It's My Birthday (and I'll splurge if I want to)

It only happens once a year. And for the past three years, I've made a tradition of giving myself a much deserved birthday gift. And not just any gift, but the mother of all gifts - the gift that keeps on giving: my dream pair of shoes. Last year it was the ideal sneaker to stay fly on the daily grind (DC Shoes). The year before that it was the much needed winter white fabulous snow boot with fur trim (Coach). This year, I opted to get my grown and sleek on by purchasing these:


ooh, I can't wait to rock 'em. But there's a story that goes along with them (of course)...

I first saw these beauties at a boutique in Brooklyn for $125 back in the fall '07. I thought to myself - I really want those for my spring '08 look (I'm in love with chrome!) but I'll wait for them to go on sale. Besides, chrome is catching on, maybe I'll find a similar pair for cheaper around town. The winter has come and (is almost) gone and I have yet to see an affordable pair that even comes close in flyness. So, the other day I revisited this boutique to find to my delight that this shoe, once priced at $125 was now ON SALE for..get this $29.99!!!
So I asked the woman, "What's the largest size you have these in? (cuz I have supermodel sized feet, ya know -- no comments HaJ!!!)". The woman replied, "Size ten." Perfect, I thought to myself. I asked her to bring me the pair so I can try them on.
I sat down and began undoing my laces when she returned empty handed with that semi-sad face saying, "the largest size we have left is a size eight :("
Then why the hell did you tell me that you had them in a ten?
And of course they're not planning on getting anymore shipments because clearly they are trying to get rid of them. But I, hopeful, took down the make and model of the shoe and proceeded to search the internet for a good deal on them in my size and color.
I searched and searched and searched and searched. I saw them for prices like $37.95 and $64.99 and even $87.50...but again, only up to size 8 or 8.5. I ended up settling on a purchase from shoes.com for $99.99. I feel a little discriminated against. If I had size 8 feet, I would have my favorite shoes for only $29.99. But because I am of a larger metatarsal structure, I have to pay the price...literally.
Lesson learned:

Having small feet can save you money.
Okay, I'm not being cynical here...just making an observation.

Don't be afraid to find the better price.
Even though it didn't work so well for me earlier this week, don't be discouraged. If you see a shoe in a shoppe and you just fall in love with it, but you are really not in love with the price -- try it on, feel it out, then take down the specs, go online and find it cheaper. I mean hey, $99.99 is better that $125, right?

Have Patience
If you really love a shoe, let it go (on sale). If you come back to it, it's yours forever (until the heel falls off).

The chrome lining on my not-such-a-good-sale cloud: I got free shipping! And, of course, I will very soon have a wonderful new pair of shoes that will just help me feel fabulous, honey! Happy Birthday to me :)