Do You Own a Beautiful Pair of Jimmy Choo Shoes?

These Choos are NOT made for walking: The £425 designer shoes that look old and tatty after one day’s wear
By Joanne Hegarty

Last updated at 4:19 AM on 14th August 2011

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2025689/These-Choos-NOT-walking-The-425-designer-shoes-look-old-tatty-day-s-wear.html

They are more than just beautiful shoes. It’s the fantasy they evoke that has intelligent women joyously handing over small fortunes for a pair.

Ever since Carrie Bradshaw and her glamorous friends strode through Manhattan balanced perfectly on their Jimmy Choos, the designer heels have been the height of aspiration for millions.

Last month I, too, happily succumbed. Of course I didn’t really believe that if I bought a pair of Jimmy Choos all my dreams would suddenly come true, but I did think they would add a bucketload of fairy dust to my wedding day. And, given the £425 price tag, I confidently expected I’d be able to enjoy them at lots of future occasions.

When I saw them in Selfridges, it was love at first sight. A pair of  kitten-heel Oslo sandals in antique cream with shimmery flecks of gold and thin leather straps, they were exactly what I wanted – elegant and understated. I didn’t even bother trying on any others.

As my big day approached, I excitedly confided in a couple of close friends that I had ‘Jimmy Chooed’ for the occasion – emailing pictures of my new beauties – and was rewarded with gratifying oohs and aahs.

My wedding day left me with lots of wonderful memories but, shockingly, what I don’t have left is a pair of gorgeous shoes.

The next morning I was bitterly disappointed at how they looked.  I had spent most of the day indoors, apart from a short time standing on a lawn talking to guests. But my Jimmy Choos looked old and tatty, as though I’d been wearing them for weeks, not one day. And the soles needed replacing.

When I took them to my local cobbler and handed over £20 for new soles, he astonished me by telling me that I should have brought them to be re-soled before wearing them.

‘I see lots of expensive shoes like this and I always tell people they should have them re-soled as soon as they take them out of the box,’ he said. ‘Otherwise, it’s like going out in the rain without a coat.’

To make matters worse, the cobbler put plain ugly soles on that don’t go with the elegant design of the shoe.

So the sandals that I have now  simply aren’t the same ones I fell for in the store, where the shop assistant didn’t say anything about them needing re-soling before wearing or being unsuitable for outdoors.

Nor is there any such warning in the care booklet, although it does tell you to avoid ‘rain and direct contact with heat, oil, grease, alcohol and other abrasive products’.

I complained about my Jimmy Choo experience to friends and, to my surprise, two said they had suffered exactly the same problem.

Dyane, a TV presenter, was bought a £450 pair of Jimmy Choo as a  first Christmas present by her boyfriend. ‘He took me to a boutique and told me I could pick any pair  I wanted,’ she said. ‘I spent three hours trying shoes on before I chose Jimmy Choo’s black Clue design with a diamante buckle.

‘After I bought them, the shop assistant did quietly warn me that I would have to get them re-soled before wearing them. I couldn’t believe it. I loved the cream leather sole – they were what had attracted me to the shoe.

‘I decided to ignore her. They were £450 shoes – how could they need to be re-soled? But I wore them the following weekend and after only an hour the sole was damaged. The next week I took them to be re-soled. The new soles were black. What’s the point of putting on a nice cream leather sole if it’s so fragile it has to be covered up straight away?’

Another friend, Emer, an advertising executive, splurged on Jimmy Choos for her wedding in March and she, too, said hers were battered and worn-looking after one day.

‘I hadn’t planned to splash out on shoes but I went shopping with a friend and saw these amazing silver strappy sandals,’ she told me.
My beautiful Jimmy Choos looked as if they’d been worn mountain-climbing.

‘They were the right height, looked sturdy enough for walking around in all day and they were Jimmy Choo. Perfect! My friend loyally recited the mantra needed to justify the £350 I didn’t have: “You’ll get loads of wear out of them.”

