Who do you love?

Which spiked heels make your feet swoon? What's that perfect little pair of ballet slippers you couldn't be without?

-- Sara Astruc (saraastruc@aol.com), June 13, 2000

Answers

I love looking at spiked heels. Unfortunately, wearing them for more than a few hours makes my feet swoon in pain, not pleasure.

My I-love-these-shoes list contains a lot of unglamorous suspects:

- all my Ken Cole blocky urban warrior princess shoes: slides, maryjanes, loafers, maryjanes with platform heels, etc.

- My Doc Martens with the steel toes

- my new black calfskin slingback pumps. I wore them with a bright pink linen shift at a wedding this weekend, and felt very 1960s-country-club, in a good way.

- my $3.99 black foam platform slides from Target. They are my weekend shoes; I wear them everywhere.

- the shoes for my forthcoming wedding: I bought a pair of 4" stiletto heel sandals from Nicole Miller: they're white calfskin, so soft that it feels like sanded silk, with two thin straps covered in seqin flowers. I know what I said about stiletto heels earlier, but I reason that a woman only gets hitched in Vegas once in her life, and one must wear the appropriate shoes to do so.

Of course, I crave a pair of J.P. Tods loafers, and several pairs of Ferragamos, and maybe a pair of Jimmy Choo boots...

-- Lisa Schmeiser (lisa-nospam@schmeiser.com), June 13, 2000.

My shoe choices changed dramatically when I moved from NYC to Florida. In New York, I walked everywhere, and had to choose shoes based largely on comfort. I hated the idea of carrying a second pair of shoes in an already hefty tote bag, so I generally wore Gucci lug soled loafers with everything, Docs, or my J. Crew black calf city boots, which have a sturdy square heel.

In Florida, I drive more, so I can wear strappy little sandals, heels of terrifying heights, mules with spindly little Sabrina heels. This led to a whole new set of problems, as I realised that wearing nice shoes while driving leads to an ugly wear spot on the back of the shoe. So I now keep a pair of driving mocs in the car.

Lisa: I have a pair of $3.99 Target thongs, too. Mine are pink. I've worn them with my taffeta dress. Very multi-functional, those are.

-- Sara Astruc (saraastruc@aol.com), June 13, 2000.

My feet ached, and my shins ached, and my toes were on fire, but I wore the most gorgeous shoes I currently own to a wedding last weekend, and it was worth it! Tiger printed ponyskin slingbacks, with a heel that made me an amazon.

Retired from active duty, but still the Best of Show (for me) was a pair of vintage heels from the '40's. 3 inch heel, with the heel cap to cover the heel of a stocking, and an ankle stap, open at the sides with covered toe. They were black suede, and just the sexiest shoes I have ever seen or worn. They were Glorious.

I live in a pair of cheap mocassins from lands end. They are ancient, smelly, have no support whatsoever, but they feel just like I am barefoot, and once, when I dropped one over the side of a boat, I discovered that they float.

-- Kristin (kristin@sperare.com), June 13, 2000.

My heart belongs to Jimmy Choo, but I can still appreciate Salvatore and Manolo. There's room for all of them under my bed (or, more accurately, strewn about my front hallway). Unfortunately, my feet are monster-sized, so I don't get to wear as many pretty shoes as I'd like without putting up with an extraordinary amount of pain. Wah.

-- Jackie Danicki (nein@freeuk.com), June 13, 2000.

What is it about me and dark chocolate brown leather? Who knows, but my two favs are my Nine West loafers and my Geronimos.

Outside of work, I have four beloved pair of Sperry Top Siders in navy, pink, and 'washed' green and blue. Sadly, my pink pair has been demoted to lawn-mowing shoes, but I still love them.

I may only be 33, but fear vericose veins like crazy. High heels just aren't an option for me, and at 5'3", you can see how truly afeared I am of finding those spidery things on my legs :)

-- Meg Stone (Meg_1837@yahoo.com), June 14, 2000.

i have worn the SAME pair of navy-blue doc martens every day for what will be four years in december [shoe birthday! shoe birthday!] they are the best. ever.

-- bechter (notified@mailcity.com), June 16, 2000.

This forum is closed! Visit ThreeWay Action to post!

-- Sara Astruc (astruc@astruc.com), September 10, 2000.

You can't loose with both jimmy and manolo they are equally great but there are also a few other companies that steal my heart. being the shoe fanatic that i am i adore shoes and i have been comming to love prada sports the are so great for the day time and most are so comfortable(plus i love the little red srtipe). However last weekend i wore a brand new pair of the cutest gucci's ever only they are about 4 and 1/2 inches high, my feet were sore for days, but like others said it was worth it. they are sooo hot, and my fav jimmys - little pink strappy sandals

-- suzi (moomoo915@aol.com), November 13, 2001.

