Shoes for sci-fi strumpets
Various sad, serious things are happening to people I know, and when not attempting to help I’m distracting myself by writing about whimsical nonsense.
Conversation with a colleague. A likeable author/publisher/blogger/multimedia content creator, whom we both know through work was in town recently.
She: There wasn’t time to meet up with him and chat, unfortunately. He was only in town briefly, for Comic Con.
Me: Oh, that’s interesting. I should have gone to Comic Con, maybe we’d have run into each other. Also, I heard that William Shatner was a guest.
She (joking, aware of my mild Trekkie tendencies): I’m surprised you didn’t just drop everything and go!
Me: I was tempted. If Nimoy had been there I might have let my life grind to a halt so that I could see him. I know the man is married and in his eighties, but, well, it’s Nimoy, you know.
She: It’s Spock. I get it. And you could wear those whore shoes you bought for that SF convention last year when you meet him.
The whore shoes (pictured against a ceiling; add your own comment about looking up at ceilings here) were purchased with the intention of being worn at a SF/F con, but I wore them to a workplace evening event last year, launching a running joke. A female colleague who saw me wearing the shoes responded with raised eyebrows and the memorable comment, “Are those come-f*k-me-shoes or what?”
“They’re science fiction shoes,” I protested, arguing that the shoes were a classic yet futuristic style combining a 1940s/1950s look and a modernist feeling (I wore a fitted black 50’s sheath dress with the shoes, red accessories).
I conducted a 15-second informal poll of the lesbian, bisexual, and heterosexual women in the hotel room where we were hanging out before the event began. We were getting dressed for the event, enjoying some deviled eggs I’d made and other snacks, and drinking rum and cola (long story, it was fun). The general womanly response was that the shoes=sexy.
I rarely wear high heels due to a lifetime of back and foot problems, but can manage a bit of glamour for short periods. Perhaps I spend too much time thinking in abstractions, because I really didn’t think of these shoes as sexy, simply nicely designed (positive/negative space) and likely to stay put on long, skinny feet. They’re well constructed and padded and are the most up-to-date, fashionable shoes I own.
No men commented on the shoes or appeared to notice them during the long evening, but I didn’t expect them to; American women are usually far more interested in clothes than most men, and ultimately, it may be true that many women usually dress for each other. Men may be interested in how much clothes reveal - body shape, financial status, age, lifestyle -- but most probably aren’t interested in the details unless they’re fashion designers or artists.
Although I love vintage clothes and design, I dislike the activity of shopping for clothes. Purchasing these shoes online was a big step for me. Flats, boots, or low heels are my usual footwear. It was entertaining to be a little taller for a few hours, but I eventually changed back into flats after I realized that the balls of my feet were numb. It would be fun to wear the sort of ultra-feminine, body-conscious clothes worn by Lena Horne, Eartha Kitt, Sarah Vaughn, or Dorothy Dandridge but on some days I must run for the bus -- difficult in the pencil skirts that I love wearing. I wish I had the sort of life that called for the wearing of bias-cut satin evening gowns such as those worn by Josephine Baker, but that ain’t happening right now. If I ever return to sewing again, I may make a bias cut evening gown and wear it around the house just for the hell of it. Life is short, so make it sweet, right?
What say you, journalers?
• Are these shoes sexy or not?
• Am I completely devoid of all fashion sense? Have I been in the library too long?
• I’ve got another big work event lined up this spring. Should the sexy/sci-fi shoes make a
second appearance?
• Or should I save them for SF/F convention environments, where people may be wearing much more exciting gear - corsets and steampunk outfits or accessories, for example?
• Would you wear these things yourself during a night out on the town? The heels are about 3.5 inches high. These shoes are well constructed but after 3 hours, you’d have to be some sort of athlete to avoid feeling at least a twinge of discomfort. Drinking rum and cokes beforehand will not completely prevent pain, as I discovered. I didn’t try ibuprofen.
