And you think I love shoes.....

I have made some wonderful friends here in Taiwan. However, when we left the Philippines, I often wondered if my new friends would know me like the ones I left behind.

I received the following photo's from a new, wonderful friend last week. I felt all warm and fuzzy because I knew she really knew what I was into - shoes!

So, for those of you who know me, you think I love shoes? Well, obviously not as much as the following shoe owners.

Enjoy or just wince in pain:







Friends who know how much you love shoes? Irreplaceable!

Year of the Shoe

February 7 will bring in the new Chinese New Year.

In Taipei, this is an incredible sight to behold. More on that later - tomorrow we take 200 Grade Six students to Di Hua Street which is a veritable 'Year of the Rat' treasure chest prior to the Lunar New Year.

However, after searching a number of CNY superstitions on the internet, I finally discovered the reason NOT to celebrate this Chinese tradition:

"Make sure you avoid rough seas in the new year by not buying shoes over the holiday period. In Cantonese, shoes are a homonym for 'rough'."

Hmmm.....makes absolutely no sense to me!

Liked this one much more:

"The celebration actually starts on New Year's Eve with the reunion dinner. By New Year’s Eve, you should have done the following:

Buy the following:

- a new set of clothes and shoes for children, preferably something red or orange.

While I am still loving the shoe boot trend (not quite a shoe, nearly a boot) I think these would do the trick:



Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Shoes.....on your Christmas tree?

I have been meaning to post these two little beauties for quite some time.....





Yes, a great friend of mine found these in a store here in Taipei. She took me back there and I bought a plethora (love that word!) more but these two definitely summed up a Shoe Diva's Christmas!

And now we bring you.....seasons!

I had a sudden desire to post. Why? Well, for the last ten year, Fungus and I have lived on the equator or pretty darn close to it. Trust me, it is hard to remain eternally fashionable with sweat constantly running down your back.

Taipei, on the other hand, has seasons! It is unbelieveable! I can actually wear some of the things I drool over in English mags. As I sit here writing on my new lenovo X60 tablet (had to drop that in there - hah!) I am actually wearing jeans, slippers and a gorgeous new grey jumper from Banana Republic. And I am still a little chilly!

Watch closely - I plan to blog about all my new boots soon.....things are looking up!

Dog Diva

You know your shoe existence is getting bad when the only person getting new shoes in your house.....is the dog. After our fifth visit to IKEA to buy my new desk, Dave's new desk, shelving for the roof top study and more wine glasses (we only bought two with us because we always break them), we stumbled across a pet section in IKEA here! Yes, they luuurrrvvvveee their animals in Taipei.

Gucci is now the proud owner of a fancy pink boot, straight out of the 60's:



.....and a sports shoe (not sure what this is reminiscent of):



Not only does she have new shoes, but Gucci gets to go to the dog spa once a week for a full grooming. The only problem is, the lovely Taiwanese women who groom her have a little problem with the big, black, slobbery female Labrador who does not look like a girl. The solution?





I don't think I have laughed so hard in a very long time. This is the dog who runs up the Yangmingshan mountains and rolls in the mud on a daily basis. Gorgeous!

Shoe Depression

Sigh....well it has been nearly three months since I last posted! My new life and being back at work is consuming the very little free time I have.

There are NO, I repeat, NO shoes in my size in Taipei. Well, there are if you count sports shoes.....and usually I do.....but I need real shoes. Shoes with heels........shoes with style......shoes that make random strangers gasp and say "Oh, I love your shoes! Where did you get them?"

So, I need to be content with posting a few doozies I picked up before I left Manila:





Life is bleak. I am hanging out for our upcoming trip to Manila where I plan on buying many, many, many new pairs. Until then, that is all.

Yours in a deep, dark, shoe depression,
The Shoe Diva

Expat Rant

So.....my hard drive is out of commission (mother board needs replacing - sounds like something out of Star Trek to me), one shipment is off to Aotearoa this week, one to Taiwan next week, moving out of the house, starting a new job.........ye gods! This is beginning to sound like an expat rant!

I do have the following things to blog about:
new jewellry (gorgeous!)
new dresses (yes, it is the season of the dress and Shoe Diva has embraced it with open arms)
new shoes (oh so adorable patent peep toes and platforms that will make your calves quiver)

But alas, not today. Still figuring out how best to get my photo's from my comp. to Fungus' laptop.

Never fear, I will be back. Just waiting for the mother board to pick me up and beam me out of technophobe land.

It's official - there is a shoe heaven!

