Practical versus Fashionable
Since I work for an insurance company, I must congratulate these women for making smart decisions as winter and high heels can sometimes equal disaster. Although, I have to say there have been days when I just can’t seem to make myself throw on my good old sturdy boots, even for that minute walk from the car into the office and back.
I am going to go out on a limb and say that most women have suffered some kind of accident while wearing high heels in the winter. Most of the accidents typically involve losing balance and falling over which can sometimes result in pain and other times in a hilarious story to tell your girlfriends. Funny enough, last week I was chatting with a colleague who works in our personal insurance department; she recently received a claim from a woman who just happened to get her high heel stuck on a winter floor mat which resulted in a car accident.
In order to prevent things like this from happening to all of you great women out there, I have gathered some key tips to help you get through the winter in style.
Tips provided by By Aurora LaJambre- Info Guru, Catalogs.com, 2007
http://www.catalogs.com/info/accessories/wearing-high-heels.html
- Buy the right size high heel. A lot of women buy the wrong size shoe and blame the shoe for their discomfort. Have your foot measured at a shoe store and walk around in the store to make sure they offer enough support for your feet.
- Buy good quality high heels. High heels endure a lot of wear and tear in the winter. A quality pair will cost more, but your blister-free feet will thank you.
- Scuff the bottoms of your high heels on concrete, the rougher bottoms offer more traction on ice and will make them less slippery.
- Wear round-toed high heels. When your feet are cold and stiff, your toes will not appreciate being pushed inward by pointed shoes.
- Consider saving the extra high heels for nights out, and wear thicker heels for your every-day shoe. They offer more stability and support.
- Care for your feet. Soak them in warm water at night and walk around barefoot or in comfy slippers to allow them to recover. Moisturize with aloe so straps slide easily against soft skin, reducing the risk of abrasions or blisters.
- Look for high heels with soft inner soles or buy inserts for extra comfort and support.
- Carry band-aids and a pair of flats in case your heel breaks or your feet demand a break.
- Consider kitten heels instead of 3+ inch high heels. Kitten heels offer the benefits of high heels without putting pressure on the frontal bones and balls of the feet.
- High heels boots are a stylish and warm alternative to high heels in winter. Save the open-toed heels for spring!
- Keep a pair of winter boots (flats) in your car, just in case.
On behalf of Cowan Insurance Group- proud sponsor of the 4th Annual Glass Slipper Affair- , we look forward to seeing you all at this outstanding event in April. Until then, leave your boots with your coat and enjoy the winter in style!
Jessica Wulff
Sponsorship & Event Coordinator
Cowan Insurance Group Website: www.cowangroup.ca
Twitter: www.twitter.com/cowaninsurance
It’s Baaack!
It’s baaaaack!
My arch nemesis.
The one who eats at my sole.
Yes folks, the dreaded salt of winter is back. With every step I take, I know it’s only a matter of time….I can feel the hypertension setting in as I look down to see the salt slowly but surely gnawing at my suede ankle boots, mocking me for my irreverence.
I am mere days away from succumbing to the salt and trading fashion for function. Good bye suede anklets. Hello Cougar boots. Sniff.
Fortunately there is dry pavement at the end of the salt tunnel. For me, the Glass Slipper Affair marks the return of my beloved stilettos. On April 12th 2012, one lucky pair shall break free of its box, ready to make me look and feel fabulous after a long and dark hibernation. Not even the inevitable blisters and aching arches will stop me from jamming, er….I mean, slipping my feet into my most stylish pair. Despite the pleas of my podiatrist, it is too late. I cannot be saved. I am a slave to the stiletto, and proud of it!
Given my love of shoes, it is only fitting that Glass Slipper tickets go on sale February 14th 2012. This is going to be one hot ticket, so don’t miss out! I look forward to celebrating our mutual love affair April 12th, 2012, when the only salt will be on the rim of our martinis!
Should you have any questions, want to purchase a shoe or are interested in sponsoring this fabulous event, please email us at glassslipperaffair@gmail.
Cheers to the end of salt!
Nadine Mueller, Sole Stylist
Message from the Ring Master
I can’t believe we are already getting ready to kick-off the 4th Annual – The Glass Slipper Affair – with the exciting theme of Cirque du Sole, combining shoes with a campy circus event. Family and Children’s Services of Waterloo Region recently opened The Family Centre, and what better way to show it off then to host The 2012 Glass Slipper Affair there. We will have all the things you have come to love about the event, photo booth, fabulous guest MC, the Shoe-tini and of course THE SHOES!! In addition we will be introducing some new and exciting ways for you to support Family & Children’s Services of Waterloo Region. We all love this event because of the shoes – who wouldn’t love an opportunity to get dressed up, spend an evening with their girlfriends and check out the fabulous shoes – but this event is much more. Your participation, through attendance, sponsorship or donating a shoe, helps a child in care get to be a kid. Your support will send a child in care to camp, pay for extracurricular activities and give them the opportunity to enjoy activities most kids take for granted.