Of course every well-bred woman of fashion must have a pair of Jimmy Choo heels. Which I chose the most beautiful strappy sandals that I paid and outrageous price for and also some 3 inch mules that made me come out even. The most comfortable stillettos that I've come across has to be my 3.75inch Christian Louboutin boots. Although I wouldn't work a full 8 hour day standing up in them they are definitely good for atleast 5 hours:) After working 12 hours in Air Force issued steel toe boots it's alway nice to know that I can come home and put on a comfortable Steve Madden sneaker. Out of 146 pairs of shoes and boots they have to be those most comfortable shoes I own (right now). -If it's not real...It's not right.

-- Miss Kisha (nakishaperry@hotmail.com), September 18, 2002.

Oh I almost forgot. Manolo makes the most boring shoes. I'm sorry Blahnik lovers but the shoes lack the excitement that normally comes with an outrageous price. They're just not worth it:)

-- Miss Kisha (nakishaperry@hotmail.com), September 18, 2002.

i think they are both good shoes, but manolo is the best

-- rita simpson (1987@yahoo.com), September 21, 2002.

fuck you

-- rita simpson (1987@yahoo.com), September 21, 2002.

i think that they are both excellent. jimmy has just the right look i want but so have manolo but it don't come cheap. if i had to choose it would be the manolo blahnik timbs but jimmys sandals just kill it in the summer so i would choose a different one for each season. whatever suited me best.

-- leanne allgood (lilsue1@vizzavi.com), February 06, 2003.

Having been a keen follower, but never owner of Blahnik and Choos, I have to say that while Manolo Blahnik's sketches of his shoes are enticing and full of the cinderella-type fantasy, I do prefer Jimmy Choos on the whole. Choos are more elegant and femenine than blahhniks recent creations, take the J-Lo boots for example! I would love to own a pair of each, i believe that blahniks should be looked at and treased as valuable artifacts rather than shoes, i would probably wear the Jimmy Choos more often!

-- Helen Ward (s49866@rfdc.ac.uk), February 11, 2003.

I think that although many people like Jimmy Choo shoes, Manolo Blahnik is the best shoe designer in the entire world, and I fully belive that anyone who prefers Jimmy Choo has absolutly no idea what they are talking about, and no fashion sense!

-- Carrie Bradshaw (couturebaby89@aol.com), July 28, 2003.

I love Jimmy Choo's! I think they are the best, there femin and there cool. Blahniks are to look at, Choo's are to wear and to look at, they are the most comfortable heels i have ever owned. I love Jimmy Choo Couture, it's very homely there. Although Choo's come at a high price, I think its well worth it.

-- Natasha Chan (natasha_chan88@hotmail.com), August 05, 2003.

I would love to own a pair of Manolos or Jimmy choo,But my wallet only allows me nine west.Is there any lady that is here.That has some size 8 casts of either.I do no not mean to beg.But figured you had your wear out of them.I promise to take good care of them.Iam inthe Nyc area.

-- tina madison (Ladystorm1@netscape.net), September 12, 2003.

I agree w/Carrie Bradshaw. Manolos are the bomb!! Jimmy Choo are want to be Manolos. Sorry Tamara Mellon!

-- lo (sfricegirl72@yahoo.com), October 23, 2003.

I have 2 say that Jimmy Choo's are much more feminine to wear than a lot of Manolo's, but Manolo's are on the cutting edge of fashion and make you feel like a princess! My new purchase of Pink strappy Jimmy Choos with pink diamante detail may have broken the bank, but they are so good it's worth it! Also I have found that both my Jimmy's and manolo's fit perfectly although after a long day jimmy's can start to hurt your feet a bit more than the manolo's. Overall, though, i just think shoes are pretty much amazing! My shoe list includes mary janes, t bar heels and the slouchy boots that are sooo this season and can look good dressed up Or down - and the bonus is that they're sooooo comfortable to wear! My Jimmy Choo pair will last a lifetime as theyre so hard wearing! But i also love heels and the 50/60's look that is around at the moment. Basically - give me ANY shoes and i'm happy! But, just for the record, i have to say Jimmy Choos get my vote - they are just that bit more Stylish.

-- Charli Morgan (funkydevil_star@hotmail.com), November 06, 2003.

I can't believe what I just read--somebody actually said "fuck you" in a post about ... shoes?!

-- rachele (rachelecanfield@aol.com), April 10, 2004.