Feeling the power (because I can't feel my feet anyway...)

Shoes are important for Nationals. The Playfriends are not the only shoe whores in Romancelandia. RWA as a whole seems to have a shoe fetish. One year, I took 8 pairs of shoes for a 5-day event.

This year, though, I’m looking at half that. Why? Because it just so happens that I have one pair of shoes that goes with about half of my conference wardrobe. This is good. The practical travel people of the world would approve.

These are the answer to my shoe-packing problem.
Well, not exactly. My shoes are solid black patent leather and there’s no bow, but structurally, that’s the shoe I’ll be wearing almost every day at conference because it goes with everything.

Now, one of the first pieces of advice you’ll hear about the national conference is “wear comfortable shoes.” Yes, you will do a lot walking simply because the venue is large. Most people assume comfortable = flats, but walking in flats all day will kill me.

These won’t. They have good structure to keep my foot solid in the shoe and enough arch support.

Yes, I know that’s a five inch heel and a one inch platform.

I *like* high heels. Some folks have power suits; I have power shoes. An awesome pair of stilettos does wonders for my attitude. I feel tall. I feel competent. I feel powerful. These shoes give me confidence.

Now, I’m not stupid. I do carry a pair of flip flops in my conference bag just in case I need to cover a long distance in a hurry. Stilettos and running would lead to a broken ankle in no time. But I don’t run unless I absolutely must, so I’m free to strut my stuff in heels. You also never know when you’ll find yourself on very slick or uneven terrain because some designer thought it would be cool to use real cobblestones on a pathway.

(And after the Great Knee Fiasco of 2007, I bring a pair of flats, too. But those are for only if I blow a knee out again.)

I’ve heard all the lectures. But since I work at home, most days I don’t even put on shoes, so my Achilles’ tendon is not going to shorten abnormally. With or without stilettos, my feet and knees are going to be a mess when I’m 70 anyway, so I might as well enjoy the pretty shoes while I can. I have good balance and years of practice, so I’m not worried I’ll fall over or off my shoes.

And honestly, I don’t care what people think about my choice of footwear.

I don’t go up to people at conference and say, “Birkenstocks? Seriously? Why would you wear *those* to conference?” I wouldn’t be caught dead in Birks at conference, but I don’t feel the need to tell others what they should or shouldn’t wear on their feet. Yet many people feel the need to question what’s on my feet. I *know* how high the heels are. I *know* some without Feet of Steel would be crippled by the end of the day. But, hey, it’s America; wear the shoes that make you happy and make you feel good.

And I’ll wear mine. Because those shoes are awesome and they make me feel like a million bucks. At a business conference, isn't that exactly what you need?

So, what do you wear when you need to feel awesome? What's your Instant Power outfit?

PC

And a very Happy Birthday to our Instigator! We love you!