This is my second year on the committee, and once again I feel truly blessed to get to work with a group of women who put so much of their time and heart into such a good cause and great event. Check out the Shoe Crew to learn all about Candi, Cristen, Meaghan, Nadine, Patricia and Patti. Without the time, effort and talents of these lovely ladies we would never be able to host such a fantastic event.
Tickets will go on sale February 14th, 2012 and I hope you are able to join us on April 12th, 2012 at The Family Centre. In the mean time if you have any questions, want to purchase a shoe or are interested in sponsoring this fabulous event please email us at glassslipperaffair@gmail.com or give us a call at 519-576-0540 x 3145.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Andrea Harding,Chair, The Glass Slipper Affair
My high heels: An unrequited love story.
A lot of people think that, as the founder of a company called Damn Heels that I’m against wearing high-heeled shoes. But nothing could be further from the truth. I am passionately in love with every pair of heels I own. The pumps, the sling-backs, the platforms, the kitten heels, the stilettos – I adore them all equally. If only they could learn to love me back.
It’s kind of like that bad boy you dated in high school or university. You knew he was totally wrong for you, but you lusted after him anyway. Only, instead of getting your heart broken, you get lower back pain, sciatica, damage to the Achilles tendon, blisters, bunions, hammertoes, osteoarthritis… plus the pain of receiving your monthly credit card bill. But at the end of the day, my heels make me feel taller, leggier, sexier and more powerful. And they can turn even the most conservative outfit into something special. So why fight it, right?
Let’s face it. The world would be a pretty boring place if high heels were never invented. Lady Gaga would have never made headlines after doing a face plant at the Paris airport in her 10 inch heels. There’d be no Carrie Bradshaw trotting around Manhattan in her Manolos. And can you even imagine Posh Beckham in a pair of Crocs or Birkenstocks? I didn’t think so. Not to mention the fact that, if high heels didn’t exist, I wouldn’t have been inspired to start my own business!
I guess you could say that I’m pretty much resigned to the idea that my relationship with my heels will always be one-sided. We’ve come to a mutual understanding that they’ll promise to make me look fabulous, as long as I’m willing to endure sore heels, aching arches and squished toes.
I’d have a hard time parting with any of my beloved companions. But if you were to ask me what’s the best part about wearing high heels, the answer would be simple… taking them off.
Hailey Coleman, Owner and Founder of Damn Heels
Website: www.damnheels.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/DamnHeels
Blog: www.damnheels.tumblr.com
From the Chair
When it comes to shoes I’m not really sure where exactly to begin. Do I start with the feeling of pure excitement when you walk into a shoe store and spot the pair you have been eyeing every time you have walked by for the past few weeks with a bright red sale sign beside them? Or is it the way they can really completely change an outfit; how a simple pair of pumps can add spice to even the plainest jean and a t-shirt combo (take a few minutes and throw on a few accessories, you are ready for a night out). Or does it go back to that one famous line by a beautiful princess stating “one shoe can change your life” and then thinking to yourself how maybe it just can, it worked for Cinderella right?
I don’t know if I would go as far to say that I have a shoe obsession (yet!) as I believe it is in the infatuation stage, but that would also depend on who you ask. Either way it was a love for shoes, event planning, a good girls night out and a desire to give back to a community that gave me so much while growing up that lead to the development of The Glass Slipper Affair. It was through a shared passion for each of those things with fellow committee member and co-founder Abby Burke that the event truly took form. Now in our 3rd year I am eagerly waiting the day we spend sorting through the shoes graciously donated by our supporters and taking a few minutes to picture how each pair would make a nice addition to my shoe closet!
With tickets going on sale in only 4 days (February 14th) I am inviting everyone to take a minute and get involved this year by attending the event, sponsoring, or donating a shoe and providing yourself with the opportunity to be the fairy godmother to a child in this community. This is a unique opportunity to grant a wish for a child and maybe this year thanks to you Cinderella will be right and one shoe really will change their life.
Looking forward to seeing our avid Glass Slipper Affair attendee’s and some new faces at this year’s Springtime in Paris themed evening and wishing you all the best at the auction table this year!
Your fellow shoe fanatic,
Cristen Quigley
The Glass Slipper Affair Committee Chair
