squirrelheels Posted April 12, 2003 Share Posted April 12, 2003 Well, I went shoe shopping today. I took quite a long time over it as well. I went into town wearing my 5in loafers (see them from my www link), long bootcut jeans and a navy t-shirt, and a ruck sack for any purchases I might make! I met with my friend in the shop where he works, and we agreed to meet for lunch when he was allowed on his lunch break, so I went off for 45 mins. Popped over to the other side of the upper mall and went into Jonathan James. I found some 3in-ish chunky heeled Mary Janes for only £7.99, so I bought them straight off in size 8UK without trying them. Bad idea. After buying, I went into the mall toilets to change into them. They were a bit tight, but they fitted ok. I walked up out of the mall and to the Market Square, and they were killing my feet by this point, so went to the toilets there to change back. So after that, the time had come to meet my friend for lunch, and soon we were in Pizza hut waiting half an hour for a pizza. We had a large stuffed crust deep pan cheese feast with pepperoni and ham... Absolutely gorgeous! He went back to work half an hour later than he should have been, and we parted ways. I went to another Jonathan James where I returned the Mary Janes. They were quite reluctant to take them back, but they allowed it anyway. I also spotted in there a nice pair of lower wedge Mary Janes that were a little less chunky that I took the time to try on. They were a size bigger (42EUR), and fitted well. I might buy them should the money arrive! After I read a post by Jo mentioning Shoe Zone yesterday, I looked them up on the web, and found there was a Shoe Zone in Bulwell, on the north side of the city. So I found a streetmap, and planned to go there. Using my Nottingham bus route planner, I found a bus which went close to where shoe zone was and caught it. And I'm glad I did. It wasn't too much effort to find, and I found quite a few styles I liked, although not many in my size. I did however find some nice all-black wedge sandals with a traditional thin-ish strap over the toes, with minor decoration, and a strap over the front and back of the heel with buckle. They had a pair in 9UK which amazed me! I went to the cash machine nearby and got out a tenner to pay for these bargain sandals! The woman in the shop was extremely friendly and helpful, and not over-friendly (which annoys me sometimes). So I walked out of there feeling a happy bunny and caught a bus back to the city centre. Another shoe shop out of the city centre that I wanted to visit was united footwear. So, again after printing off maps yesterday and finding the right bus route, I caught a bus straight there, and it was dead easy to find. I was amazed when I walked in, as they had racks and racks of a huge variety of shoes, from plain courts to fetish sandals to plain knee boots to bright pink kiddies shoes and slippers. I spent quite a while browsing the racks, and tried on a few pairs. Eventually, after finding nothing in the form of a normal shoe (I was really after a Mary Jane of some sort), I went back to the boot section and found a pair of black wedge heel ankle boots with a 4in tapering heel (it's underslung slightly too). I tried them on, and one of them didn't fit, so I found the one that was the right size! (8UK). Since it was near closing time, (who I assume was) the manager came over and asked if I needed some help since they were closing. He obviously saw what I was trying, and saw my 5in loafers next to them, but said nothing about that, and was very helpful. These lovely leather boots were a snug fit, but at £9.99 reduced from £35 I wasn't about to complain! I took them to the counter and paid for my boots and caught a bus back to the city again. By this time the balls of my feet were killing me, as my feet haven't walked any distance in my 5in loafers for a while... I paid a quick visit to H&M to get a long sleeve t-shirt, then came home, and relieved my feet. So, one large pizza, two new pairs of shoes and a new t-shirt later, SH is a happy squirrel I shall definitely be visiting those shops again in the coming months! High praise to both chains for excellent service and prices! Jonathan James... well, high praise for prices, but don't count on getting a refund. Unlike Maplin where you can buy something, smash it up, and return it, you can't do that with them (Apparently you're not even supposed to wear them on a hard indoor floor, as this damages the shoes too much if they want to re-sell them - *sigh*) And now I'm out of money... Looks like the Geforce 4 will have to wait!! SH Hi! I'm a signature virus! Copy me into your sig and help me spread! