Curse Of The Gorgeous Shoe Which Turned My Feet Ugly
Shoes For Every Body Type
By Alisa Bashaw
It has happened to everyone. From the top tier fashion model to the housewife suburban mom. You see a pair of shoes in the store window that you have been coveting forever. You stop and gasp. They are even more beautiful in person. You don’t care that it will wipe out your bank account. You only care about the daggers of envy you will be eliciting as you sashay across the floor with your date at your side. Not because your date is so hot, but because these are “the shoes” of the season and no one can get them. But you found them and in your size. You try them on and THEY FIT! You look at your feet, and they look amazing in them! You are walking on a cloud all the way back home. Yes, you realize that after an hour in them you will feel like your back has been beaten with a bat, your feet will feel like you have walked on broken glass. However, you swear it will be worth it. You might have to visit the chiropractor’s office once a week for at least a week to repair the damage.
The night comes, and you get all dolled up in your best dress, and your hair is looking perfect. Gently, you unwrap your preciousss from their packaging and slip your feet into them. You swear you hear angels sing. You glide to the mirror to look at the beauty you have been transformed into…..and you are shocked. Mesmerized. What the heck? How did this happen? How did your 5 foot 11 inch frame suddenly shrink into a 4 foot 9 inch body? When you woke up this morning, you weren’t short and squatty, so why suddenly do you look like the female version of Danny Devito? The last time you wore this dress you were a knockout. So what could it be? It can’t…no? The shoes?
Just like any piece of clothing, shoes can enhance the features you want it to, or if you are not careful, it can enhance the features you don’t want it to. Women are very careful about making sure their clothing enhances their body. The take into account the colors they wear, the cut of the clothing, the fit of the clothing and women even pay attention to the cut of their hair to make sure it enhances their face structure. When it comes to the shoes they wear, they’ll throw any ole pair, or whatever pair is the most comfortable, totally disregarding what looks best with their body type.
Here are a few tips to help you try to find out what kind of shoe is best for your body type.
Body Type
Short in height and skinny body
You are probably sick of hearing it all the time. “Look how cute you are! Just like a pixie.” or “I can barely see you over the counter” or the ever popular “Are you sure you’ll be able to see over the steering wheel?” “Be sure to hold onto something if the wind really starts blowing hard.” Yeah, really funny. Well, there’s no reason to hang you head low there has been a ton of amazingly beautiful petite high fashion models. Devon Aoki is a runway model, and she is only 5’5″ Eva the Winner of Americas Next Top Model is only 5’5″. So height isn’t as much an issue these days if your dream is to be a high fashion model but these guidelines will still help you knock the socks off at those casting calls.
Stay Away From
Straps
Why – It will break the line of vision between your heel and the rest of your leg making you appear to be shorter than you are. However, there is one exception ankle-high gladiator sandals. They look amazing on tiny ankles.
Pointy Toe
Why – a pointy toe will make you look witchy
Go For It Shoes (Think Height Height Height)
Wedges
Platform
Heels (without straps)
Ballerina flat shoes (only wear with a dress that falls above the knee, or your legs will appear shorter)
Peep toe shoes
Body Type
Short in Height and Thick or “healthy” Body
“I’m all about that bass,’bout that bass, Hey! I’m bringing booty back ” – yeah that song sticks in your head like cheese on a Chicago Deep Dish Pizza. So if you are short and thick, work it girl. Take a killer pair of shoes and strut your stuff. There have been some amazingly beautiful plus size models in the industry. Kaela Hunphries is a size 16 and has recently signed to Ford Models. So being plus size is no reason to hide.
Stay Away From
Flats
Gladiator Flats
Any Shoe that wraps around your ankle
Boots that end mid-calf
Why – Flat shoes draw attention to the thicker legs, as do boots that end at mid-calf.
Go For It Shoes
Bright colored heels
Just below the knee boots
Wedges
Platform heels
Open-toed shoes
Why – By choosing bright colored heels you are bringing the eyes down instead of focusing on the legs. Also by ending just below the knee you are not drawing attention to your calves
Body Type
Tall and Thin
If someone said you couldn’t wear heels, then put duct tape over their mouth. You want to wear heels. You stare at them in the store and watch them as they walk by on other women’s feet like they are an old boyfriend you can ever go out with again. I don’t remember seeing the rule that tall, thin girls couldn’t wear heels. No white after labor day…I remember hearing about that. Don’t wear socks with sandals…I remember that one but nope nothing about tall women can’t wear heels. Was it at during a Tall Women Weekly Meeting? Cause I’m not part of that club. I’m in the Short and Thick Club.
Stay Away From
Pointy shoes
Why – They will make you appear more tall and skinny
Wide Heels
Platform heels
Why – They will look very odd on your body and make your ankles look chunky.
Go For It Shoes
Ballerina Flats
Gladiator Flats
Heels with straps
Medium heights boots
Stilettos
Body Type
Tall and Muscular Body
You kick butt and you know it. However, occasionally you might want to trade in your gym shoes and put on a pair kick butt pair of heels and get all dolled up for a night out. You don’t want that physique that you’ve worked so hard for to be diminished by a simple pair of shoes do you? Of course not. That’s why we are here to help you out.
Stay Away From
Ballerina
Flats
Rounded to pumps
Kitten heels
Small Squared Heels
Why – They will add weight to your legs, make your appearance look blunt, and make you look heavier.
Go For It Shoes
Wedge heel (with a 2-3 inch heel)
Stilettos
Pointy
Open toed
Boots – It might be hard to wrestle your toned calves into a pair of calf-hugging boots. Look for a soft suede boot with side zippers. It also doesn’t hurt to find one with a bit of slouch.
Body Type
Medium Body – Normal height with slim figure
You’ve seriously got the easiest body to dress in terms of shoes. There is nothing that you can’t wear that won’t look good. You are blessed with perfect height and the perfectly slim body. There is no shoe you cannot pull off. So just go….just go and let the rest of us covet what we cannot have.
Stay Away From
Nothing
Go For It Shoes
Everything
Body Type
Medium and Thick Body
Stay Away From
Ballerina
Flats
Why – They will make you look thicker
Go For It Shoes
Wedge heel
Heels
Stilettos
Just about anything else besides flats
Good news is that if you are looking for something that can be your universal perfect go to shoes just in case you lose weight, gain weight, shrink or rub a magic lamp and grow 4 inches, a killer pair of stilettos with no straps is it.They look great on every body type, and I cannot think of any outfit that a pair of stilettos does not look awesome with. Jeans and white T…perfect. Sundress…prefect. Shorts……if you do it right, perfect. If you think of an outfit, there is probably a way to wear stilettos with it.
Someone probably just thought swimsuits? Yes, absolutely. It isn’t trashy, impractical or silly. It elongates a pair of legs, and you will instantly look thinner and taller. That’s something we all want. Just remember the strap rule if you fall in that group. Even though it’s heading into fall here are a few tips in case anyone is heading out on vacation or happens to live in one of those beautiful southern states on the beach or Hawaii.
Try wedges
Open toe
The shoe should reveal as much of your feet as possible (perfect time for a pedi)
Avoid shoes with too much fabric
Hope this helps you find the perfect shoe for your body type!