Sunday, July 26, 2009

My Ramblings on Shoes

I love buying shoes, ever since I was a student back in the States. But my hectic lifestyle as a student (and worker – in the University’s Bookstore) would prevent me from wearing anything else other than my Nike or Reebok most of the time. So, I’d only resort to only window-shop whenever I went to the malls. I was used to having to swallow my saliva in a style that only Pepsi drinkers would know – when the gulping sound could be heard from miles away! And I’d be drooling at the same time, while my hands in my jeans pocket trying to count the greens that I had. That happened only when I saw a pair of something that really caught my eyes – yes – SHOES!

That was why I loved summers in California. I got to wear my sandals to the beach. Or went shopping in them. But since I never skipped taking summer classes during my 4 years there, I’d still have to wear my University sweaters, shorts, my worn Reebok and the JanSport backpack to school.

It was when I graduated and started working in a mall that I began my new hobby – buying shoes! Getting my first paycheck in the real world (the University Bookstore job as the Price Changer wasn’t really considered as one, ok?), saw me spending my dough on two pair of sandals! At that time I still couldn’t afford to buy branded shoes, so I practically adopted Payless ShoeSource as my buddy-store. Since I worked in a mall, every lunch I’d walk around and never missed trying a few shoes (and most of the time, buying) at the store. That was my era in high-heels/stilettos!

I still remember those leather sandals from Brazil. Loved them. They were so comfortable and durable.

You see, the major difference between those people selling shoes in the States and Malaysia is the way they treat their customers. There, those Uncle Sam’s people would ask you to sit down on the stool, hold your feet and put the shoes on for you. Tak geli pun. Unlike here (oklah, maybe not all).

Imagine this – you’re a mom with 4 small kids in tow and one crying baby in your arms asked for a pair of shoes for your no4. The salesperson would come and open up the box and shove the shoes to you. You’d then have to squat down (with the crying baby still) and tried several times to put the shoes on the no4 who’d be running here and there. And you’d then scream your lungs out for her to come and stand still so that you could make her put them on. The baby in your arms would cry even harder.

And guess what the salesperson would be doing all the while? Taking the dirt out of her fingernails or staring into nothing while playing with her hair, or simply trying to pop her oozing pimples, pretending she didn’t hear a thing! And when you ask for her help, she’d say that it’s the right size and it fits your no4 like a glove. Seeshhhhh...

Ok, you don't have to imagine being that mother. She was me!

My patience was tested again recently. Since I'm currently into wedges, I saw one pair of Clarks in the Curve a few weeks back and had been trying to get my hands on them... but to no avail.

** This is Siver Ash in tan leather**

I went to a few Clarks store but couldn’t get what I wanted – it was either the size wasn’t available or the color I liked was out of stock. So one day I went to the Clarks section in OU Jusco. The Clarks salesgirl (or probably the supervisor lah judging from her ‘kerek’ness) was standing next to some boxes writing something (or pretending to). I politely asked her :
“Excuse me dik, do you have the new wedges?” (I realized that there were no new shoes on the rack.. tak stock-up ke?)
“Apa ada kat situ saja kak”, she said to me without even glancing my way.
“Apa yang latest kat sini ye dik?”, I asked again.
“Apa yang ada kat situ saja kak”, came the reply.

Hisshhh... Hangin aku satu badan! Macam nak baling kasut saja kat muka dia! But I didn’t know why I just left. I should’ve said something bitter to her.. but I guess I wasn’t in the mood for a fight.

I think there’s a blessing in all that. Last week, while in Sunway Pyramid to catch Harry Potter’s latest movie with Dear Hubby, kids and maid, I found what I was looking for! To my surprise, the Clarks store in Sunway had so many varieties to choose from. And I managed to score this one:

** This is Speed Boat in tan leather**

So practical and comfy. Love this wedges!

**Now I remember what I've forgotten to do yesterday - to sort out the 6 pairs of shoes I have in my car!

29 comments:

wanshana said...

Ja,

I also fell in love with the first Clarks wedges, too, when I went to the one kat One-U! Simply gorgeous, kan? Unfortunately for me, they ran out of black! :(

Kat Sunway banyak choice, ya? Hmmmmm? :)

And yeah...I know what you mean about the salesgirls here. Memang layak dibaling kasut...

tireless mom said...

