Real New Yorkers Wear Flip Flops
An iconic moment
In 2007 my then-boyfriend (now-husband) and I broke up and I moved myself to New York City, because, why not?! I was young, newly single, and I was determined to become the next Carrie Bradshaw!
The first thing I learned was that New Yorkers do not walk around the streets in Louboutin heels! Or Jimmy Choo’s, or Manolo Blahnik’s. What real New Yorkers do is walk the streets in their flip flops or their sneakers, with their heels stuffed into an oversized tote bag or stored in a desk at their office. I myself opted for the latter, with a drawer at my desk rapidly accumulating a collection of work-appropriate heels. I worked for Marriott, not Vogue, so Louboutin’s were not required.
It was a struggle to find clothing that a) I could afford, b) was appropriate for a conservative office environment, and c) would allow me to compete with all the other ladies I saw riding the subway! At the advice of friends I headed to Filene’s Basement, bought a selection of Elie Saab and Tahari pant suites that, by the time I had them fitted to my size, were not that much of a savings nor were they terribly fashion forward. My good friend Audrey (names have been changed to protect the innocent) took me to Barney’s clearance sale, where I scored a few decent finds. I also splurged on an adorable shorts-suit in a boutique in West Village which, at some point along the way, I made the mistake of letting go. If I’d only known that in another 12 years it would be trendy again!
I was reminded this past weekend, while in town for New York Fashion Week, of the no-heels-in-the-streets rule. Painfully so. On a Saturday night my now-husband / then-boyfriend and I got off the subway at Times Square, headed west to our dinner location, and remembered suddenly that avenue blocks are much, much longer than street blocks! I convinced my frugal, midwestern-raised husband to splurge on an uber for our next stop in the Lower East Side, thank goodness! But in another few minutes we were out on the streets again, bouncing from bar to bar, while I leaned on a friend’s arm to keep myself upright. Don’t get me wrong - we had a blast that night, and it was well worth the pain! I’m just saying that the previous night when we had gone bar hopping, my feet were much, much happier in my Michael Kors combat boots than they were in my Louboutin heels. This is what happens when you try to look cute!
At least I made the right choice on the first day. I was so torn! My outfit was so cute: vintage, thrift-store find jeans and a blush pink, faux-leather, croc-embossed top from Alice + Olivia. It went perfectly with another pair of Louboutin heels that I am proud to possess, and I wanted to make a grand entrance upon my return to The City! However common sense prevailed, and thank goodness, because otherwise we would not have even made it to The City. With one minute left to spare there I was, running down the platform at Union Station in my Michael Kors Olympia Trainers, dragging my massive suitcase behind me! We literally jumped on and the train started moving. Whew!
I’m not saying that wearing sneakers saves lives, but it sure saved my weekend! So next time you’re in NYC and you want to show off, just remember my cautionary tale of woe and you will still have fun without the blisters.
