Splurge vs. Save: A Solution To The Great Shoe Debate

I, like most women, suffer from an inexplicable obsession with shoes whereby the sight of a gorgeously structured inordinately priced pair of pumps can abolish all rhyme or reason and evoke intense pangs of longing and serious consideration as to how many meals I€™d have to skip to be able to afford such a treasure. This affliction gained national recognition on account of a little show called Sex and the City, but unlike Carrie Bradshaw, who complained constantly about money woes yet always seemed to find a spare $500 for a pair of Manolos, most of us can€™t send caution to the wind in the face of gorgeous foot-candy and need to seriously consider the value of such an investment.

Sometimes prices can be so exorbitant it can feel like the number is nothing more than a cruel torture device as opposed to a reflection of value. This, in turn, may lead to the €˜who€™s gonna know solution€™- translation: buying cheap shoes that look kinda sorta similar to the real thing in the vain hope that no one will notice. I€™ve partaken in this practice and I€™m sure many of you have done the same. If so, you will inevitably notice a funny little thing about cheap shoes- they€™re cheaply made and often fall apart. I've favored quantity over quality for a long time- a very easy trap to fall into- until I finally got FED UP with the extremely short lifespan of low-end shoes and decided to take the plunge and splurge. I FINALLY understood all the hype. Shoes carry immense power and everything can change with the right pair- your gait, your attitude, your confidence, your walk, your mood. If you don€™t know what I€™m talking about, you haven€™t found the right pair yet- don€™t worry, you€™ll know when you do.

So are shoes worth the splurge? Yes, absolutely. Is it realistic to have a closet stacked with only top notch brands? Maybe for some, but NO for most. The solution? I say every gal should have at least 3 splurge shoes in her closet- a classic, versatile pair, a striking pair for times when you wanna add a little more WOW to your look, and a pair that maybe falls somewhere in the middle. Don't think I'm ruling out cheap shoes all together, though. Once you have your 'anchors' I am all for filling in the blanks with a variety to middle to low-end shoes- they definitely come in handy if you€™re going somewhere that carries the risk of being stepped or spilled on, or when the weather gets nasty.

Okay enough talk- check out my slideshow for my top 10 splurge-worthy picks.