Happy belated birthday to me

In 2016, I didn't buy myself a pair of birthday shoes, because I'd just bought a house, and I felt that I had spent enough money for a while.

I made up for it in 2017 by purchasing two pairs—one of which was the Julian Hakes Mojito sandal, which I'd coveted ever since I'd seen it for sale in a New Orleans boutique the previous spring.

 

I dithered and dithered about what color to buy my Mojitos in—the original pair had been silver, but there was also a striking blue shade and a poison green that was right up my alley. 

 

I can't remember what eventually decided me on the metallic purple, but it might have had to do with the price, my shortage of purple sandals, or just the idea that a lovely lilac would go with a lot of my clothes.

If it was the latter, I was wrong. The new shoes didn't seem to go with any of my clothes! And after they arrived, the occasion to actually wear them (which I wanted to be special) never arose, and I waited over a year before deciding, as often happens, that the right occasion was right now. Even if that just meant wearing them for an ordinary Thursday at work.

To allow the shoes to do their shining, I wore them with a simple dress in a solid contrasting color. I didn't want to wear any jewelry that would compete with the shoes or the beading on the front of the dress, so I wore something small but, in keeping with the spirit of my birthday, quintessentially me—my teal-and-purple cat earrings!

 

And thus, a year and a week late, my 2017 birthday shoes finally got to be the central piece in my OOTD!

 

All in all, I have to say this particular splurge was a 250-dollar disappointment. The shoes I received were much darker in person than they had looked online, and the hue a little bit warmer than I'd been expecting. Instead of getting a bright, pastel, fun shoe that complements my most playful clothing, I had gotten a dark, exotic shoe that works best with more moody ensembles. While that kind of shoe has its place, the place is a lot smaller than I'd hoped—hence the year of waiting. By the time I wore them, the excitement of getting them had worn off, and as soon as I wore them, I learned they weren't very comfortable. While the heel is actually pleasantly springy when I set my foot down, when I lift it up again, the hard plastic top of the shoe digs into my saddle bone deformity, making them impractical for even short distances of walking. They look much better on their own than on a foot, being rather bulky and bulgy without the negative space to lend them gracefulness.

Will I wear them again? Unlikely, but this won't be the last you see of my 2017 birthday shoes. At some point, the second pair will make an appearance, and I'm making a wish that they will be more suitable for celebrating!

😗🎂