By Erica and Karen

Work supported our shoe addiction. Shoe shopping was a total distraction when going through the most difficult personal and professional times. Shoe shopping was a beautiful experience even when our body image wouldn’t permit shopping for new clothes. Just glancing at our shoes when on the phone or in a meeting gave us enormous pleasure. Shoes gave us confidence and helped us stand (relatively) tall. Great shoes of all shapes, sizes, colors, styles--we loved every single pair. They were an integral part of our personal brands.

What is the role of fabulous shoes now?  Can we still show off our stilettos?  Do we have a reason to go to the shoe sales that used to be on our calendars?  Can we justify buying those dressy heels of any height, or are flats and sneakers our new wardrobe?

The answers are all affirmative. Shoes are still important.   Shoe shopping is still an enormous pleasure. And we still go to a gazillion places you can make a statement by wearing glamorous heels. We wore booties to a design class, and everyone took notice (in a good way), and said that maybe they should wear the shoes they love more often too.  There is absolutely no reason not to dress up for our new activities, with heels to match. Retirement doesn’t mean that dressing up is relegated to after hours.

But we need new kinds of shoe too. We walk more than we did before and we need shorter shoes for that.  We’ve taken notice that there are more cool flats now than there may have been before—and we are all over that!

What we have realized is that we can still wear cool shoes as much as we like. They still make a statement—and we still want to make a statement. So we continue wearing the old ones and shopping for new ones.  We needed great shoes then and we need great shoes now.