It's raining shoes

I must say that I have always considered myself on of the most unlucky people I know. I've never won anything. Like even a pack of gum. Maybe I never tried to win shoes before. A few weeks ago I entered a contest through sk*rt where 20 winners would win a pair of Ryka shoes. And you had to do stuff to enter, not just put your name in. So I thought I could try it - 20 winners sounded like the only way I was ever going to win something. And I was really hoping only 19 people entered. Anyway, I won! A great pair of MC2 Run shoes. I had emailed the girl to thank her and she emailed back and said if I liked them, I should tell my friends that they were having another contest from September 5th to October 25th giving away fifty pairs of shoes a day. Holy cow these people are generous! I tried to tell many of you right when it started. But wow - another chance with really good odds! So to email a few friends, you could do it right from their website and it would also enter you to win each time you did. Well, the other night I found out I won another pair of shoes from Ryka!!!! The Lotus - which I am so excited about because I debated about them the first time. I am now in love with the company. I will probably buy their shoes the rest of my life because they are the first people who have ever let me win anything!!! So if I didn't get the word out to you before, sorry. You can still enter here. I did just see Design Mom just posted about it yesterday, so I'm sure a few more hundred people have entered now, but hey - if I could win (twice!) anyone can win.

I found out I had won the second pair right after I got home from the mall after buying these shoes from Buckle (I was glad to see they have it in the midwest, I know it's kind of teen-agerish, but I still always find something I like there).

I have noticed here lately that a lot of women here have some really cute flat shoes (well, ok, the fashionable women here, which are truthfully few and far between). I don't know how I made it through all last winter wearing basically some type of mary janes that I usually wear without socks, but no can do this winter. These shoes are probably cuter on than they look here, but I did like the bit of metallic to spice it up a litte. If anyone else has seen some great flats (maybe to go with dressier stuff), let me know. Shoes are a hard buy for me though, for multiple reasons. I don't know why, but I feel like they are such a big investment that I have to love them, or they have to go with everything, because I just don't buy them that often. Plus, when Cash was born, my feet grew - from a 10 (yeah, already big enough), to a 10.5. Problem is, when they're that big, no one sells half sizes, so I end up wearing an 11 (ugh), which not only sounds terrible, but are hard to find, and are all just a little too big because I really need a 10.5. The only good thing that has ever come out of this was when I went to Steve Madden one time and the guy said "You can wear an 11?" Then he brought out a stack of shoes up to the ceiling and said he'd give me any of them for $10. I bought 10 pairs. And they were all cutesy, girly shoes that I would never buy otherwise!

Now I seem to have the same trauma buying shoes for Cash. I seriously return 5 pairs each time I try to buy shoes for him. I try to buy cheap ones since I hate paying a lot for baby clothes that they grow out of so quickly, but they're either too stiff or too hard to get on. So I finally give in and buy a pair of good ones, and then I absolutely love them and haven't regretted it yet. Last time I bought him a pair of Tip Toey Joeys (ours were a little different color that I can't find anymore):

They were awesome. So easy to get on and so soft and comfortable but still with some good grip at the bottom. I got them at Babystyle.

The Tip Toey Joey's don't really go up big enough for what I need now, and also since he's walking and it's getting to winter, I'm thinking I want something with a bit thicker sole. This time I have been drooling over these Vincent shoes for months.

But once again, I tried every cheap option first. All got returned. Well, seeing as I had a really good coupon at Babystyle, I just gave in and ordered the Vincent's. I plan on loving them just as much as the others. I'll let you know.

I'm also wishing I had a girl because I think these from Morgan and Milo are so stinking cute!

Anyway, there is my discourse on shoes. If anyone has any other favorite baby shoes that are not too stiff and easy to get on, let me know! Now go win a pair of shoes! Maybe my lucky streak will rub off on you!