Flashback Friday! Me & My Shoes

Benvenuti a tutti! Welcome all!

Literally translated from the Italian 'All My Shoes', I am giving my friends (and fellow shoe-a-holics) a glimpse into what I affectionately call my 'Shoe Arsenal' and tutte le mie scarpe.

My 'Arsenal' 1 of 3

My 'Arsenal' 2 of 3

My 'Arsenal' 3 of 3

Fourth Grade Class Picture
Do you see anything missing?
My feet! I wore my sister's
high-heeled sandals to
school and knew I
would be in trouble if
my mother found out!

My Journey on Tutte Le Mie Scarpe started in March of 2011 while still living in Sicily; a friend of mine 'challenged' me to wear 'all my shoes' after having discussed an article about the number of shoes the average woman has...I believe it was somewhere around 50! Easily, I could boast that I had 6 times that (give or take a dozen or two). So I accepted, not fully realizing what an undertaking it would be, the magnitude and scope of the task at hand, where or if, I could do it.

Payless cutout platform pumps.
I won the Lip Sync Contest
'singing' Tina Turner's
What's Love Got to Do With It?

It's been transformative to say the least. Shoes lead one to such marvelous places, down such wondrous paths, that we call 'life'; and sometimes shoes take us down roads we wished we had never travelled, but it is at these times we stand back up and brush ourselves off and tighten-up our boots straps and carry on.

Cowboy booties from Payless,
circa 1993

Ever since I was a child, I have loved shoes. I remember trying on my mother's pumps, my sister's clogs or my cousins stilettos! I loved being taller, but more importantly, I loved how they made me feel over the years; strong in lace-up combat boots, sexy in stilettos, feminine in anything with an ankle strap, powerful in anything with a four inch heel. Shoes gave me a sense of freedom to explore who I was -I could make a statement without uttering a single word...my shoes could do the talking at times when I couldn't, didn't want to or was just unable to and for that they are my weapon of choice, and hence the items with which I stock My Arsenal!

Junior Year, College
Awards Ceremony

Piano Recital age 10

Most of my memories, I can associate with a pair of shoes: from the white leather pumps I wore to Senior Prom, to the stilettos wore to an awards ceremony, to the brown wedge sandals (my sister's hand me downs...I've had the same shoe size since I was about 10) I wore to my piano recital, shoes have played a pivotal role in my life, my entire life, especially since I walked to school for 12 years. And oh, the stories I could tell you about the shoes I've worn!

Tutte Le Mie Scarpe is a step on my journey through life; that I can share with you, my fellow Shoe-A-Holics, all the shoes in my Arsenal, is a privilege...and I thank-you.

Life is a journey, I say why not make it memorable with a great pair of shoes! Andiamo! Let's go!

Black Reebok's

White Reebok's

You couldn't tell me I wasn't 'Bad' in my
ankle boots from Payless...
they had springs for laces!

My 'Dwayne Wayne' Phase
complete with hi-top and flip-up shades;
in white pointy flats.

And here I am in the black pointy flats.

Those flats got a lot of wear back then!

I borrowed my
mother's white
moccasin flats
for the high school
sports banquet...
I won MVP that year!

In my 'Mary J. Blige' Phase wearing my Brooks sneakers...
I think it was a Canadian thing!

Freshman year in College...that year orange was the
couleur du jour, and clogs came back into style!

I remember these beauties well;
suede cutout wedges from Bata!

How I miss these clogs...
Not the 'Daisy Dukes!

Junior year in College, I was on the
decorating committee for homecoming...
I wore the burgundy matching shoes
and bag...from Payless!

Senior Year Spring
Semi-Formal;
I wore these Nina
beauties and was beautiful!

Me and Yogi at the Amusement Park...
I ruined these fake-me-out-Birkenstock sandals
from continuously standing in the
'splash zone' for the Zumba Flume ride!