Meet Fiona

I got a friendly little e-mail from Cole Haan this morning, inviting me to "meet Fiona." Here she is:

This is a really, really lovely pump from Cole Haan, and best of all it's apparently imbued with NikeAir technogoodies, so it's comfy on the feet. It's available in low- & mid-heels, as well, and the range of sizes on the high-heeled black patent goes from 4 to 11 (mine goes to 11!), with AAs for almost every size!

These are not cheap shoes, I know. They're not Louboutin-spendy, but with sales tax you're looking at about $300. This is an investment shoe for most people, but as your footwear advisor I'd say they are probably a very wise investment. A perfect, all-purpose pump that's actually pretty comfortable? Worth every dime.

(Here I must insert a reminder of my recent caveat about the Sliding Comfort Scale of High Heels. Remember -- ain't enough Nike technowizardry in the world to make 3 1/2" heels feel like your bedroom slippers after about four hours. Adjust your expectations accordingly, or live with the disappointment.)

Those people at Cole Haan are some clever little elves. I've raved about their shoes here before -- I have several pairs and I got some new ones the other day:

Style Spy is headed across the pond next month -- three days in London followed by a week in Paris (Go ahead! Envy me!! Bwah-hah-hah-hah-hah!!!!!) -- and the quest for chic-yet-not-torturous shoes is neverending. I'd had my eye on these for a while now, and then out of the blue they went on sale! Even better! So I ordered a pair (my local Cole Haan boutique didn't have them in my size and so they very obligingly sent me a pair from somewhere else, with no shipping charges) and they came the other day and I just love them. They were quite snug in the ball when I put them on (I do find that Cole Haan shoes tend to run a bit narrow), but they gave a bit as I wore them, and after a few hours of errand-running, they were still feeling good. A morning in & out of my car in Austin is not quite the same as a day on the Paris cobblestones, I'm aware, but I'm feeling positive about it. And this weekend I'm getting a visit from Sian the English Rose (hooray!) and I shall test them again during what is sure to be a couple of days of marathon outlet shopping. (If you want to see pure happiness, present a London fashionista with YSL at American outlet sale prices. You can almost hear the rustle of angels' wings.)

I hope if anyone actually picks up a pair of the Fionas they'll write & let me know how they feel. If I make it up to the Cole Haan store any time soon, I'll try on a pair & let you guys know what I think.

Happy shopping!

Photos: ColeHaan.com