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jo Posted April 13, 2003 Share Posted April 13, 2003 Shoe Zone generally do very cheap shoes. They aren't designed to last long, and there isn't a huge range; many are plastic rather than leather. Shoefayre is often a bit better. Glad you found something that you liked though! The local United Footware outlet is amazing. It always has a very wide variety of stuff, from things that your granny would comfortably wear, through to 7 inch heel (2 inch platform) lace up thigh boots that the girls from the local Spearmint Rhino buy in huge numbers. Well worth a visit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yamyam Posted April 13, 2003 Share Posted April 13, 2003 Agreed with the shoe shop descriptions! SH - what a shopping trip. Nice one! Obsessed is such a strong word. I prefer to think of myself as "differently enthusiastic" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffB Posted April 13, 2003 Share Posted April 13, 2003 Well, I managed to get in some shoe shopping as well during a trip to New York City on Saturday. There's a store there called Tall Girls Shoes of 35th Street which specializes in shoes in size 10 and over, in some cases all the way up to size 15! On their "last pair" clearance rack, I found a love pair of Vaneli bone colored pumps with a three inch heel and a killer pair of red Spanish leather pumps with a tall nearly four inch heel, grand total of my purchases: seventy dollars. Of course I had to try them on first, which i did, no problem as the salesmen are pretty familiar with me, and the fact they get in a lot of drag queens and transvestites there, so they do pretty good business. All in all, a very good say of shopping! I don't want to LOOK like a woman, I just want to DRESS like a woman! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squirrelheels Posted April 13, 2003 Author Share Posted April 13, 2003 Jo, I noticed that the range wasn't that large, but what they had was pretty good, even if none of them were leather. The sandals aren't leather, but they're very nice and comfortable. As for Untied Footwear (), you're right - they have a huge range! I tried some nice 7in clear platforms heels with a 2 in platform in size 9... I'm amazed they had them in that size... but they were really nice and comfortable! I'll have to see if I can find a Shoefayre in Nottingham and find out where it is so I can visit next time I have some money for shoes! SH Hi! I'm a signature virus! Copy me into your sig and help me spread! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yamyam Posted April 13, 2003 Share Posted April 13, 2003 Actually, I found quite a good selection in a market stall yesterday. I swore I wasn't going to buy any new shoes, so I had to kick myself (carefully) when I splashed out thirty quid on a pair of copy J Lo Blahniks. They're great, and a really easy 8, so they're as comfy as anything. I wore them for hours as I walked around, and they just felt better and better. I wore the heel tips down to the metal, so I was *damn* loud strolling around the town! I thought I'd attract loads of attention, but I didn't. I nearly fell over on a wooden floor, tho', due to a lack of grip in the heel department. Oops. Pictures when I have time Still looking for United Footwear Obsessed is such a strong word. I prefer to think of myself as "differently enthusiastic" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squirrelheels Posted April 14, 2003 Author Share Posted April 14, 2003 Cool. I've never really done any serious browsing or buying on market stalls. Were they second hand or brand new? Having had a look at the Shoefayre site, I've discovered my nearest one is probably in Newark, which is a good way out from where I live. There are buses, but it begs the question "is it worth it?". Since I've never been to shoefayre before, I can't answer this! I doubt it'd take too long to get there, probably an hour or so... so it's a long afternoon's shopping for just one shop! SH Hi! I'm a signature virus! Copy me into your sig and help me spread! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francis Posted April 14, 2003 Share Posted April 14, 2003 I told you United Footwear were good, didn't I? I'll be getting the new trade catalogue shortly and will be able to get everything at trade prices Helps when you know someone who works there Glad to hear that you found what you wanted SH. By the sounds of it you'll be visiting United Footwear more often ps. why do you need a Geforce4, I have Geforce2's in both machine and it's more than adequate for a few years, by which time, something of stonking proportions will be out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squirrelheels Posted April 14, 2003 Author Share Posted April 14, 2003 Yes you did say that! I'll