‘I wish I could tell you they delivered on that promise but I can’t. I took them off in the early hours of the morning to discover the peep  toe was stretched and the soles destroyed. My beautiful Jimmy Choos looked as if they’d been worn mountain-climbing.’

Could it just be the three of us?  I posted my grievance on Mumsnet, the community website for mothers, to find out. Within 78 seconds, Tillyscoutsmum replied: ‘I also treated myself to some Jimmy Choos for my wedding. By the end of the day, the front of the sole had come lose and was flapping around.’

Another reader posted: ‘Apparently you are supposed to get them re-soled if you are expecting to wear them outside. Bonkers as conkers.’

And Worldgonecrazy wrote: ‘If shoes have leather soles, they should really have something more sturdy applied before wearing them outside. If you weren’t told this when you bought them, take them back and complain.’

Dexter  73 summed up the whole situation: ‘What is the point of them, if you can’t wear them outside?’

Last week I returned to Selfridges to buy another pair of Jimmy Choos to conduct our test (see below) and spoke to the same shop assistant. This time, I was more sceptical and asked her whether they would wear well. At first she said: ‘We sell these to lots of women and they don’t complain.’

I asked whether I could wear them outside. She replied: ‘Yes – they are perfect for garden parties,’ before conceding: ‘I won’t lie to you, they are delicate shoes and after a couple of wears they will look worn.’

Last night, a Jimmy Choo spokeswoman said: ‘Every Jimmy Choo product is made with the finest quality materials and created with expert craftsmanship. With luxurious and delicate materials our products must be treated with care, as such they are subject to wear and tear.

‘We pride ourselves on customer service and aftercare at Jimmy Choo and are always more than happy to offer support and advice concerning any of our products.’
Life and sole of a pair of sandals

We gave model Gail Shuttleworth, 36, three pairs of shoes to wear for  a day, from 10am until 10pm – a  £450 pair of Jimmy Choo ‘Demure’ sandals, a pair of Miss Dior pointy-toe pumps (£370) and a pair of open-toe black leather sandals (£58) from High Street shop Office.

Gail says:‘The first shoes I wore were the Jimmy Choo beige patent sandals. When I slipped them on, I felt incredibly elegant.

'I did notice that the leather sole felt rather thin but it would never have occurred to me to have them re-soled.

‘After picking them up at The Mail on Sunday offices, I walked 200 yards to High Street Kensington Underground station in West London and caught a Tube to Hampstead where I live.

I walked down the hill to my local Tesco, spent 35 minutes browsing the aisles then walked 400 yards home.

‘I spent the next four hours at home, doing odd jobs and preparing my dinner. Then I walked to my local pub 300 yards away to meet a friend and walked home again.

'You couldn’t say it was a gruelling day for my feet but when I took off my shoes that night, I was surprised. The soles were badly worn down, especially at the front. There was a little crack as well as two little tears on the heel. If I’d had these on for a full week, they would have been wrecked.

‘The second pair that I tried were the Miss Dior pumps. I wore them driving from my boyfriend’s home near Sheffield to the town centre and walked around the shops for two hours. I later walked in them for 20 minutes down a pathway.

‘I spent the rest of the evening cooking and watching TV.

'If anything this was a tougher day for my footwear but, though the leather soles had some wear-and-tear marks on them, they were not as worn down as the Jimmy Choos and the heel was still in good condition.

‘Finally, I tried the Office sandals. I spent three hours running errands in Sheffield then drove to my boyfriend’s home.

'I spent the afternoon doing chores at home and watching TV. At 7pm, I went to a restaurant, a ten-minute walk.

‘That night the rubber soles had some scratch marks and the heel was a little worn down. But because they started life with a thicker sole, I won’t need to take them to the cobblers any time soon.’

MY THOUGHTS

That's really sad.  I used to envy the Carrie Bradshw for the beautiful Jimmy Choo shoes she seemed to enjoy so much.  Those shoes really look beautiful.  Now we know better and take caution when we buy them.  I won't mind paying that much for a beautiful pair of shoes.  But I would want my money to go a long way.  Any pair of beautiful shoes won't be worth it if I need to have it re-soled as soon as I take it out of the box.

