Manolo’s Shoe Blog

Manolo says, the Manolo’s friend Linda Grant has recently purchased these Dolce & Gabbana shoes (in black patent), which sadly, have not withstood the test of (short) time and London streets.

I mentioned last week that I had bought a pair of Dolce & Gabbana shoes. I wore them for the first time on Thursday. When I got home the leather on the soles was pitted and worn away. I was going to take them back to Harvey Nichols for a refund but first went into my excellent local shoe repairers for an opinion. They told me that the shoes were not designed to be worn before having rubber soles put on them if you were going to wear them in the street, rather than carpet […]

To put the rubber half soles on the designer shoes, or to not put the rubber half soles on the designer shoes, that is the question.

While it is true that many cobblers and manufacturers recommend the professional attachment of the thin rubber half soles to the bottom of the designer shoes which are to be worn in the streets, to do so seems as if a) one is being defrauded by the manufacturer and b) one is destroying the integrity of the beautiful object.

The problem is that the shoes we most prize for their beauty and elegance are most often those which are exceedingly delicate, and are not designed for daily wear on the wet and muddy streets of the big city. Worse, the ultimate impracticality of the beautiful shoe is sometimes part of its charm, even if it does not seem fair that $600 shoes should display signs of wear so quickly.

So, what is the solution? Certainly, premium designers and manufacturers must only use the highest quality leather (something the Dolce and the Gabbana have clearly not done in this case, and more shame to them for it).

But even with the best and most durable leathers, the problem of design intrudes, as we wish our most precious shoes to be exquisite, light as the feather, and possessed of thin soles and delicate features, all things which run counter to our desire for durability, and the laws of nature.

And this is how it shall ever be, sturdiness and delicacy in eternal conflict, for as long as we maintain our justifiable love of natural materials.

Manolo asked, whose shoes?

Manolo answers, it is the Gwyneth Paltrow!

Congratulations to the Manolo’s internet friend, Curly Q who was the first to arrive at the correct answer.

Manolo says, here are the few links which may perhaps amuse…

I have decided to pen my last words and drip a few drops from ye olde font of knowledge before I shuffle loose this mortal coil before I even get to wear my new Tory Burch wedges.

But when we talk about shoes, it is a serious job…

Cute, comfortable, supportive shoes: Do they exist?

Manolo says, the Manolo has long been of the opinion that the tall girls should be free to wear the heels, that they should not, either through timidity, or the desire to protect the fragile egos of shorter mens, avoid wearing the super fantastic shoes.

Here, now, is the special case of the tall girl, her short man, and the flat shoes.

Left to right, you see before you, Prince Philip, Carla Bruni, the hotty-ish first French lady, Queen Elizabeth, and Nicolas Sarkozy, the President of France.

And here is the reason for Ms. Bruni’s flat shoes…

The Telegraph explains all.

But the biggest gulf between the newlyweds is that the French president is just 5ft 6in tall, while his former model wife stands at a willowy 5ft 11in.

Accordingly she has been wearing flat heels constantly, according to French media reports, and forsaking potentially more fashionably shoes for the sake of Mr Sarkozy’s public image.

The president has, in turn, been wearing a pair of stacked shoes made to make him look two inches taller.

Normally, the Manolo would deplore acquiescing to the societal conventions that say the man should always be taller than his woman, especially when the tall woman in question would be absolutely stunning in beautiful high-heeled shoes.

In this case, however, one can argue that that the flat shoes are almost the matter of state.

P.S. Here is the super fantastic 6′4″ girl who sometimes rocks the heels.

Manolo asks, whose shoes?

Manolo says, this week’s Puzzle Corner contains the televised ladies of law enforcement.

Manolo says, the weather has finally turned warm, and that impeccably dressed man who looks vaguely like Derek Jeter has finally, after much hinting on your part, asked you to accompany him to dinner and the concert of jazz trombone at Carnegie Hall.

And while you have your doubts about the concert, this despite his assurances that it will be “off the hook”, you have no doubts about what shoes you will wear: these sleek and streamlined metallic wedge sandals from Botkier.

With luck, the post-concert evening will turn chilly, and he will offer you his coat.

Manolo says, here are the few links which may perhaps amuse…

Oh, Tory Burch flats. We had a good ride. I got you in February of 2007, and was so excited for your very existence that I wrote a story about it. About you, and me, and how we found each other.

Also, I don’t like peep-toes where you only see one toe; it feels too “my talon, let me show you it,” to me.

Across the parking lot the Crab Shack loudspeaker bellowed “Baker, party of six! Baker, party of six!” Even from 100 yards the air was thick with frying oil. He wanted to shout, “Bakers, save yourselves! Don’t do it!”

Manolo says, it is Tuesday, time to see what the Manolo is…

Reading…

Watching…

Listening to…

Typing on…

Normally, the Manolo is not the gadget person, someone who must each week rush out and obtain the latest piece of technological gimcrackery, however, many of the Manolo’s friends have been recommending the tiny little mini-computer, the Asus Eee PC as being suitable for the boulevardier blogger such as the Manolo.

“It is light and small and can be easily fitted into your man bag,” said one helpful friend.

“The Manolo does not have the ‘man bag’. It is the Swaine Adeney Brigg document case!”

“Whatever, it’s perfect for you, Manolo.”

And so the Manolo purchased this little inepensive computer and it arrived yesterday. And now, today, the Manolo is sitting in the cafe, sipping the cappuccino, and blogging to you with his new machine. Yes, the Asus Eee PC is very tiny, and light, and powerful enough to surf the internets, but unfortunately, the keyboard is too small for the Manolo’s thick and inelegant fingers, and this has been terribly frustrating, as the Manolo is the touch-typer of some ability.

The Manolo suspects that he will use this new machine occasionally, but will ultimately rely upon his beloved MacBook.

Although, this objet d’art calls powerfully to the Manolo.

“Buy me, use me, love me,” says its siren song.