The cost of shoes

I wonder when things became so expensive and we became so used to them being so used to them being so expensive. There was a time not too long ago, (ok maybe 10 years ago) when I was really stunned to look at a pair of shoes and spend over $100 on them. They had to be really special. How am I so sure? Because I remember, not only my school uniform oxfords being $89 and that being a huge deal, but the shoes that my father bought me for my high school graduation were $125 and he made me vow to never tell my mother. Now granted that was 14ish years ago and I was 18 but still.



Fast forward a few years, $100 becomes more comfortable and acceptable, $200 is the norm, and all of a sudden I am actually convinced that $300 is a reasonable, if not cheap amount, to spend on a decent pair of shoes. No longer to I nearly faint when I pick up a shoe, casually flip it over and see a price tag of $595. It takes a tag starting with a $6-- or higher to get my attention. How did this happen? The worst part is that I am perfectly aware that I am not the only one. Not only am I not the only one, but I am actually probably one of the few ones, that can actually afford to spend some money on some shoes and feels this way. I saw an assistant in my office today in a pair of $795 Christian Lous that I walked away from in horror this weekend because of the shock. Is this part of the reason that we are all in a current economic crisis? Have we all just become acclimatized to the inflated and ridiculous price tags on things?



Why, you ask, am I having my little hissy fit? I was in desperate need of some decent flats on Saturday (or so I had convinced my self). And so I headed off to the three top shoe stores in Toronto - Zola on Avenue Rd., Davids and the shoe department at Holt Renfrew on Bloor St.



Zola was great and the beautiful Rafe shoes that she showed me were a respectable $298, (just wait, $300 respectable for flats you say???). They were very pretty, just not a great fit. Then it was off to Bloor St, sort of the Rodeo Drive of Toronto. I started at Davids, where I met George who has helped me before. I explained about not wanting to spend a ton and not needing a new shoe, but if I saw a flat that worked for the evening I would be interested. He seemed to understand, went behind the mirrored door and came out with, drum roll please, a beautiful pair of Sigerson Morrison black Paten flats with a gorgeous pompom like detail on the toe. They were soft as butter and fit well. I loved them. I thought, maybe $450. I asked George politely "So George, how much for the beautiful shoes?" He responded "Well my dear 'only' $595"" ONLY $595 ONLY $595. WHAT WAS HE THINKING? Had he been a part of the conversation when we spoke about cost??? Was he listening? And quite frankly, what is this bullshit "ONLY" like I should think that $595 is a deal???? I excused myself without the lovely black flats. On to Holts......



Where I found my friend Derek who I have known forever. I explained the situation and he explained that unless I wanted to spend over $500 he had nothing. Not one bloody shoe in the whole shoe department that met my criteria of flat, appropriate, not boring, match a black dress, fit me and under $500. I then asked him to show me what he did have that was closest to the criteria and out came the most beautiful, gorgeous, stunning Prada jeweled flats. I really think that this will be true love. When inquiring about the price, I was told "These are ONLY $695." Again with the friggin' ONLY. What the heck. I don't understand. They are $700 shoes. Say so. The unfortunate thing is that I cannot stop thinking about them. I am hoping that the "hard economic times" means that they will be on sale soon. I heart them in a big way. The were so beautiful, but really $700. You have to be kidding me.