Hi Ja

You should read Shoe Addicts Anonymous by Beth Harbison. I used to be a shoe addict but after realizing that there is no more space on the shoe rack because berebut with dear hubby, I surrendered. Lagi pun my shoes yang 4 years ago pun still ok because I take really good care of them.

The sales girl at the shoe shop... hmmm that was one of the reasons why I slowed down buying shoes.

cekmekzue said...

Salam Ja,
I couldn't agree more with most of the things u wrote...the salesgirl, yup, precisely..kat sana they treated us really special. during the student days back in the UK, u know what, I had several pairs,of Bally shoes, bought during the sales, of course...my size 2 1/2 or 3, maybe because most of them, size much bigger than me....back in m'sia , I don't think I have even bought one Bally shoes!they were so much more cheaper back there!Nice wedges u got there..now that I'm staying at home, I guess I won't be buying shoes so much.stock yang masa keje boleh pakai lagi..but not suitable for daily use..well...ladies and shoes, just like handbags, we are inseparable...

Dalam Dakapan Ibu said...

Dear Shana,
I went there too. And also the one in MJ the Curve.. pun yilek.

The salesperson kat Sunway tu cakap, other than Sunway, yg banyak varieties is the one kat Bangsar Village (I or II I tak sure)

Mimie got the first wedges kat Bangsar. Check out lah kalau lalu ikut Sunway or Bangsar :)

Dalam Dakapan Ibu said...

Dear Tireless Mom,
So you were a shoe-addict eh? I'll check out the book nanti. Mesti boleh relate gitu..

Kalau dah shoe rack tak cukup space, belilah lagi shoe racks...hahaha...

I guess you ni mcm my hubby, memang pandai n cermat jaga barang. Most of his things semua in good condition... tak mcm I ni!

Dalam Dakapan Ibu said...

Zue dear,
I tak penah ada Bally shoes. You lucky jugak boleh merasa Zue.

Mak aiii... comelnya kaki! Susah dak nak cari size kat sini? My friend size 4, so ada org dtg office buatkan kasut dia. Specialkan?

Dok rumah pun boleh melawa jugak.. you tau, I kalau beli kasut baru, mesti melaram dalam rumah seminggu-dua sebelum pakai kat luar. Masak kat dapur, dinner etc semua dgn kasut baru tu..hehehe.. haru kan?

cekmekzue said...

Morning Ja!
ini betul kes haru ni, masak kat dapur pakai kasut..hihi..i'm trying to picture you in your heels tengah tumbuk sambal belacan.....:-) i pakai jugak, tapi house slipper, tak tahan sejuk kaki on the tiles.
wah bestnyer, people came to the office just to make her shoes, Jimmy Choo? the only time someone measured my feet was when I made my akad nikah shoes. that's it. It wasn't that difficult to get my size here, I wear size 35 or 36 here. I especially like to go to Duty Free Bukit Kayu Hitam where they occasionally have sales on Clarks and Scholl.kalau ada rezeki, they have our sizes, me and hubby's.
I still keep my Bally shoes, still in their boxes in my store bawah tangga....nostalgia kot......

ummisara said...

Kak Ja..

oh tidakkkkk!!!! cantiknya wedges baru... malam nih mesti i mimpi hehehe

Back in UK my fav shoe stores are next & ravell. Occasionally M&S.

i still have my clark boots, my Next & M&S Loafers as well as court shoes frm Kurt Geiger

Abang Sejuk said...

Kak Ja,
DikNa is coming back for Puasa (3 weeks)...n I will make her buy a pair of Loake size 13 for me...hehehe

Lee said...

Hello Ibu, I have never met a woman who doesn't love shoes, ha ha.
As well handbags, not to mention clothes.
When I take my isteri on mall walkabouts, bila kia passing a she store ada big 'SALE' sign, thats when she tekan brakes, saya chepat look for a bench nearby....dia masuk store, saya admire the mini skirts walking by. Ada juga stengah jam...
fortunately patience one of my virtues, ha ha.

Love the shoes in this posting.
You certainly have good taste, love the color.
You suda beli Jimmy Choos? Bet you'll look swell in them.
Have a great week, Ibu. Best regards, Lee.

ummi said...

