Top Ten True/False Statements about Shoes
By Stephanie Rowe

1) Brand new shoes should fit snugly because they will stretch.

False! By the time they stretch, your feel will have huge bunions on them from being squished and you'll need two sizes bigger! Women are notorious for buying shoes that are too small. Truthfully, no one notices if you're wearing a size nine or a size ten. You're the only one who knows, and you're the only one suffering the pain of crushed toes. Be kind to yourself and buy the right size. You will be a much more scintillating conversationalist if you aren't grimacing in pain.

2) You should go shoe shopping at the end of the day.

True! At the end of the day, your feet are larger than they are in the morning after you've been in bed all night. Shoes you buy at 9 a.m. might hurt like the dickens at the end of a long workday.

3) I can't wear [insert shoe company name here] because that brand of shoes never fits my feet.

Maybe true, but maybe not! Shoes are built on foot forms called lasts. Different lasts are different shapes. Some may have a wide forefoot and a narrow heel. Another might have a built-up arch. Shoe companies have more than one last on which they build shoes. Yes, a shoe built on a certain last might be a poor fit for you, but that doesn't mean that all shoes from that company won't work. Companies also develop new lasts over time, so don't give up on them!

4) I don't need to be measured at the store because I know my shoe size.

False! Your feet continue to expand as you get older, so you should periodically have the salesperson measure your feet. And don't let them simply measure the length. The width of your foot and even arch length are important as well.

5) Danskos are more than a pretty shoe.

True! I'm not a paid endorser of Dansko, but if you have foot problems, I highly recommend a quick trip to a retailer that sells Dansko. I have major foot issues, and for a long time, my Dansko clogs were the only shoes I could wear. They look good, feel good and actually helped my feet heal. Check out www.dansko.com for more details.

6) The only cool sneakers are the ones with hearts on the shoelaces.

True...if you're still living in the '80s and you're fifteen years old. I had hearts on my shoelaces when I was in high school. Then again, I was kind of a loser. So maybe it's not a good idea...

7) You can use the same pair of sneakers for all the sports activities you do.

False! So many people use running shoes for everything, but if you play tennis or take aerobics in running shoes, you risk injury due to the lack of support for side-to-side movement. Running shoes are built for running, which has a specific foot pattern and weight distribution. If you're a walker, get shoes that are made for walking to decrease risk of injury. Believe it or not, they make very cool walking shoes nowadays. Take care of your feet! You need to use them every day, and you don't get to trade them in if they get worn out.

8) Cheap shoes are fine.

False! If you're going to be wearing them for any amount of time or spending a fair amount of time on your feet while you're wearing them, splurge for the high-quality pair. There really is a difference in support and the quality of materials, and your feet will notice (but only if you buy shoes that fit in the first place!)

9) Shoes matter!

True! The right shoes can give you that extra boost of self-confidence when you walk into a job interview, they can make you feel worthy when that hot Italian guy sidles up to you in a bar, or they can give you the jolt of energy needed to burn off one more chocolate chip cookie on the treadmill. Shoes are the foundation of health, happiness and sanity, so I hereby forbid you to ever feel guilty about shopping for shoes again. You're worth it!

10) Quality shoes cost a bit more, but here's your chance to get some for free! Stephanie is giving away a free pair of Nike running shoes on her Web site.

True! All you need to do is read the excerpt and send in your entry and you're entered! It's to promote my September chick lit, which is all about shoes (as the title If the Shoe Fits would imply). Zip on over to www.stephanierowe.com. Gotta love a free pair of shoes!


Stephanie Rowe's September release, If the Shoe Fits, is about a fashion-impaired woman who trades in her running-shoe dreams in favor of designer dress shoes. The insider shoe information in the book and the shoe tips above were derived from Stephanie's experiences in eight-plus years spent in R&D at a footwear company. See www.stephanierowe.com for more information about Stephanie and her book.

