot tapping of their own.

And if you’re still not feeling’ it then take a peek at today’s VPOD. These vintage 1940s suede and snakeskin pumps should make you jump for joy.

They’re a perfect Happy Dance choice for a Vintage Crusader!

Available at from VintageLoftNYC at 1stDibs.com.

(To receive the VPOD free via email with detailed size and price information, sign up for the growing email mailing list here. Your information will never be sold or shared and you can easily unsubscribe at any time.)


© Mary Kincaid 2006-2009
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