Thursday, March 3, 2011

Strange Shoes

Can somebody tell me what is the deal with some of the shoes from Target lately?  What is with the elastic on the sides and the curled up soles of some of their ballet flats?  Is anybody else doing this, or just  Target?

I recently bought two such pairs of shoes.  The zebra ones were on clearance at Target, for about $5.  The black rosette ones were $3.99 at Goodwill, new and unworn.  Target seems to have some kind of arrangement with GW, as you can often find just out-of-season Target stock there.

 

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Now, it was not lost on me that these shoes look ridiculous as is, but the potential for cuteness was there, and I guess I was hoping that they would look normal on your feet and flatten out once worn.

My shoe size is 6.5, but in ballet flats I usually get a 6, even though they are a little snug.  Otherwise, they tend to slip off my heel as I walk. 

The zebras are a 6, and as you can see, not only does top edge of the heel curve in beyond the norm, they have a scalloped edge all the way around.  I was in a hurry and didn’t try them on in the store.  When I got them home and put them on, I  immediately knew that if I took more than two steps in them those scallops would cut my foot to bits, thanks largely to the inward curve.  Very uncomfortable!  And somehow I lost the receipt, even though my intent was to return them if they didn’t fit, so I’m out that $5 (I paid cash, so they can’t look it up on my card).  Too bad, cuz if they were normal flats they would be so cute!

The black ones are size 6.5.  I wore them to church on Sunday.  This may be a total fashion faux pas, but I wore them with black trouser socks because a) it was pretty chilly, and b) my ankles are not cute.  They did not slip off my heel, I guess because of the elastic, but you know what?  They still looked stupid on my foot!  The curve is still pronounced, giving one’s foot an unflattering truncated appearance.  I think you’d have to get a full size too small in order for your foot to stretch them out flat.

See? Not cute.  Kind of stumpy.

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They bulge out strangely at the side, too.

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So, am I missing something here?  Is this a new trend?  Does anybody know why?

11 comments:

Three Birds Inspired said...

You would think the shoes would flatten out somehow once they were on a foot. My Danskin ballet slippers do that but the fabric is entirely different. I don't want to offend - and I am sure it has absolutely nothing to do with your foot - but they look really strange when worn. Hmmm- wonder why they were dumping them at Goodwill? :)

April said...

I bought a similar style at Kohl's recently. They were Vera Wang and pretty expensive for what I normally pay for shoes. I was also taken back by the look but when I put them on I liked them. I have a wide foot and they actually covered more of my foot so I didn't have the fat foot shoved into a shoe look. Also mine wern't as u shaped as yours and definately didn't show wrinkles after they were put on.So my guess is that this is a new trend and maybe it wasn't executed very well in the pair of shoes you got.

April Westerhold said...

Ha! I had to smile at this. All of these shoes are a knock-off of what are called "airport shoes". You know how I know this? Because the last time we were heading to Vegas I went to Kohl's, Wal-Mart, and 2 Targets on the morning we were supposed to leave looking for them! I think the "real" ones are comfortable and stylish. I wanted them for spare shoes that I could throw into my purse because my feet always get sore walking up and down the L.V. Strip from one hotel to another . . . yes, I am the stupid girl that tries to wear cute heels most of the time. (I figure I stay in pajamas 99.9% of the time here in STL, I want to take advantage of a reason to look cute!) Anyway, so I ran all over O'Fallon looking for these shoes, paid $10, ripped the tags off and threw them on my feet, and by the time we got to the airport to fly there my feet were hurting!! Scott was not amused. LOL

Anonymous said...

I don't know why but I hve a pair like this too from Payless

Cheryl said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Cheryl said...

They will be great with jeans. :o)
Yes, I too have thought the style was strange.
But, I would have bought them too.

I wear ballet type flats every day of my life.
I love not fussing with shoe laces every time I walk through the door. And they dress common jeans up.

Cheryl

Edit - Can't seem to spell today.

Melinda said...

I love thse flats! I think they are super comfy! I like to wear them without socks or anything...just bare feet. ;) They are cute. Love these!

Amanda @ Serenity Now said...

I love the zebra stripes and the cute rosettes, but they are a a bit of an odd shape. I wonder if it is a cost cutting measure by the designer/manufacturer. They don't look bad on though! I love ballet flats, but mine are sturdier/not bendy.

FrouFrouBritches said...

Hmmmm. I'm no help. My ballet flats that I got from Target are so stiff they hurt my feet and I don't wear them. I don't think they look bad on your feet, though.

willowbird35 said...

I suspect that Target got a cheap deal on them and they were poorly made. Wouldn't be the first time something came from there like that. Most of the time Target offers good quality but there have been times when the quality was poor. I have to stay away from shoes like that with no support. My poor feet can't handle them anymore. A podiatrist told me once that those and flip flops are not very good for your arches. (Yeah, sadly I'm the age that I now am concerned about my arches. UGH! LOL) But they look cute on you! -Karen

Anonymous said...

I have the same zebra shoes, got them on clearance. i started with bandaids on the backs of my heels where they dug...i thought they were too cute to return. actually, over time they have broken in and now they aren't so bad.