Wooden Shoes Help in Celebrating Family and Tradition

Dear Shoe Friends,

I meant to write this post a couple weeks ago, closer to St. Nicholas' Eve (December 5). You see, I come from a Dutch family; I'm actually 100 percent Dutch. St. Nicholas' Eve and the days leading up to it are special days.

For the week of days leading up to St. Nicholas' Eve, we would place our shoes - yes, that's right, our shoes - next to our chimney. Similar to the cookies and milk left for Santa Claus, we would leave a carrot or a sugar cube for St. Nicholas' horse. But we also sang songs up our chimney, hoping to entice St. Nicholas to come to our house. The next morning, we would race downstairs and find our shoes filled with tiny presents - maybe some chocolate kisses or a small toy. Something simple. Then came St. Nicholas' Eve, December 5.

On St. Nicholas' Eve, my brothers and sister and I would find just about everything we could to put in our shoes - carrots, sugar cubes, a banana. This was the big night. We would sing our hearts out up the chimney and then wait. And wait and wait and wait. And, no matter how many years we had participated in St. Nicholas' Eve, we always jumped out of our socks when Sinterklaas' assistant (aka one of our parents) banged on the front door. We would race to the front door, fling it open and with wide smiles invite in the assistant and hurriedly divvy up the huge bag of presents that had been delivered. It was the best night of the year.

I tell you this because I love the story and the history behind the tradition. The laying out of shoes, the giving of simple gifts, the singing of songs up the chimney, the genuineness of children, the anticipation of St. Nicholas' Eve, the connectedness of family. If you are looking for a new tradition, perhaps the St. Nicholas' tradition is one to look into. It is yours as much as it is mine; everyone can enjoy it. And I can guarantee you that the stories you'll discover will be stories you'll share over and over again for years to come.

Wishing you and all those you hold dear a very blessed holiday season.

kaelyn kelley

Steve Madden Legion Boot - A Study in Chic Comfort

Before you readers search through my archives thinking that I've posted about this boot before, let me tell you that yes, I have. The Steve Madden Legion boot is, perhaps, my favorite boot this season. And for good reason. Let's check out the features.

Toebox: The toe is simple, rounded but with a hint of a point. Notice the stitching creates a "T" of sorts on the vamp. This stitching provides a bit of flair on the simple toe. Neither the stitching nor the toe draws attention; that is not the intent of either one.

Heel: The heel is sturdy but feminine. It is not a stiletto, so walking for extended periods of time will not cause any discomfort in your arches. It is the same color as the rest of the boot, wrapped in leather, and, like the toe, does not draw attention. At a moderate 3", the heel adds just the right height for any night out.

Shaft: The stitching that we talked about continues up one-third of the shaft, creating a half-circle pattern over the back of the boot. It completes the stitching and creates a delicate look leading into the sturdy heel. The shaft itself is in line with the slouch trend and tops off with a classy collar and a brass buckle around the back of the boot. From arch to top of the shaft measures approximately 12".

Overall lines: The lines blend together seamlessly - a perfect mix of delicacy and roughness. A-

Color options: The Legion boot comes in black, grey and cognac. I own the cognac and consider it a staple of my wardrobe but am considering adding the grey as well. Grey is clearly one of the colors of the season, and owning two pairs of this boot is a viable option.

Material options: All colors of the Legion boot come in leather.

Wearability/Comfortability: Your feet will feel the same after eight hours of wearing the Legion boots as they did when you put the boots on. The boot is designed with great arch support, and although the heel is 3", it is sturdy - not a stiletto - and provides much more stability for time spent on your feet. The aesthetics of this boot are appealing, but the wearability and comfortability are one of its greatest features. A

Affordability: At $119.90, the Legion boot is an affordable and chic option to boost any footwear collection. It is available at several brick-and-mortar retailers, including Nordstrom, and at several online retailers, including Endless.com.

Whether you are searching for a boot to class up a pair of skinny jeans or to add flair to the fall dress that you already have for next season, pick up a pair of these Legion boots. The design is great, the comfortability will have you offering rave reviews to passers-by on the street and in the store, and the price point is one that we can all smile about. So in this season of giving, give something to yourself -a pair of Steve Madden Legion boots. Ciao!

stilettoed - What's Next?

During my month away from stilettoed I spent some time reflecting on where I'd like to take this blog. As it is so often said, the world is my oyster. What I kept cycling back to was how much I enjoyed reading and writing critical shoe reviews. I would never put myself in the same league as the high end fashion bloggers or the fashion designers; I do, after all, spend my days dealing with food not fashion.

So here's the deal - my stilettoed post will now be almost entirely critical shoe reviews (CSRs henceforth). There may the occasional casual post tossed in for good measure. No critical review would be such without some criteria by which I measure. Here are the criteria I will be reviewing:

-Toebox: what style? does it work with the rest of the shoe? should it have been something else?

-Heel: what weight? color complementary with the rest of the shoe?

-Shaft: (specific to boots) height? slouch vs. straight? the extras - buckles, fringe, ties, ETC?

-Overall lines: includes toe to heel, grade assigned A-F

-Color options (and which one is my fav)

-Material options (and which one is my fav)

-Wearability/Comfortability: grade assigned A-F

-Affordability: This one is a bit tricky. I want to review shoes that won't break the bank. The most expensive pair that I currently own is a $380 pair of FRYE boots that I adore. But I generally hover in the $100-$150 range, and if I can find a good bargain I'm the first in line. So don't expect to find CSRs for a pair of Christian Louboutin $900 shoes, even though they're beautiful and I might be drooling over them. That might be the little spice I throw in for good measure, but I won't tell you that you should go out and buy them.

So that's it. stilettoed is now open for business and ready to tackle some serious reviews. Now I'm off to find my first pair! Ciao!