Sex and the City 2 premiered last weekend and despite some tepid reviews from the critics about the thin plotline as usual – it was all about the fashion.  Although NYC has been called the 5^th character in the ensemble cast – the City played a minor role this time around since the fab fashion 4 spent much of the movie in Abu Dhabi (which was actually Morocco).    Aside from the money shot of Carrie’s glittery gold Christian Louboutins – as well as some funky black-and-blue caged heels – one of the most memorable scenes was shoe shopping at the Souk where fashionable footwear sold at rock-bottom prices.

Although I have been wearing stilettos for most of my life – I wouldn’t necessarily advocate wearing them to ride a camel in the desert or pack them for a vacation in Abu Dhabi.
However – here are my recommendations on the essential shoes to pack for any vacation:

1.        Ballet slippers – a top choice for chic daytime wear; they come in many varieties and whether they are Chanel or Sketchers.  Since they don’t have much support, you can purchase Dr. Scholl’s foot pads or get fitted for insoles before.

2.        Platform foam or higher plastic soft sandals – they are fashionable, dry off easily and take 10 pounds off the way you look in a swimsuit.  Colors should be neutral and/or black and shades that match the skin tone elongate the leg, giving a leaner illusion.

3.        Walking Shoes – Cole Haan has a line containing comfy soles made by Nike, and JP Tods moccasins are chic and cushy.  Sandals from the Flip Flopp line work well for grassy or beach locales.  And don’t forget appropriate soft socks.

4.        Exercise Wear – Depending on your sport of choice, you can either pack a running shoe or cross trainer.  The Sketchers line carries a variety of double duty styles appropriate for the treadmill and elliptical and can also be used as a choice for chic daytime wear (see #1, above).  For activities requiring true ankle support, lightweight hiking boots might be appropriate (provided you also pack antibiotic and bandages to be proactive about soothing blisters).

5.        Evening Heels – In this era of towering shoes – from stilettos to platforms – higher is not necessarily better.  Ideally a heel should be 2 to 2.5 inches high to allow for dancing; again, best color choices are neutral or black.  If you have room for a second pair, you can go to nosebleed level but to keep your balance, platforms are a better choice – and your feet and lower back will thank you later.

Last week, a co-worker’s 10 year old niece waited patiently for her in the Institute Beaute waiting area where I have my “shoe museum.”  Favorite shoes from various stages in my life are in glass cases because to me they are true works of art (and because I ran out of room in my home).   When it was time for the young girl to leave, she calmly told her Aunt:  “Those Louis Vuittons are calling out to me.”

 At the risk of sounding like a typical boomer and talking about how I walked ten miles to school each day in the snow (up hill) – the shoe landscape as it is today is different than it was “in my day.”

 Today some publications call me “Podiatrist to the Stars” and articles talk about my “Park Avenue Practice.”   But that’s not where I started; I grew up in Brooklyn and my French immigrant parents found it hard to make ends meet.    The idea of having new shoes – let alone expensive new shoes – was a completely foreign concept to me.   When I started earning my own money – my first big purchase was new shoes – I Miller to be exact – from Bergdorf Goodman. I still remember those shoes and the feeling I had when I purchased them.  They were patent leather Mary Janes with toes that were both round and square at the same time and I felt beautiful the minute I put them on my feet.  But of course, many shoes have made me feel this way which is why they take up so much space in my home and my office.  But that’s for another blog.

 To pay further homage to I Miller back then – in the 60s – he was to me and many women what Manolo Blahnick is to Carrie Bradshaw and the girls of Sex and the City today.  Before establishing the I. Miller Shoe Company, Israel Miller started his career as a designer and maker of shoes for the theatrical profession in New York.   He took over and remodeled a large building in Times Square with an inscription reading “The Show Folks Shoe Shop Dedicated to Beauty in Footwear.” The company both designed and manufactured women’s shoes and became a leading importer of shoes with a national chain of more than 200 retail stores, popular throughout the 1920s-1960s.

                This week women across the country are gearing up to see Sex and the City 2 – a movie about four friends, their love for each other, their trials and tribulations, their devotion to fashion and – of course shoes.  Along with Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte – Manolo Blahnik and Jimmy Choo have played major supporting roles.  And rightfully so.  From Cinderella to Carrie Bradshaw – the shoe is the thing.  I know I’ll be watching in anticipation and hoping I don’t need to rent additional space to accommodate my growing collection.

 (Next week: shoes to pack for vacation)

On Monday March 8th, Dr. Levine was a featured guest speaker at New York Methodist Hospital in Brooklyn. In her lecture on cosmetic foot surgery, Dr. Levine covered the topics of injectable implants, laser therapy, treatments for hypotrophic scars, toe lengthening, as well as her own innovative procedure, Stiletto RX: Pillows for Your Feet. The lecture was very well-attended and received, and Dr. Levine was proud to contribute to the educational development of New York Methodist’s residents.

Now here’s an interesting story… a Melbourne fashion magazine editor decided to ditch Versace for Target because she couldn’t get her faulty heels replaced:

Ms Mott says she’s spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in recent years on Versace clothes and shoes – about $20,000 a year.

But she said when she sent her stiltless stiletto to the company’s headquarters in Milan to be repaired or replaced, it was returned with instructions to deal with the Australian franchise stores. “Yet in between buying the shoes and the heel breaking – after just three wears – all of Versace’s boutiques in Australia had closed,” Ms Mott said.

Digging in her high-priced heels on principle, Ms Mott said she will now ditch Versace for Target.

“At least with Target you know faulty goods will be replaced or you get your money back,” she said.

Read: Herald Sun – “Versace skewered in stiletto battle”

We’re starting an online Q&A session with Dr. Suzanne Levine!

Send us your foot-related questions and Dr. Levine will answer them here on Footnotes!