Shoe Shopping with a Russian Fashion Sense

Several days ago I went shoe shopping with my daughter, a family proclaimed fashion queen. Like all great women of Russian influence, she knows how to choose a good pair of shoes. My trips to FSU countries have taught me many things, but one of the greatest lessons I have learned is that Americans, in general, have no sense of fashion flair when it comes to shoes.

I'll never forget the time my husband and I were eating at a restaurant in Almaty, Kazakstan with a large group of Kazakhs. As I was eating my lunch, I felt something sharp and pointy hitting my shin. I glanced under the table, presumably to confirm it was my husband's shoe, only to find it was the tip of the shoe of a man that was sitting 2 seats down from me.

Now, HE had some shoes. Black leather dress shoes that came to a point (like witch's shoes) that extended a good foot-and-a-half out from his toes!! Later that weekend, I borrowed my translator's aunt's shoes to wear to an orchestra concert that were similar but only extended about 8 inches past the toes. I realized that these shoes were not only trendy and dangerous, but could possibly be used to correct pigeon-toed walking.

So, I took my daughter, who obviously has this extravagant fashion sense, with me to Payless. She quickly picked out her new shoes. As she has since proven, these are truly versatile and can be worn with anything. In fact, she just wore them several minutes ago in a backyard soccer game!

I didn't fair so well. My first choice was quickly shot down.

"Mom, those look just like your old shoes! Why get new ones?" She's too honest for a 5-year-old.

I tried again.

"Uh, Mom" she was being utterly condescending, "Those look like Daddy's shoes."

So, I had her choose. And, choose she did. Hot pink sequins stiletto heel shoes (with ties that went up the leg!). We left after that, because there was no way I would ever wear those. Ever. Not even to prom in the 80s.