All Things Gwen

Yesterday, my fiancé SERIOUSLY asked me if I knew about Imelda Marcos and her shoe collection. Then he told me it must be a Filipino thing. I just looked at him … really? OF COURSE I KNOW IMEDLA MARCOS. We’re Facebook friends, and my parents have been calling me Imelda since the beginning of time!

I love shoes. I have LOTS. But now, I go for comfort AND style. The days of crushing my feet into a size too small — and wearing stilettos for hours are LOOOOONG gone. (No more swollen chicken nugget toes!) I’ve just gotten smarter with my shoe collection … and the shoes I own now are strategic purchases.

Barely heels. I had an ex-boyfriend who was 6′ 5″! When we went out, I swore I looked like his adopted Asian child at 5′ 1″. So I wore ridiculous heels and ran to keep up with his long stride! Of course, I was 24 or so, so my feet could stand the pain.

Comfort brands. I’m all about Privo, Reiker, Keen and anything you can buy at The Walking Company or Benjamin Lovell. They’re more expensive, but they’re worth it. I got into Privos because I used to get pains — pre-stress fractures — in my feet from jumping and plyometrics from teaching kickboxing.

Sports-specific. I invested in good pairs of running shoes from the Princeton Running Company and Haddonfield Running Company. I wear stability shoes — good for most runners, but best for mild to moderate pronators, light or female runners weighing less than 180 pounds and moderate-mileage runners who average about 15-30 miles per week.

Casual always. There’s really no point in getting dressed, right? I wear sneakers as much as I possibly can, and pick sneaks that have a little “give” and aren’t narrow. I love my Sauconys, Asics and Puma.

Good sole. I can’t wear flat flats. I need support! Again, my Privos are the bomb, and I wear them pretty much every day.

My advice is this: Buy what you want, wear what you want … but try not to waste your money on shoes that just “look” good. Get shoes that serve a function and are fashionable! Since you’re standing, walking and exercising, you want to make sure everything — from your nose to your toes — are aligned the way they should be!

Photo by Sarah and Mike …probably.