Siapalah Dalam Dakapan Ibu yang penuh misteri...6 children and nuts about her husband..sounds so blissful :). And definitely from killerbatch. Thanks for visiting. And my my, you are a prolific blogger..love reading your blog. will visit often.

Hmm after reading comments..Ja :)
Jawiyah or Hamiza ..I vote Hamiza. You have 6 and still this pretty? tabik spring :)

Salt N Turmeric said...

Kak Ja, kenapa tak maki aje minah kasut tu? Kalau malas, dok rumah jelah kan? But then again where got sales ppl here yg macam your story tu Kak Ja oi? Maybe time you dulu lah kot. Now, maap lah. lol.

yus said...

Ja,
bab kasut I surrender..hahaha..sweet surrender..
I memang suka beli, tapi time nak pakai baru nak pikir sesuai ke tak sesuai. last2 pakai yg lama jugak. hat baru duk dlm kotak sampai melupas sendiri. Paling banyak jenis court shoes. last2 I susun kat tepi tong sampah bertingkat2 dlm kotak. Esok pagi dah clear. Sure org tunggu I buat jumbo sale percuma, kan?

babYpose said...

Hi Dalam Dakapan Ibu,

The perfect one you got there. Love it. Thanks for updating the latest here :o)

Dalam Dakapan Ibu said...

Hahahaha Zue....anak2 I pun dok ikut melaram kasut baru I kalau I pergi kerja. Takut pulak patah tumit kasut yg tak sempat pijak tanah lagi. But the latest shoes ni, I terus tukaq masa kat kedai lagi. Nyaris2 masuk wayang lambat!

My friend tu dulu sama office I. Tukang kasut tu from Cheras. You can order any type that you want, dia boleh buat. But so far I tak pernah try lagi lah. I suka beli kat kedai, boleh test dulu.

You ni mesti jenis cermat jugakkan? I pulak jenis ganaz sikit pakai kasut ni. Silap2 tak sampai hujung tahun kasut ni dah semput..LOL!

Dalam Dakapan Ibu said...

Edelweiss dear,
Banyak Kak Ja tak kenai branded-branded tu! Mesti sedap pakai, kan?

Teringat Kak Ja kat kasut I bought before I came back for good in 1990 – loafers lah api tak pernah pakai. So, bila bukak kotak balik baru perasan itu snake skin! Geli tengok...so lembut and light brown in color... exactly mcm ular! Geli nak pakai.

The amazing thing about that is that kasut tu still elok. Tak fall apart pun. I still have it until now... but nobody dare to wear them, I dah tanya my kids and they go “eewwww .. geli lah Ibu!"

Dalam Dakapan Ibu said...

Dear Abang Sejuk,
DikNa’s coming back? Is she spending the Raya here?

Amboi, Loake! Beratus pound jugak tu... Melaram kasut raya baru lah tahun ni no?

Hari tu ada warehouse sale utk Scholl. Tak pi pun. La dok tunggu Clarks and Timberland warehouse sale pulak...

Dalam Dakapan Ibu said...

Dear U.Lee,
You’re right! Handbags, Shoes, Pefumes – everything lah we love!

Your wife and I are so lucky to have husbands like both of you! I too can go around the shopping mall for like 8 hours and he’ll be patiently following/waiting. Sometimes he even tertidur on the chair/bench....hahhaha....

Dalam Dakapan Ibu said...

Dear Ummi,
Yeap it’s me! Found your blog last year I think. Left a comment there once, but when I changed my PC, I lost your uRL. Juz found it after some hopping :)

Look who’s talking.. you have 7 right? Lagilah superwoman... and still elegant and maintain gitu!

**Can I link you?

Dalam Dakapan Ibu said...

Farina dear,
Memang nak baling saja kasut tu, tapi time tu tengah kelam-kabut dgn anak2. Yg minah Clarks kat Jusco OU tu, one fine day nanti nak kena jugak dia dgn I. Tengoklah nanti..ggrrr.. ;{

Sekarang tak macam tu dah? Time I dulu, semua (I mean, ALL) salesperson macam tu. Siap duduk melutut depan kita and put the shoes on for us. Hmmhh... how things have changed!

