ShoeSense

Hooked on Taryn Rose

Taryn Rose got a lot of press in the past few years: she's an orthopedic surgeon who, appalled by the number of foot problems she saw in women, created her own line of footwear, which turned out to be wildly successful. A quick perusal of the site convinced me that she seems to understand the needs of women's shoes better than most other shoe designers out there.

So I'd been long wanting to try a pair of Taryn Rose, but let's face it: the prices are prohibitive, and when you don't quite know what exactly you're in for (after all, it's not a Manolo Blahnik, which even has collector's value), it's hard to shell $400+ for a pair of shoes, especially when they might look like the pair on the left. While there's nothing particularly wrong with these shoes, there's nothing particularly uplifting about them either. They're the shoes your mother would wear on a shopping trip. If they were a person, they'd be the trusty middle-age librarian at your local library--somebody you know and you can depend upon, but nevertheless, somebody you would never date. Many other styles looked similarly dowdy, so I was put off for a while.

Some other styles looked nicer, so I waited and watched like a hawk...and when finally a pair in my size was on an adequate sale (70% off, which still means over $100, but still!), I got it. I wanted to see whether a 3" heel can really feel that good.

Well, it does. First of all, the shoe looks just about 10 times better in person than in the image online. Second, it's very light, almost (almost!) weightless. Third, it fits like a glove (well, granted you go about 1/2 size up of what you usually wear--my usual 40 went up to 41 for these shoes). Fourth, it has plenty of arch support. And last, but most importantly, it's OUTRAGEOUSLY comfortable. I mean, no shoe with that high a heel should feel that good. It defied all that I thought I knew about shoes. My guess: it's a combination of materials, shape, construction, and the way the heel (which in Taryn Rose shoes is NEVER a stiletto) is attached to the sole--at an ever so slight angle:
Granted, it's not like it can feel like a sneaker: it's a high heel pump! Still, I could walk about 2 miles in them, and not feel like I would die (any other shoes over 2" would not take me farther than 1/2 a mile, not without blisters, excruciating pain, and gradual darkening of the spirits to untapped levels of bitchiness on my part). By the end of it, it's true, I couldn't wait to take them off, but for most of the walk (which btw, included frequent stops in shops and a lot of waiting around--so in all fairness, more mileage could easily be added)--they felt light, comfortable, just delightful.


So, if you've got the money and/or the patience to watch the prices drop (or, otherwise, Ebay stamina), these are the shoes to buy that will make you feel both elegant and comfortable.

Currently I'm coveting these sweet wedges:
... but I guess I'll wait for the sale...

posted by Cristina Hanganu-Bresch @ 10:15 AM