Rain shoes, shine shoes

I bought a pair of rain shoes. Can there be a more utilitarian purchase?

The last rain shoes, bought ca. 1990 from Land's End, were so ugly that I wore them maybe three times. But after too many outings with wet, cold feet, I caved.

What I bought

My $80 got me stalwart Bogs Rue in green. I refuse to count these as new shoes, they are only umbrellas for my feet!

I would much, much rather spend my always-too-restricted shoe budget on sunny day shoes for spring.

What I waaaaant

These Marnis stopped me in my tracks passing a local boutique, Specchio, home shoe salon of the elegantly-shod Christine. At $750, I'd have to wear them for a decade (maybe life?) or display and charge for viewing. Those corkscrews of ribbon are a luscious shrimpy colour, an interesting neutral. 

Marni kiltie sandal

I also lust for the pearly blush and black Marni sandals. These are so me; the price tag ($525), not so much.

Plush suede peeptoes

Or... buttery suede to caress my feet; Marni again. Price, $550; these better not get wet, but I do have my rain shoes.

You get what you pay for in the shoe world; a stroll by popular-priced windows did not raise my pulse.

After I bought the damn rain shoes, I met my GF Mar for tea. We sat in front of Ron White's window and eyed these Lip Gloss pumps, $635.

Vavoom pompom pumps

Mar said she'd seen the very shoes on a woman our age the night before at the opera, worn with a close-fitting black knit dress. "She looked fantastic till she had to walk", said Mar, "and then she kind of teetered."

You can get a rain shoe with attitude. Example: Aquatalia's Golden waterproof heeled clog, in lime or black, $225 from Aquatalia or stockists.

Rockin' the rain

Or there's the red patent Grab bootie, $265, in deep ruby. If I could handle heels, I'd get these (but would still want the Marnis).

Grab bootie by Aquatalia

If you see me jumping through April showers in sturdy Bogs, supress a smile. By the time we see May flowers, I'll find a really pretty pair.