It's Sunday morning. I have the whole house to clean, two loads of washing to be done and a big, black dog who needs to have a bath. So, what do I do? Grab a coffee and catch up on the news via the brilliant New Zealand Herald of course!

Cruising the Life Style pages, imagine my excitement when I find this article on the new New York shoe store so big it is going to have its own ZIP CODE! Hmmm......wonder if Fungus and I can afford to fly to the Big Apple for a week? Because, that is how long it will take me to get through this store!

Not only that, there was also this little ditty about the ultimate Shoe Diva, Imelda Marcos, and her infamous shoe museum. Can you believe I have not yet been there? Shame on you Shoe Diva. Read more about it here and believe me when I say there will be a blog about it soon. It is on my list of "MUST VISIT BEFORE I LEAVE THE PHILIPPINES" list.

Shoe opinion needed.....

I must admit, when I saw that major platforms and rounded toes were filling the runways, I thought it might be a passing fad. I used to own the most amazing black suede strappy platform wedge type shoes back in my university days. I actually think I took a student loan to pay for them!

So as ever the slave to fashion, I have a total of four platform shoes in my wardrobe:
pumps
slingbacks
slouch boots
ankle boots

However, because you can never have too many shoes, I am thinking of buying these:



They are bright, cheerful, excellent colour, funky......what do you think? Should the shoe diva purchase the cute yellow platform wedges?

An excuse to buy more shoes.....

A number of my posts of late have been about touch rugby. I play a lot of it, I love it, we have fashionable uniforms and of course, it is another excuse to buy SHOES!

Here is my touch rugby collection:

Tried and true - Nike Turf shoes, perfect for the dry fields we play on during summer in the Philippines. Plus, an added bonus is that they are in white leather which is reminiscent of a certain Waisale Serevi.....



Black leather Nike cleats - perfect for playing in when there has been a bit of rain......or a lot of rain during the monsoon season. Cleats give you a lot more grip, less slip action when diving for a touch or a try. Plus, they look good.



My latest purchase (Monday) after a hedonistic drinking weekend with friends, lakeside in Tagaytay. Just happened to find the Nike Park outlet store at Santa Rosa and found these babies:



What can I say? Silver is the shoe colour of the season (according to my May edition of Glamour) and a true shoe diva needs to keep up with fashion, even when sweating it out on the rugby pitch.

Three Beautiful Things

I have been away for the keyboard for some time. But never fear......I'm back!

I don't know if any of you have found the blog called "Three Beautiful Things" - a woman in England blogs daily about three beautiful things in her day, everyday. Addictive reading and it has started a real movement.

I, however, can not commit to everyday but for today at least, here are my three beautiful things:

1. My new Kate Spade bronze wedges


2. My new Kate Spade red leather IPod holder


3. My not-so-new but eternally gorgeous dog........who brings me immeasurable joy!

Ballet flats

I was just reading another great post from the Bargain Queen and saw that she had me linked under 'Fashion'. Shock, horror, I realised that my blogging addiction had veered dramatically from the path of shoes to boring things like Halloween and rugby!

I had to slap myself silly and repeat "I am a Shoe Diva, I am a Shoe Diva" and quickly go and take photos of my shoe collection.

Today, we are talking ballet pumps or flats. Comfortable, practical and oh-so-cute with skinny jeans or leggings. It is timely that I write this because this particular pair come from my favourite shoe shop in Singapore, X:odus. And tomorrow, Fungus and I are off to Singapore for sevens rugby, shopping and oh yes, shoes from X:odus!

Soft, suede slippers......



.....but look closely and you will see why these are a favourite!



Stay tuned for new X:odus acquisitions next week. What more could a Shoe Diva ask for?

Black & white

I have lived in South East Asia for nine years. I have adapted, evolved and moulded my fashion style to suit the constant feeling of sweat trickling down my back. So, you would think when I was faced with the dilemma of a beach wedding in early 2005 I would know EXACTLY what to wear. Think again.

Armed with a big wad of cash, I went shopping for a "wedding outfit". This is what I ended up buying:



No dress. No skirt and top. No amazing black and white linen trouser combo. No, I bought shoes.

It wasn't my fault, honest. They lured me into Kenneth Cole. The shoe was in the front window, lit up with this groovy back detailing in black and white which I LOVED instantly and screamed "Buy me! Buy me! You don't need me but I am so pretty!":



I ended up wearing a chocolate brown Mariella Rosarti dress to the wedding and gold hand made shoes from Ruby Sky.

