Sole-Mate

Over these last few years I have been blessed to live in boot bliss. I've waited with anticipation every fall for the weather to turn just enough so my favorite black boots could reemerge from my closet to make my winter wardrobe complete. You all know the boots I'm talking about. The kind no self-respecting girl of fashion can live without. As much of a necessity as a little black cocktail dress or the perfect pair of jeans. I'm talking about the perfect pair of simple, pointed-toe, kitten-heel, knee-high, black leather boots.

But after wearing my beautiful boots on an almost daily basis for 5 winters they began looking quite worse for wear. Over the course of my relationship with these boots, I had the heel-caps replaced at least 6 times and the soles replaced once, but they just got to a point were there was no breathing life back into them. SOOOO sad and depressing to come to that realization.

Needless to say, after mourning the loss of my love for an appropriate length of time, I've been on a mission to find boot love again. But how do you replace a love lost? Will the new ever be as good as the first? The leather as supple, the heel as sexy, the toe as powerful? What's a girl to do?

After months of searching, my hope of finding love again was dwindling. So, last week, it must have been fate that sent a 25% off coupon for Cole Haan to my inbox (or at least some really smart marketing guy named Fate, it sounds Irish, maybe he's cute... anyway). Hmmm...... might this be the answer I sought? Could I possibly find my new love in the expansive world of online retail? It was worth a shot. Besides, at this point, what did I have to loose?

I opened the link and began browsing. Nothing in the full-price section, or at least nothing under $500 (a bit too rich for my unemployed blood). When I finally clicked on the SALE tab I thought to myself there's no way the boots I dreamed of would be there. How could any company have such perfection left over that must be marked down to move. But, to my total and utter shock, there they were! The Fiona Knee-High Boots! I had found them! The perfect pair! Not only did they have the supple nappa leather, the pointy toe, the kitten heel, but Nike Air technology in the sole! It was almost too good to be true! With slightly shaking hands I crossed my fingers and checked the size availability. You could have knocked me over with a feather! They had size 5.5 (who wears that size, honestly) and size 9! My size! It was like a flashing neon sign on a dark night.... BUY ME!!!!! I couldn't say no. I added them to my cart in an instant, entered my coupon and credit card numbers and hit submit.

It all happened so fast it didn't seem real. Had I really just found my new boot-mate for life (0r at least the next few years)? Were they really on the way to my doorstep courtesy of free FedEx Ground Shipping? Really?

Flash forward to today. I arrived home from my day full of nervous anticipation to what I might find waiting for me. Would I love them? Would they love me? Were we meant to be? Would FedEx meet their online tracking promise to deliver today? I froze when I opened the door... a HUGE box. I threw my purse and coat on the dining room chair, flew back in the kitchen to grab a knife and tore into the box. There it was, that beautiful chocolate brown of a signature Cole Haan shoe-box looking back at me. Carefully I plucked it from it's packing material nest and lifted the lid. Inside, boots, perfect in every way. Almost better than I had imagined. But would my hopes and dreams of a new and stylish life with my boots be dashed in an instant with poor fit? I unzipped the left boot, closed my eyes and slipped it on. It must have been what Cinderella felt when her prince charming placed the glass slipper back on her foot. Bliss. On went the right boot. Equal bliss. But the true test, walking. WOW. It felt like walking in tennis shoes, really stylish, sexy, boot-like tennis shoes that look nothing like tennis shoes! That was it, I was in love again.

My faith in the world of online retail shopping has been renewed. Today I found my "sole-mate"!