Saying "I Do" to Beautiful Shoes

Saying "I Do" to a Shoe

Selecting your wedding-day footwear
Melissa Kagan ON Feb 9, 2005 at 4:20AM

This may sound dramatic, but making the wrong shoe choice for your wedding night could prove to be the biggest mistake of your life. Because for all of the planning, money and time that goes into your big event, the last thing you want is to be hobbling around in agony while your guests are doing the mambo without you. Here's what you need to know before saying "I do" to a shoe.

Timing Is Everything

Don't buy your shoes before your dress, but do get them as early as possible. Why the rush? You need to know the height of your heel before you can alter your dress. If you get the dress altered in flats, your full-length gown could end up looking tea length when you slip into a higher heel. Also, buying your bridal shoes early will allow you to wear them around the house and get used to them in advance, which is a must. Spending your entire wedding day or evening in new shoes could result in blistering, hobbling and complaining and make even the happiest bride cry.

Height Matters

However tempting it may be to wear those six-inch ivory stilettos, think twice -- make that thrice -- before buying them. And if you are generally accustomed to wearing flats or low heels, don't think about it at all. You don't want to give yourself extra reasons to trip on your big day. On the other hand, if you're used to stepping, running and dancing in stilettos, go for it. Just keep in mind where you're going to be married. Some venues, like grassy lawns and beaches, should be considered heel-prohibitive terrain.

Watch Out For...

Beware of shoes with skinny straps and jeweled ornaments. Skinny straps tend to start digging into your feet after a couple of hours. Jeweled ornaments on the straps or other parts of the shoes can be dangerous because they have a tendency to catch on long trains and lacy hems. If you absolutely must have those Jimmy Choo rhinestone-strap pumps, try brushing clear nail polish onto the jeweled part of the shoe to create a smoother surface.

The Right White

If only all whites were the same. Alas, they are not, so make sure you take a swatch of fabric from your wedding dress or a photo of it when you go shoe shopping. Since different shades show up differently on different fabrics, it would be wise to try and wear shinier shoes with a satin dress or matte shoes with a crepe dress. If the shoes of your dreams are only available in optic or bright white, ask the store or your local shoe repair shop to apply a "bridal" wash, which will tone the color down a bit.

Price Check

Confession time: We've all bought shoes that put us in the poorhouse before. But how much is too much for a pair of shoes you'll wear once? The dress is one thing, but will your aunts and uncles from Florida really notice that your shoes are made of imported satin? If you experience love at first sight with a pair of pricey pumps and are desperate to have them, make sure you find a style you can dye after the wedding so you can wear them again.

Now, about the shoes your groom is wearing...

MY THOUGHTS

i have no thoughts. hahaha. obviously i cannot relate. i agree with the author though. buying beautiful shoes, even if it's not for your wedding, should be given considerable thought. it's crazy to just go for beautiful shoes. Should be comfy and practical.

Beautiful Shoes: Confession of A Shoe Addict

Fashion in the City: I'm a Shoe Addict

Melissa Kagan ON Feb 16, 2005 at 6:01AM
http://www.ivillage.com/fashion-city-im-shoe-addict-0/5-a-146778

My name is Melissa and I'm addicted to shoes. How do you know if you have a shoe-shopping addiction? Take a few moments to consider the following. Have you ever lied about a shoe purchase to friends and family? Have you ever experienced shortness of breath at the sight of a shoe sale? Do you consider a pair of shoes marked down from $750 to $450 a great deal? Do you talk to your shoes as if they were people? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then welcome to the club. We embrace you with open arms and empty wallets.

If you are not a member, let me try to explain. The first inkling I had that I might have a "shoe problem" was when I moved into my first Manhattan apartment after college. My rent left me with little to no extra income for shopping and dining out, so every penny had to be accounted for. I started off with every intention of "budgeting wisely" as my parents had instructed.