To date, I have never worn the black and white shoes.

The Winter Blues

We have decided to go to England for Christmas. Grooving Fungus is homesick for rain, grey skies and cold mornings.......and that's an English summer.

No, seriously, we do have to divide our Christmas time between NZ and England and we haven't been back to ole' Blighty for about four years. It can be exciting to spend Christmas in your winter woolies as Kiwi Christmas recollections all revolve around summer sun, BBQ's and playing cricket after lunch.

In preparation for our Anglo-experience, I decided to tackle our motley collection of winter clothes because even though we have lived in South East Asia for nine years, we still hold onto winter clothes 'just in case'. Yeah, just in case it gets cold JUST ABOVE THE EQUATOR!!!

I'm not going to elaborate on just how bad it was. Let's just say that if the fashion police were called in, we would get life imprisonment. So what does one do? Go shopping of course.




But it gets worse. Somehow, these also ended up in my shopping cart!! How did that happen??




At first, I had a little trouble adjusting to the whole platform revival thing but I'm actually coping surprisingly well now.

Major recon still needed on the winter clothing but here's some good news that brightened my day - Kate Moss has just been signed to design a fashion line for TopShop!

Kate Moss fashion line, Madonna tracksuits at H & M, a chance to wear my new boots - those dreary English skies suddenly look fabulous!

Coveted Boots

How many of you have seen the new Gucci Fall ad campaign? I want to buy EVERYTHING they make. Number #1 on my "I WANT, I NEED BUT I CAN'T AFFORD" list are the following Gucci boots:



I am in love with these boots. My husband is already hiding his wallet.

Disco Fever

I just remembered that I hadn't posted a shoe this week - for that one person who reads my blog, my apologies.



I fell in love with these shoes as soon as I saw them. Again, bought in TopShop (shame on me) in Singapore.

I love the brown suede with the gold twist - my best memory in these shoes was wearing them with a gold leather belted outfit and being called "Wonder Woman".

In reality, these shoes are not at all comfortable especially in hot humid weather. However, being the true shoe diva I am, who cares - as long as they look fabulous, wear'em!

Shoe of the Week - September 4

OK, today I need help. The pair of shoes here are on their way out.........they are defunct, or so I think.



The round toe is still in - evident in the fab flats and ballet pumps out there. However, these have a little heel - does it work or doesn't it? The shoes are comfy, they are leather, groovy colours...... Are they still cool? Or are they on the wrong side of the fashion neighbourhood tracks?

I bought them from 'Joy and Peace' in Hong Kong about four years ago. They were a little expensive but not excessive in any way. I haven't worn them in over a year and that comes from a teacher who never wears the same pair in a row when working!

Should they stay or should they go? Pass on your opinion and help me make the heart wrenching decision.

Shoe of the week - August 29

If you want a great bargain, you buy shoes at Cartimar Market in Metro Manila. They are the real deal (well, most of the time.....to a trained eye) and are cheap, cheap, cheap!

Whether inspired by Charlie on 'Lost' or just because I felt like a bit of a skater chick that day, I picked these Vans up for 500 pesos (Kiwis interpret that as NZ$15!!) or as Dave said, five quid for a Pom. Bargain!



Wear them rocker chick style with skinny jeans! I wore them to the mall the other day with Diesel jeans and a Juicy t-shirt. Super comfortable and a little bit of funk for those 'blah' days - five stars for comfort, three for versatility. I mean, you couldn't wear them everywhere or with just anything - that would only work if you were a pop star.

Shoe of the Week - 21 August, 2006

Would you believe it was my husband who gave me the idea for these weekly posts? Yes, he knows me well.

Every week, I will attempt to show case my ever expanding shoe collection. Not only can you see where all his money goes, you might just pick up some handy fashion tips.

I will talk about the shoe, where I bought it and how I plan to use it within my wardrobe. Interesting and superficial - yep, that's me.

The pair to feature this week are actually the latest acquistion in my shoe collection. I have discovered this fabulous new local shoe brand called Sapato. A relatively young company, these shoes are made and designed here in the Philippines. Sapato only offer a limited number in each size which also means you won't see huge numbers of women with the same shoes as you.

I would describe these as black snake skin peeptoe flats:



As fashion has rapidly moved towards ballet pumps over the last 12 months, I did need a number of new flat shoes to complement the latest fashions. These flats look great with skinny jeans/trousers and shorts (in any number of styles).

