In Her Shoes

Yesterday when I picked my daughter up from school, she surprised me with the best compliment I've received in a long time. Before even saying hello, she squealed with delight when she saw me in my new Sigerson Morrison boots and said, "Mommy's new shoes, I like them!" Boy, did that ever put a smile on my face and give me a boost of confidence after an exhausting day at work. It's the sort of compliment or fashion excitement you'd get from your BFF, but hearing it from your own 2-year old daughter is even more poignant.

I'm proud to say, my daughter has already expressed her passion for designer shoes at an early age. Her favorite past time is trolling around the living room in my various designer shoes. No matter that they're a size 10 1/2, the bigger the better in her eyes. She is especially enamored with my Prada black velvet wedges (circa 1997), my aubergine pointy-toe flats with toe-cleavage, and my Sigerson Morrison mauve mules. I have yet to let her play with my new gunmetal Sigerson booties, but I'm sure when I covet a new pair of shoes, I'll be willing to let her play with these. But I must say, she certainly has great taste for a 2-year old! She's not playing dress up with my boring Pumas or clunky Uggs or my metallic Havaianas (although she does love to don her own Locals flip flops as seen above.)

Shoes have always inspired me, even as early as 5-years old. I remember fondly declaring that my new favorite, all-time color, was "Tan" after my Mom purchased a new pair of tan colored slip-on wedges for Summer. To think that a new pair of shoes could influence a child's favorite color from Donny Osmond purple to tan! Go figure. And in 1st grade, I still to this day brag about wearing my favorite teacher, Ms. Wood's, denim-colored Doctor Scholls after having my own leather sandals break on the playground. Why I'm proud that I was wearing a woman's size 7/8 in only 1st grade is beyond me. It's probably more to do with having a keen eye for fashion and actually appreciating the iconic Dr. Scholls' "exercise shoes" back in '75 (and again in the mid 90's when fashion's 20-year trend cycle brought the sandal back in fashion.) And certainly today, shoes influence me as a designer, whether it's the exact color of leather aubergine paired with a blood red sole to inspire a particular collection's color palette or a specific curve in a wood heel to inspire a horn toggle on a winter sweater coat.

It's gratifying to have my daughter appreciate a great shoe early on. It could be dangerous for my wallet when she's a pre-teen, but my aspirations are more grandiose, hoping she'll become a designer too some day. But for now, shoes provide a wonderful outlet for creative play and fantasy. And I'm not talking about the "princess syndrome" (thankfully my daughter has yet to discover princesses and fairies or even Miley Cyrus or High School Musical.) But I wonder what goes through her little mind when she's skipping through the house in her Dorothy-inspired red glitter Mary Janes. Fantasy and escapism at its best, and possibly a future fashionista.