The Shoes that Take Me to Rome

We've been having some fantastically warm weather here in Portland this week, which has given me the excuse I look for each summer to wear the red sandals I bought in Italy in 2001. They're not the only shoes I have that I've bought there, but they're the ones that take me back to Rome every time I put them on.

In 2001, it hadn't occurred to me until I walked the streets in Florence that I should probably buy a pair of shoes in Italy. It's not that I wasn't already an avid shoe collector, I just hadn't considered the possibilities. Browsing the shoe stores in via Calzaiuoli, however, made me change my mind.

Unfortunately, I shied away from what I considered the more outlandish styles that seemed to be everywhere. The fact that they were everywhere should have been a clue to me to just buy them, since they'd undoubtedly be fashionable everywhere in six months (they were), but I wasn't ready to take that kind of leap then. So it wasn't until we got to Rome that I found a pair of sandals I was willing to take home.

They're black and red, which limits the frequency with which I can wear them (black and red not being the most popular summer clothing colors), and my favorite features of them are the heel and the strap - the heel is an angular black wedge, and there's a long red strap that wraps around my ankle several times before tying in the front.

I love the shoes, partly because I love the way they look and the way they make me feel, but most especially because I bought them in Rome. Every time I look at them, I'm transported back to Italy. It's so cool to look down at one's feet during the day and think they're somewhere else.