My husband bought them for me at the American Womens Bazaar last week. I instantly fell in love with the bright blue suede inners and the unusual leather. For those of you who know me, I am always a sucker for a peep toe. After salivating over them for about 15 minutes, he got so fed up with me that he insisted HE buy them because he wanted to go home and play X-Box.

Men have a lot to learn about the strategies we will use to get new shoes.

I most recently wore them with a black silk blouse with lace inserts and white knee-length bermuda type shorts. Paired with a black leather Mulberry bag, complete with large side compartments, they really looked great! I also wore them recently with funky destressed jeans, black singlet and a great denim pinstripe short-sleeved cropped jacket - perfect for hiding those yet-to-be-toned triceps. They were ultra comfortable for a full five hours of shopping at Greenhills in Ortigas, Manila.

These also came in a camel colour and brown. I give them a full five stars and a 'highly recommended' for fashion versatility and comfort.

Shoe heaven

Every so often, in a shoe's lifetime, it is time to go. For every shoe diva out there, you know what a traumatic experience this can be. It is giving up memories, outfit pairings and an empty shoebox that was once an integral part of your fashion consciousness.

Today, that time came for me. Of course I would NEVER admit I have too many shoes. Like the saying goes "You can never have too many friends...........or shoes". However, shoe styles change just as grey is the 'new black'. So for this post, I farewell three favourites and the memories that go with them.

The first pair I would describe as blue strappy sling backs. They look great in the picture so why do they need to go to that shoe heaven in the sky?



Firstly, I bought them on sale at Nose in KL. They were very cheap (20 ringgit on sale) but I liked them at the time. I wore them for school mostly and once to an Indian wedding because they went with my punjabi suit. Yet the negatives weigh against them.

1. The strap on the right foot constantly slips off the back of my foot.
2. I don't own that much blue to justify wearing them frequently. Plus, the blue I do have can also be utilised with far trendier foot apparel.
3. They remind me of the kind of shoes that someone older than me might wear - never a good sign.
4. They are not real leather.
5. I haven't worn them for six months and even then I was desperate. It was a 'fat day' and I wore this billowy blue top to dinner with my husband so the shoes seemed to 'match'. The billowly blue top has long been donated to a family member so sadly, the shoes have to go.

The second pair were particularly cool.......five years ago when I bought them in TopShop Singapore. I remember buying them because my best friend was with me. She had come over to Singapore enroute to Manila where she was working. We hit TopShop because we had never had this store in New Zealand or Manila. For those of you know TopShop, it rips off high fashion at middle prices - perfect for teachers who want to stay in the game.



These shoes used to look fabulous with jeans on a night out. I even recall wearing them to the Kiwi Ball in Singapore one year. However, in recent years they have remained underutilised in my wardrobe and it is time for farewell.

1. The heel is WAY too square and out of date (note to shoe diva's: a thinner heel will always stay in style for longer).
2. I now have strappy black stilettos, fab black leather pumps and a new pair of peeptoes which will always do the job better than these.
3. I have had these shoes for about five years now and have worn them a total of nil over the last two years. The rule is, if you have worn them in the last six months hold onto them. If they haven't seen the light of day for over a year, it is time to send them on their merry way.

Last pair which I will farewell today have been worn in the last month - exactly why they have to go. I felt like a fool in them and spent the whole evening wishing I hadn't worn them!



I'll never forget buying them because the left shoe is a size 9 and the right shoe is a size 10 - perfect for those of you like me who have one foot bigger than the other. I was at the Number One Shoe Warehouse in Albany, Auckland when I spotted these beauties. It had been a great day for shoes overall as this warehouse had a shipment of Oasis and Faith shoes - great London brands which are made in Vietnam. I had already picked out a pair of dusky pink pumps from Oasis which I got for NZ$20 but which retailed in England for 60 British pounds (NZ$180). I saw these but could only find the right shoe in 10 and the left in 9. After help from the assistant, we couldn't locate these shoe partners. A few words with the store manager and I walked out with these for NZ$10 although their price sticker showed British retail price at 50 British pounds. Every good shoe diva loves a bargain!

1. The toe-style of the shoe is now more 'winkle picker' than sleek pump.
2. Even with grip on the sole, they still slip terribly on polished surfaces - not a good look when you are trying to walk into a restaurant looking self-assured and confident.
3. I don't really wear bright pink anymore.
4. It was a toss up between these and another bright pink of Brazilian slingbacks. The slingbacks won.

Farewell shoes - may you bring happiness to a Filipino member of my housekeeper's family with the good fortune of having exactly the same shoe size as me!