definitely be going again! I took the plunge again and wore my sandals out today with black socks, and of course the obligatory (at least with me) long jeans. They were comfortable and stable, and nobody either noticed or cared! So that's another victory for SH's wardrobe! I'm contemplating wearing them to a house group tonight. Only one of the people know about my heels, so I don't know what reaction I'll get. It'll be a slightly different situation to my youth group, where it wasn't revealed by me but by some other kind fellow...! So I might come back smiling with heels on, or angry with heels on, or straight faced without heels on! We shall see! SH Hi! I'm a signature virus! Copy me into your sig and help me spread! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jo Posted April 14, 2003 Share Posted April 14, 2003 Wow. I never think about people who have to travel to go shopping. There are at least 10 shoe shops within a mile of here, and about 40, maybe more, within 5 or 6 miles of here. Too much choice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squirrelheels Posted April 14, 2003 Author Share Posted April 14, 2003 Where do you live, PJ? I live in a suburb of Nottingham, so I'm no more than a 15 min bus ride from a city full of shoe shops. Unfortunately shops like shoe zone and united footwear choose to locate themselves out of the city centre, probably because costs of shop space in the city centre is very very high that can't be covered by a discount shoe store, and also the fact that there isn't much space left in the city centre anyway! Especially for a place as large as untied footwear...! I wore my sandals to house group tonight... I didn't get a chance to change out of them! No bother about them whatsoever. The only female in the group tonight whispered to me "Why are you wearing high heels" to which I replied "Why not?!" and then she whispered "don't you find them uncomfortable?", and at the point we cut it short as we were interrupting the rest of the discussion, and it wasn't relavent... At the end we didn't get the opportunity to talk about it. I'd quite like to, just to 'clear the air' as it were, but no harm done and I'm almost certain she and the rest would be accepting... I'll only feel comfortable though when they all know though...! Ah well, I'll get there! SH Hi! I'm a signature virus! Copy me into your sig and help me spread! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
micha Posted April 14, 2003 Share Posted April 14, 2003 So that's another victory for SH's wardrobe! That's the way I like it Also working on my next wardrobe victory! micha The best fashion is your own fashion! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calv Posted April 14, 2003 Share Posted April 14, 2003 Hi Squirrel. I wouldn't go out of my way to find a Shoefayre store. I've never found anything there I like/that fits! I found a pair of courts in Jonathon James in Nuneaton for 14.99 and then the same one in United footwear for 22.99. Need to shop around. Loads of cheap plats in Uniteed Footwear Coventry at the moment. Hope to see you on Friday. Please see my message re a meeting place. Do your own thing. Don't be a victim of conformity. Calv Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squirrelheels Posted April 15, 2003 Author Share Posted April 15, 2003 Well, Shoefayre would be an hours bus journey having read the timetables etc. It wouldn't cost me anything to get there other than in time. I guess stock varies from store to store, so what might be available in one store isn't available in another, so they may have something I like. On the other hand, they may have something that you've seen as well that you've disliked, but I might like it! I'll go there if I have the money to spend there to make it worthwhile spending my time getting there...! And I've replied to your message re meeting up. SH Hi! I'm a signature virus! Copy me into your sig and help me spread! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elevated Posted April 15, 2003 Share Posted April 15, 2003 Who, what, why United Footwear? Do they have a web-site? I looked them up on yell.com, and all their stores are miles from me (but then virtually everywhere is . It would be good to get an idea of their styles etc. before treking to them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squirrelheels Posted April 15, 2003 Author Share Posted April 15, 2003 I don't think they have a website. As for styles, they sell pretty much every style, so you could probably find something that suited you there, at a fairly reasonable price. As to whether you should make the effort... it's up to you! SH Hi! I'm a signature virus! Copy me into your sig and help me spread! