Alaia obsessions

I have been wildly madly in love with these Alaia shoes for years. But I can't wear 12 cm heels and I can't afford Alaia. I am not the only one who loved these shoes because pictures of them pop up everywhere all the time. There were nude versions, and even orange and white. And of course there were the French editors wearing them all at the same time.

And there was the gorgeous Taylor Tomasi wearing them as well as the editors, and even with jumpers and canvas.

I always say here in this blog that you have to know yourself before you buy. And I know I spend my life at school, at football, at tennis, at swimming lessons... so there's no rationalizing these babies around my life. Okay, living in Hong Kong we do have the opportunity to spend time at some insanely glamorous places, but I already have many pairs of worthy shoes. So those Alaias left the station, on a TGV train, very fast and very far out of reach.

Yet these shoes have become a bit of a litmus test for me. I often wondered, am I getting to the point where I will soon forgo really high heels, because I prefer comfort? I wore some 7 cm respectable block heels at a garden party at our house in Holland, and all of my aunts (who were quite stylish in their day) were aghast at my heels asking me how in heaven's name I could walk on those things.

So there has to be a moment I reckon, when you say, no more super high heels. I am a mom with an eight and a ten year old. Although I go out on average 4 times a week, a lot of those nights are dinners at people's houses - not always the perfect place for 12 cm Alaias. Especially when you are asked to take them off at the door. Yet I am not mentally ready to leave them behind. I am not ready to be a woman who, in her day, loved to wear really glamorous shoes.

Aquazurra lace-up heels

And then Aquazurra came along. Edgardo Osorio started making lace-up sandals, almost as sexy as the Alaias but instead they have 10.5 cm heels, and they are less than half the price. I jumped on those babies faster than you can say midlife crisis. My reaction was so immensely intuitive, it's cast all my doubts aside - I am nowhere near ready to give up high heels. Respectable age is just going to have to wait for me a while longer.

Now the only challenge that remains is trying to get these things on. That will be a daunting task indeed.