Kickin’ It Up

By Amy Coward

The minute she walked in the door, I noticed her shoes. No, there weren’t Minolo Blahnik’s. They weren’t designer shoes at all. They were red Converse sneakers – “Chucks” as they’re called now.  I had never met the woman but somehow I just knew I would like her.

There’s something about shoes that really show your personality. Whether you’re glamorous, spunky or fun – it shows in your shoes. So when I saw the woman in the red shoes, I immediately looked down at my own and knew something was terribly wrong. I had been hi-jacked.

Between motherhood and the corporate world, my personality had left the building. It had been sacrificed to some god-of-the-dull. If you look in my closet, there are pumps – lots of them. Mostly black. The rest are also practical choices — all middle of the road, sensible…BORING. Our own local fashion guru, Brian Maynor, would cringe at the sight. What had happened to whimsy? A little sassiness? Or maybe a little attitude?

My daughters – both in their twenties – have tried to give me shopping advice from time to time. When shopping together, I pick up a shoe and ask what they think. The comments range from the polite, “you could find something cuter” to the blunt, “you wear those and it’s going down!” (Apparently, I raised them to be forthright.) I listen, though, because I realize I have this crazy default to boring clothes and shoes.

While I still have to wear work and age-appropriate clothes most of the time, I think a little closet-cleaning is in order. This weekend I plan to do a little soul-searching and toss the drab things I own and step out a little – at least with my shoes. It’s time to bring some fun back and show the matronly look the door.

When you see me next, I hope to be stepping out in style. Not necessarily in Red Hat Society mode, but flowered wedges, neon heels, bright red Chucks, here I come. Whatever I choose, I plan to be kickin’ it up a notch for sure.

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