Walk Tall: Living Life in the Perfect Pair of Shoes

In the fun but fickle world of fashion, where trends change by the hour, tall is always in.

My cousin, a fashion designer and artist, is one of the tall ones. Everything she wears hangs from her shoulders the way it was designed to. At dinner parties or at the grocery store, she casts a fine silhouette. Sleek and stylish, it is as if her clothes enjoy being wrapped around her…

but then there are the shoes!

Like most women, my cousin loves shoes. With such a fashionable eye she can pick out an emerging trend of buckles or ballet pumps, patent or crimped leather, while the rest of us are still clopping around in wedges.

But what she loves and what she can find are two different things, for my cousin’s height comes with a not-so-small issue – her feet!

Like the rest of her, my cousin’s feet are long and thin. She simply doesn’t fit into the “normal sized” shoe. So while the rest of us leap on the new fad and strut around in our pink patent peak-a-boo shoes, she sticks to her simple collection.

Although I talk of shoes with relish, Imelda Marcos I am not. I have probably twenty pairs of shoes and some of them would be rejected by the Salvation Army. But every pair of shoes comes with a story. One awful, denim pair I own (with coloured glass squares in the toes) was bought at my favourite little shop in North London. They sit in the back of my closet, never to see the light of day again, but ever time I catch sight of a gleaming glass square I smile…

And feeling good is what shoes are all about.

You might think that they are only about fashion, but the reason we want to look good is so that we feel good. In a great pair of shoes our old jeans take on new life. In a pair of stilettos our ankles look reed-thin and our calves sculptured like those of a tennis pro. In flats we feel hip and trendy, just popping to the café for a latte and the paper. In boots we take on all weather, navigating puddles with stylish ease. Even in trainers we feel good about ourselves, proclaiming to all passers-by that we are on the way to some freakishly healthy activity!

I believe in feeling good about myself. Yes, there are lots of things I would like to change. (No, I won’t list them here!) But there are four little guidelines I use to feel good about myself and these I am very happy to share:

1. I measure myself by my own yardstick.
2. I listen to my inner voice over the assumptions of others.
3. I focus my energies on what I’ve been blessed with, rather than what I wish for.
4. I view every day as another opportunity to grow.

I believe in these principles so strongly that when I decided to create a story about a girl struggling with her self-esteem, I used these four simple points as the signposts on her journey.

The message at the heart of “walking tall” is, even if your feet are too long or short, too broad or thin and the perfect shoe is forever out of reach, just remember you can stand as tall as anyone if you believe in yourself enough!

The struggle for self-esteem can be a long journey. It’s one I’ve taken myself and so I’ve written a book about it! I’d love you to come and visit me at www.outfitinspirations.com so we can get inspired together!

“If you think you are too small to be effective, you have never been in bed with a mosquito.”- Betty Reese

About Simone:

Simone is the author of the Outfit Inspiration eBooks and views them as “a great way to share my thoughts and beliefs with other women. I really enjoy it when a reader tells me that the woman in the story is ‘just like me!’ I think if you can relate to someone else’s journey, it makes it easier to reflect upon – and ultimately change – your own.”

Simone is a qualified teacher, workplace trainer, technical writer and project manager. With her sister Mandy she owns and operates three businesses, all which focus upon improving the lives of women. Find out more at www.outfitinspirations.com

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