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Our Favorite Fictional Heros
by the Wet Noodle Posse

Joe Morrelli from Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum books. There's something about that guy; he's a bad boy with a soft center that turns me to mush. I stopped reading after Hot Six because is seemed like Stephanie was going to get with Ranger and I didn't want to know. Silly, I know. :-) I also have to say quite a few of Suzanne Brockmann's Navy Seals. Oh my, a man in a sharply pressed uniform.... okay, I'm quivering. - Priscilla Kissinger

I vote for Samuel from Laura Kinsale's Shadow and the Star. Some will go for the guy who had the stroke in Flowers from the Storm, but my heart belongs to Samuel. - Dani Collins

Since Priscilla has already mentioned Joe Morelli (love his long-suffering sense of humor) and Dani has already picked Samuel (his character gives new meaning to the terms internal conflict and yearning), I'll go with Diana Gabaldon's Jamie Fraser and J. D. Robb's Roarke. What a treat to get to spend quality time with quality men - all those books, all those nuances, all those possibilities. - Terry McLaughlin

Sir Adam Sinclair, hero of Katherine Kurtz's The Adept series. He's a Scottish nobleman and psychiatrist. He also has psychic gifts and battles evil forces out to harm others. I loved his character and his lifestyle. I was ready to move into his Scottish mansion with him and join his cause. I remember saying to myself, "I've finally found my ideal man, but he's a character in a book! I was happy and sad at the same time. - Debra Holland

Christopher Seton in Kathleen Woodiwiss' A Rose in Winter - Lorelle Marinello

Janet Evanovich's Ranger. He's the one hero I just can't forget. That man is hot! - Pam Payne

Although Jamie Fraser in the Outlander series is the first hero who comes to mind, I'd have to say that several Kathleen Woodiwiss heroes are in close contention with Mr. Jamie Fraser: Dr. Cole Latimer in Ashes in the Wind, Lord Saxton/Christopher Seton in A Rose in Winter, and Ruark Beaucamp in Shanna. We were supposed to pick just one, right? Well, I refuse. - Maureen Hardegree

Oh, my goodness. Jamie Fraser from Diana Gabaldon's Outlander books. Strong, handsome, brave and Scottish. And he waited for Claire for 20+ years. (Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know he married, but he didn't LOVE the girl). - Karen Potter

William of Dunashie from Winter Roses by Anita Mills. Strong yet insecure, and he said his prayers every night. - Mary Fechter

Joe Morelli from Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series. - Lee McKenzie

Jackson Rule from the book of the same name by Dinah McCall. I remember not being able to put this book down. For a hero who really tugged at my heart and who I rooted for from the very beginning, you can't beat Jess Best from Pamela Morsi's Simple Jess. And at the risk of sounding like a broken record, Diana Gabaldon's Jamie Fraser. My, that man was sexy. - Trish Milburn

It will be no surprise that my favorite heroes are from Regency era novels. Reggie from Mary Jo Putney's The Rake and the Reformer is to me the prototype "bad-boy" hero, a man who has a depth of honor and goodness deep inside but a lot of growth to accomplish through the love of one woman. And, entirely differently, The Duke of Mitford in Mary Balogh's An Unlikely Duchess because, even though he is short, he is game for anything. - Diane Perkins

Sigh. Joe is already taken. Sigh. Sigh. Sigh. Well, I love Joe Morelli, too. Also, Chantz Bourdreaux from Katherine Sutcliffe's Fever. YUMMY & OH WHAT A MAN. Tom Steele from Candace Shuler's Good Time Girl definitely left me with fantasies of a bad-boy rodeo cowboy, I find myself pulling that book out time and again for a fast-paced, sexy, fun read when I need a Tom fix. So many heroes, so little time...<g> - Janice Lynn

I don't know if this counts, but my critique partner's book that comes out in September has a hero I could snatch right away. His name is Darius, and he's from Gena Showalter's Heart of the Dragon. He's yummy, fire-breathing and dangerous! - Jill Monroe

I'm going to have to go with Mr. Darcy from Pride and Predjudice. I do love to see a man that tight unwind under the right woman's hands. Runners up: Jamie from Outlander and Roarke from J.D. Robb's series. Yummy men with integrity. - Ila Campbell
 

To read last month's Top 10 article, click here

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