But then I saw "them." It was like destiny, being struck by a bolt of lightning, love at first sight. They were a pair of black patent-leather, pointy-toe pumps with a stacked wooden heel, and they cost hundreds of dollars. They spoke to me. They didn't say, "We're too expensive for you." They purred, "Hey, stranger, what's a fashionable girl like you doing without a shoe like us?" They were way above my price range, but my common sense evaporated and what I call "retail reasoning" kicked in. They were expensive, yes, but they were an investment, right? I mean, my parents wanted me to think about my future, and here, right in front of me, was a pair of amazing shoes that I knew I had a future with. I bought them and ate beans and rice for a month. That was the beginning.

"A woman with a shoe habit is like a man with a gambling problem" was the warning that my fiancé received from his friends when he confided in them that he suspected I was a compulsive shoe shopper. (He married me anyway.) But what constitutes a true shoe habit? I mean, don't all women go a little crazy from time to time with the shopping? Isn't it part of being the changeable, moody, mysterious, adorable, amusing, multitasking, fashionable, stressed-out females that we are?

The truth is, since obsessive shoe lovers tend to stick together, my perspective may be skewed. We enable each other. We say things like, "Yes, you should use your emergency credit card for those $450 Jimmy Choo strappy sandals," or, "Of course, it's perfectly okay to hide your purchases in the bushes until you can retrieve them when your husband won't notice." All is fair in love and shoes. When I get together with my shoe friends, any excuse is a reason to go shopping. New boyfriends, recent breakups, promotions, Groundhog Day. For us there is never an occasion that doesn't warrant a trip to the shoe department.

What's the allure? There's just something about a new pair of shoes that makes me feel good about myself. They have this effect even when I'm wearing a humdrum outfit or my "fat" pants. I feel sexier. I feel confident and fashionable. With a great pair of shoes I even feel skinnier sometimes. I don't want to be mushy, but when I buy a pair of shoes from my favorite designer, it's like reuniting with an old friend. And it always feels like we should have gotten together a lot sooner.

I'm addicted to shoes, but I don't think it's a problem ‑- I think it's my calling. I deserve beautiful shoes. We all do. Besides, giving up shoe shopping would be like giving up a part of myself. I'm good at it. It's a God-given talent. It would be like Picasso not painting or Beethoven not composing. What a waste that would be.

MY THOUGHTS

well,i'm not a shoe addict. i don't talk to beautiful shoes. maybe i've hidden a box or 2 of beautiful shoes but i don't experience "shortness of breath" at the sight of them.

The World's Oldest Beautiful Shoe

Talk About Retro: The World's Oldest Shoe

Imagine what future generations will think of our kicks
Ysolt Usigan ON Jun 10, 2010 at 2:27PM

Before sky-high Louboutins and Manolos, people (cave men and women, to be specific) wore lace-up flats. And to think, I assumed our prehistoric ancestors walked around barefoot. Silly me -- of course, they wore shoes!

And now, there's proof. Archaeologists discovered the world's oldest known leather shoe while excavating a cave in Armenia. The 5,500-year-old shoes, which are made out of cowhide and tanned with oil from a plant or vegetable, were preserved under layers of sheep dung. Who knew the very thing you're trying to avoid stepping on is what could save your footwear?!

"While the shoe more closely resembles an L.L.Bean-type soft-soled walking shoe than anything by Jimmy Choo, 'these were probably quite expensive shoes, made of leather, very high quality,'" lead scientist Gregory Areshian of the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology at the University of California, Los Angeles, told the New York Times.

I wonder who actually wore this particular pair?! Scientists have yet to uncover more details -- after all, these were created before we had user reviews -- all they know is, they were likely worn by a woman with size-7 feet, just a tad shy of the current average of 8.5.

Centuries from now, wouldn't it be cool if excavators discovered our beloved shoes? I wonder what the people of the future would think of our ballet flats, peep-toes and booties?

MY THOUGHTS

amazing that the oldest shoe was probably worn by a woman. with big feet. and with style. leather 5500 years ago.