Dalam Dakapan Ibu said...

Yus dear,
Alaa.... kalau tak, boleh pass sini..hehhe.... tapi apakan daya, size kita sure tak sama!

Ja ni sejak beranak Husna, terus naik size - dari 5 naik ke 7! Clarks size still 5, I think sebab cutting besaq kot?

Kalau nak buat jumbo sale nanti habaqla na? Boleh suruh orang2 A/S tunggu depan pintu pagaq...hahahaha....

Dalam Dakapan Ibu said...

Dear Babypose,
I love them to bits! Hapy happy me! Speed Boats are displayed here as ‘New Arrival’ but I’m not sure whether they're really new in the UK.

TQ for visiting dear :)

Kak Uda said...

hahaha Jaa...kak Uda pun masa kat states gila beli kasut...kasut kulit high heels...pergi kelas pun pakai high heels jugak...kadang2 even winter pun pakai high heels...can u imagine?... nak gelak pun ada bila ingat sekarang ni...dah tak larat nak pakai high heels macma gambar tu... paling tinggi pun 1 - 1.5 inch aje...tak tahan sakit kaki pakai tinggi2...apalagi kalau nak mengajar...nak jalan turun naik bukit dan tangga pergi kelas, berdiri 2-3 jam dalam kelas... adoiii..tak larat lah... (ssshhhh.... agaknya badan ni dah bertambah berat dah...hehehe..kaki tak mampu nak bawak badan...!)

All my shoes yg beli kat States dulu dah habis I sedekahkan pada cousins.... suka hati lah depa melaram kasut Kak Uda gi kerja...hehehe...

Now...Kak Uda cuma pakai Scholl aje...

mamasita said...

I love your taste! I love shoes too! Clarks and Scholl memang comfortable..but Clarks cepat berbau kalau dah terkena air..

Last week I bought myself 2 pairs of Snowfly heels..can't wait to parade them for dinner invitations..lama tak beli kasut baru woi! haha

Lets have a shoe party..haha

yus said...

ja,
teringat I pernah masuk kedai kasut ngan cik abang I masa baru2 kawin dulu. Tetiba terkejut sebab ternampak but yg ada stripe kulit cik U.I terlompat,terjerit dan terlibas kasut yg ada kat situ all at one time. hahahah.I memang geli + ngeri kalau ternampak apa2 berkaitan cik U, be it still photo ka, on tv ka, surat khabar ka,magazine pun pernah terbang terpelanting dlm flight tau! bayangkan kalau jumpa the real one. tapi that was an unforgettable experience utk abgteh dalam kedai kasut, once upon a time.

Dalam Dakapan Ibu said...

Salam Che Uda,
You pun sama? Hahahaha.. I guess masa twenty something memang peak time for girls to go crazy over shoes!

I remember masa I went crazy over Fung Keong highcut style punya kasut - I had them in pink, red and checked. Siap happy dapat beli kasut Coke made in Malaysia lagi..hahaha.. Siap menayang kat minah2 salleh classmates lagi!

***Love those buttons. Kalaula Ja reti menjahit2 nih...

Dalam Dakapan Ibu said...

Dear Mamasita,
Ya Clarks berbau kalau kena air? Thanx for the warning.. sib baik so far I tak penah lagi kena 'randuk' air.

I too love Snowfly. Comfy kan? Sandals tgh offer kat Jusco, hari tu dah beli the one on 50% discount for my 3rd one. Balik rumah, ibu dia pulak yg teringin..hehehe...

Dalam Dakapan Ibu said...

Yus dear,
Nasib baik kasut tu tak next tu crystal ke apa.. kalau tak, habis Teh kena bawak keluaq credit card dia bayaq semua..hahahaha...

The one I have, kulit dia jenis soft punya. Memang menggelikan ulaq tu. Last year I bought sepasang Balenciaga ka kalau tak silap, pakai sekali rasa lain mcm. Bila check, rupanya kulit boya ka apa ntah... terus bagi kat somebody. Nasib baik dia padan n tak kisah.

Geli..geli...

Doc Martens Boots said...

I have craze for boots I love Doc Martens Boots because This special footwear has uniqueness because of its air-cushioned sole,