Thursday, July 17, 2008

Excuses, excuses

Yes or no? They're cheaper at the Camper store, but with an emphasis on the '-er,' as they are still definitively not cheap. Pros: 1) They look fantastic, and 2) they seem comfortable enough for the subway-to-walk-up lifestyle to which I've grown accustomed. Cons: 1) I am a thrifty (dare I say frugal) graduate student. (It took me weeks to decide to purchase a $7 bottle of purple-tinged pink nail polish at Duane Reade.) 2) Jo will mock me, and with good reason. Which brings us to 3) I don't need these shoes at all. Without them I will not go barefoot.

That said, I'm leaning towards yes, if only because what they'd be replacing as my everyday shoes would be some nearly-decayed ballet flats, some strangely uncomfortable ballet flats, and a pair of sandals I should probably set aside for some day in the future when I'm a harried mother of twelve; a member of one of the more loyally socialist kibbutzim; or something similarly stylish.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

oh no... and not simply because you ask a loaded question, but rather because that heel is just frightful. just a little curvier and it could have been a beautiful camper.

Miss Self-Important said...

Two pairs of Campers in one year? What would the Puritans do?

Anonymous said...

They don't look like Campers.

Phoebe Maltz Bovy said...

The heels are the best part! Camper heels, for whatever reason, are always comfortable.

As for the Puritans, I can't say they represent the little voice inside my head when I shop, but I'd imagine they'd appreciate shoes well-made enough to last more than one season. Not sure what their stance was (or is--are there still self-identified Puritans?) on patent leather, heels, or open-toed shoes generally.

Andrew Stevens said...

There never were self-identified Puritans. They called themselves "the godly." (Puritan was a name used by their enemies.) Modern Congregationalists have a direct descent from Puritanism. The Congregationalists are so liberal a church, it's safe to say they don't have a firm stance on anything, including the existence of God.

Phoebe Maltz Bovy said...

All good to know. I can't say I'd given any thought to the Puritans since I was, I'd imagine, tested on their history sometime in elementary school.

Andrew Stevens said...

Understandably. What interest I have in Puritanism (which, actually, isn't that much) is probably related to your interest in Judaism. I am descended from Puritans (raised by Congregationalists), though an atheist myself.

Anonymous said...

Cute shoes and the heels are wide enough to be comfy. Just use the "cost per wear" formula and the shoes aren't that expensive. Mazel tov. -- JM

Unknown said...

Why not talk your significant other into buying them for you?

Phoebe Maltz Bovy said...

Glenn,

Two good reasons: 1) He's also a grad student, and 2) I'm not a prostitute.

Anonymous said...

You can lead a horticulture, but you can't make her think. At least, not as much as a grad student does, even about shoes.

Anonymous said...

Twenty years ago I went back to a store and bought some shoes my girlfriend had decided were too expensive. They really were cute - soft leather booties with a flat heel and a turn-down top at the ankle. Now that was was a gift she appreciated. And she got years of wear out of them! And our eldest is going to college next year!