• If he were in a lady-liking state of mind, what do you think Spock would say about such illogical footwear?
Conversation with a colleague. A likeable author/publisher/blogger/multimedia content creator, whom we both know through work was in town recently.
She: There wasn’t time to meet up with him and chat, unfortunately. He was only in town briefly, for Comic Con.
Me: Oh, that’s interesting. I should have gone to Comic Con, maybe we’d have run into each other. Also, I heard that William Shatner was a guest.
She (joking, aware of my mild Trekkie tendencies): I’m surprised you didn’t just drop everything and go!
Me: I was tempted. If Nimoy had been there I might have let my life grind to a halt so that I could see him. I know the man is married and in his eighties, but, well, it’s Nimoy, you know.
She: It’s Spock. I get it. And you could wear those whore shoes you bought for that SF convention last year when you meet him.
The whore shoes (pictured against a ceiling; add your own comment about looking up at ceilings here) were purchased with the intention of being worn at a SF/F con, but I wore them to a workplace evening event last year, launching a running joke. A female colleague who saw me wearing the shoes responded with raised eyebrows and the memorable comment, “Are those come-f*k-me-shoes or what?”
“They’re science fiction shoes,” I protested, arguing that the shoes were a classic yet futuristic style combining a 1940s/1950s look and a modernist feeling (I wore a fitted black 50’s sheath dress with the shoes, red accessories).
I conducted a 15-second informal poll of the lesbian, bisexual, and heterosexual women in the hotel room where we were hanging out before the event began. We were getting dressed for the event, enjoying some deviled eggs I’d made and other snacks, and drinking rum and cola (long story, it was fun). The general womanly response was that the shoes=sexy.
I rarely wear high heels due to a lifetime of back and foot problems, but can manage a bit of glamour for short periods. Perhaps I spend too much time thinking in abstractions, because I really didn’t think of these shoes as sexy, simply nicely designed (positive/negative space) and likely to stay put on long, skinny feet. They’re well constructed and padded and are the most up-to-date, fashionable shoes I own.
No men commented on the shoes or appeared to notice them during the long evening, but I didn’t expect them to; American women are usually far more interested in clothes than most men, and ultimately, it may be true that many women usually dress for each other. Men may be interested in how much clothes reveal - body shape, financial status, age, lifestyle -- but most probably aren’t interested in the details unless they’re fashion designers or artists.
Although I love vintage clothes and design, I dislike the activity of shopping for clothes. Purchasing these shoes online was a big step for me. Flats, boots, or low heels are my usual footwear. It was entertaining to be a little taller for a few hours, but I eventually changed back into flats after I realized that the balls of my feet were numb. It would be fun to wear the sort of ultra-feminine, body-conscious clothes worn by Lena Horne, Eartha Kitt, Sarah Vaughn, or Dorothy Dandridge but on some days I must run for the bus -- difficult in the pencil skirts that I love wearing. I wish I had the sort of life that called for the wearing of bias-cut satin evening gowns such as those worn by Josephine Baker, but that ain’t happening right now. If I ever return to sewing again, I may make a bias cut evening gown and wear it around the house just for the hell of it. Life is short, so make it sweet, right?
What say you, journalers?
• Are these shoes sexy or not?
• Am I completely devoid of all fashion sense? Have I been in the library too long?
• I’ve got another big work event lined up this spring. Should the sexy/sci-fi shoes make a
second appearance?
• Or should I save them for SF/F convention environments, where people may be wearing much more exciting gear - corsets and steampunk outfits or accessories, for example?
• Would you wear these things yourself during a night out on the town? The heels are about 3.5 inches high. These shoes are well constructed but after 3 hours, you’d have to be some sort of athlete to avoid feeling at least a twinge of discomfort. Drinking rum and cokes beforehand will not completely prevent pain, as I discovered. I didn’t try ibuprofen.
• If he were in a lady-liking state of mind, what do you think Spock would say about such illogical footwear?