It's gotta be the shoes

Tag : Female Shoe
she said. But she gives shoes away, like to her daughter-in-law,who wears the same shoe size. "You just can't keep everything."

The relationship many women have with shoes starts developing at ayoung age, "shortly after we begin to walk," said Jennifer Combs,co-owner of J. Cole shoe boutique at King's Landing, 9930 RiversideParkway.

"As soon as we want to feel grown-up," Combs said, "we will put ona pair of our mother's shoes, most likely high heels, and have theinstant feeling of what it means to be a female."

And then they grow up and, it seems, shop. Some even form their ownsupport groups — or whole societies, one to which Sheehanbelongs. She's a charter member of Shuzsociety, "a group of solesisters from Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas," as well as other locales,according to the group's Web site.

"Shoes create an indescribable bond between women," said CindyMarshall, a friend of Sheehan's, who also co-founded Shuzsociety in2007. It consists of an online magazine, shoe-shopping hub andsocial network for shoe lovers, with offices in Tulsa, Dallas, LasVegas and New York.

"There's an instant connection between strangers when theconversation begins with, 'I love your shoes,' " Marshall said.

Shoes first, ask questions later

Camaraderie aside, shoes also make a statement for a woman, saidNeMar Noulles, a local chef and caterer, who "used to be a shoebuyer in a past life." Her collection, which she keeps in boxessorted by color in her dressing room, consists of between 400 and500 pairs.

"A pair of pants is a pair of pants," she said. "But a shoe candefine you. If you have on a really great, sexy shoe, it can makeyou feel so incredible. You can even have on a $10 skirt, but ifyou have on a hot pair of shoes, everything looks good."

She and Sheehan both usually buy shoes and worry about their outfitafterward. For them, shoes are the focal point of their look.

The day we spoke, Gloria Kelley's focal point was a pair of blackFranco Sarto sandals.

"I have a shoe fetish," she said. "If you saw my closet, you'dunderstand."

Not just one closet but four, with shoe boxes stacked three deep ineach. So how many pairs is that? "Probably 600," said Kelley, who'sbeen known to visit J. Cole and buy 10 or 12 pairs at a time.

Her collection isn't all new, though. One pair from the '50sbelonged to her late mother. Another, a pair of lime green wedgesfrom the '70s, are Kelley's. And, yes, she still wears them.

Kelley's favorites, however, include a pair of Donald J Pliners— "Champagne pony with chocolate brown dots on them, lookjust like an Appaloosa." A pair of "killer" Angeleigh Anastasioshoes are close to the heart of Noulles, who likes "something alittle different."

"I don't like to look down and see my shoes on other people's feet,except for flip-flops," said Noulles, who's bought five or sixsuede flip-flops at one time from Target. "You can't go out andshop and not look at shoes anywhere you go, even Target."

Whatever the price, shoes are pieces of art, Marshall, Noulles andSheehan each said, all separately from each other. And consideringhow much some shoes cost, from upper-three-digit to four-digitdesigner price tags, "art" isn't that far-fetched of a description.

"It's an investment," Noulles said. "When you buy high-qualityclothing and take care of it, you have it forever. And if it's notjust really faddy stuff, it always comes back."

Plus, she admits, "it's all about making your leg look good."



Jason Ashley Wright 581-8483
jason.wright@tulsaworld.com