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Posted April 15, 2003 Share Posted April 15, 2003 Sacrificing a GeForce 4 for shoes. That's dedication I wish I was a size 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yamyam Posted April 15, 2003 Share Posted April 15, 2003 Cool. I've never really done any serious browsing or buying on market stalls. Were they second hand or brand new? They were brand new, in boxes. There's no heel tips on them any more, as I wore them out in one day, but they're top shoes. And the people on the store didn't bat an eyelid as I tried them and bought them. Having had a look at the Shoefayre site, I've discovered my nearest one is probably in Newark, which is a good way out from where I live. There are buses, but it begs the question "is it worth it?". Since I've never been to shoefayre before, I can't answer this! I doubt it'd take too long to get there, probably an hour or so... so it's a long afternoon's shopping for just one shop!SH Is it worth it for just one shop? You're sounding insufficiently obsessed there, young SH. It's a shoe shop! Of course it's worth it Obsessed is such a strong word. I prefer to think of myself as "differently enthusiastic" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squirrelheels Posted April 15, 2003 Author Share Posted April 15, 2003 Is it worth it for just one shop? You're sounding insufficiently obsessed there, young SH. It's a shoe shop! Of course it's worth it Don't you mean "insufficiently differently enthusiastic"?!! I think it is worth it... but only when I have have sufficient time spare to do it! I'll also need money to spend on shoes to make it worthwhile! I'll get there eventually.....! SH Hi! I'm a signature virus! Copy me into your sig and help me spread! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yamyam Posted April 16, 2003 Share Posted April 16, 2003 Don't you mean "insufficiently differently enthusiastic"?!! No, it's one of those irregular verbs: "I'm differently enthusiastic, you're obsessed, see them over there - they're mental" I'll also need money to spend on shoes to make it worthwhile! I'll get there eventually.....!SH Now that is a fair point Obsessed is such a strong word. I prefer to think of myself as "differently enthusiastic" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squirrelheels Posted April 16, 2003 Author Share Posted April 16, 2003 No, it's one of those irregular verbs: "I'm differently enthusiastic, you're obsessed, see them over there - they're mental" Hahahaha! I've been called mental before, and crazy, and insane, and I've admitted to it too... Although I'm assuming the "mental" part of that phrase wasn't directed at me?!! SH Hi! I'm a signature virus! Copy me into your sig and help me spread! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yamyam Posted April 16, 2003 Share Posted April 16, 2003 Hahahaha! I've been called mental before, and crazy, and insane, and I've admitted to it too... Although I'm assuming the "mental" part of that phrase wasn't directed at me?!! SH No, of course not. It was just a silly remark for cheap comic effect! If I was going to call you 'mental' (which I wouldn't) I'd just do it! I'm not one for mincing my words Obsessed is such a strong word. I prefer to think of myself as "differently enthusiastic" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squirrelheels Posted April 16, 2003 Author Share Posted April 16, 2003 <stupidaccent>Goodo Just checking ol' chap!</stupidaccent> Hmm... mincing... reminds me of last night's CSI episode... SH Hi! I'm a signature virus! Copy me into your sig and help me spread! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yamyam Posted April 17, 2003 Share Posted April 17, 2003 <stupidaccent>Goodo Just checking ol' chap!</stupidaccent> Hmm... mincing... reminds me of last night's CSI episode... SH Reminded me of Julian 'The Mincing Machine' Clairy Say - isn't the 'word association' game someplace else ? Obsessed is such a strong word. I prefer to think of myself as "differently enthusiastic" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squirrelheels Posted April 17, 2003 Author Share Posted April 17, 2003 I believe it is... say, is it this one? SH Hi! I'm a signature virus! Copy me into your sig and help me spread! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francis Posted April 18, 2003 Share Posted April 18, 2003 you mean, "Joan Collin's Fan Club" Julian Clary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yamyam Posted April 19, 2003 Share Posted April 19, 2003 you mean, "Joan Collin's Fan Club" Julian Clary I believe he answers to that too, yes. Obsessed is such a strong word. I prefer to think of myself as "differently enthusiastic" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts