A Grand Shoe Adventure Concludes

Where we last left off, I was searching for my perfect pair of wedding day pumps.  I hadn't found what I was looking for at home in New Orleans, but I had gotten a little closer in Houston.

What's a girl to do?

Well, take a trip with her mom, Nanny (aunt/godmother), and sister/MOH to New York City for a shoe shopping trip, of course! 

Me, MOH Lil Sis, Momma P, and Nanny at rooftop Birreria Restaurant at Eataly.
Seriously, you must go eat there. Amazing.



Top of the Rock on a cloudy morning.  Family resemblance much? Momma P and Nanny are sisters.

So the shoe shopping wasn't the ONLY reason for the trip, but it was a good enough excuse!

I've been to NYC three times before - but I think this trip was my favorite. We had such a great time, but of course we had a mission - to find my shoes! 

We hit up a few department stores, but ultimately ended up at the Jimmy Choo store on Fifth Avenue.   The first day we went there, I tried on the ones that had been my favorites so far and some new ones. I narrowed it down to two similar styles, Luna and Evelyn. 

I know, the variety in my taste is overwhelming.  Evelyn (left) and Luna (right). /Source: Jimmy Choo

That day I decided on a shoe but didn't want to get them.  Why? Because my feet were swollen from all the walking we had been doing!  I wasn't fitting into the size I had at other stores, so I didn't want to buy the wrong size. 

We did return the next day and I made my choice! 

Drumroll, please!

The Evelyn!/(actually from the first day, not the day I bought, since Momma P's camera date stamps every pic and you might be that observant.)

Of course the styles were very similar, but I liked how the "peep" was a bit smaller on the Evelyn.  Although it didn't have a platform, the total heel height was less (3.4 inches vs. 3.9 inches). And overall we felt that it looked a bit classier.  So the Evelyn it was!  I got them shipped home so I wouldn't have to carry them around all day and pack the shoe box in my luggage (thank goodness for that, I didn't have hardly any space left going home!).  

I'll also note that I had ordered my wedding dress about two months before this, and we measured it for my height with 4 inch heels.  I didn't want to be rushed to find shoes before picking the dress, but I knew anything I picked wouldn't be over 4.  As a tall girl, my greatest fear is clothing being too short, so I preferred to err on the side of length!

And even though we shipped the shoes home, I got a Jimmy Choo bag for my collection and a funny story out of it. Right after the shoe purchase, we went on the Radio City Music Hall tour and I bought a Rockette shirt and kept it in the JC bag. Later on we went on the NBC Studios Tour and the bag was checked before we entered. Security guard probably thought I was such a poser for carrying around that bag with no shoes in it!

Poser with an empty bag. Such a tourist. Oh well, I have my CHOOS.

So the trip was successful! I got my shoes, and they are now living happily (but lonely) up in my closet. I sometimes take them out to give them some love.  I love the idea that they are so dressy, but still rewearable.  I plan to establish a tradition of wearing these shoes every year on our anniversary. 

I'm glad I got the time to go to New York with the most special ladies in my life, and we had a fabulous time.  I never wanted to go up to NYC to get my wedding dress, just because of the logistics.  But shoe shopping was the perfect option!  It's been several months now and I miss New York SO much.  I'm trying to figure out a way to live there for just a year...can't I just have that? Then I think I will have had my fill, right? 

Finally, I was very impressed with the saleslady who helped us both days, Izabela.  I'm not going to lie - I was a little worried about going into a fancy NYC boutique to just buy ONE pair of shoes and being given the side-eye (you know the look).  But I felt totally welcome, she brought me several pairs and different sizes, and didn't pressure me to buy the day my feet were resembling the Stay Puff Marshmallow Man.  She saved the pair I wanted because it was the last one available in my size and remembered which ones were mine the next day when we returned.  She also sent a brand new pair in my shipment, since there were some tiny scuffs on the bottom of the pair I tried on.  Excellent customer service all around, so that made the experience so much more enjoyable. Nothing like feeling comfortable when slapping down my credit card on the biggest single item purchase I've ever made. 

I'll probably end up wearing them to my shower or the rehearsal dinner too. Uh oh, does that make them ineligible for my "something new" if they're worn before the wedding day?  

Do you ever rewear your wedding shoes?