Black and White

Back home for a little while! I'm going on a business trip on Sunday, so just a short stay at home so I can change all the pvc clothes in my suitcase to jeans and game t-shirts for the upcoming game convention ;D I did a little shopping on my two extra days at Cologne (aside from seeing all the museums I had wanted to see for ages).

These cute little socks were one of the things I got for myself at Primark. Viivi Vanessa at Black Saliva has the cutest socks and sandals look and I wanted something similar, and my sandals are still so new and stiff that they chafe me. And the fact that it's been the coldest summer in Finland in 50 years, so the only way to get to wear sandals is with socks.

Sandals - Depeche from Nilson Shoes

Socks - Primark

Now wish me luck in trying to overcome a cold in just two days! I caught a cold at Cologne and it's poop because this is my last week of vacation. And I have to give a speech next week and be ready to show off the game and all. Right now I'm mainly interested in sleeping and hot beverages, but I'm hoping this will pass very soon.

Teenage Daydream

Today I ran into Tinde at a local sushi buffet, and she told me she had seen a lovely pair of boots at a flea market nearby in my size. Because it wasn't too busy at the office, I extended my lunch hour and walked to the flea market. That's where these babies were waiting for me!

They are Libby 16 Plate boots with Victim heel by Fantasy Shoes (who make shoes for Pennangalan). There's slight wear, like some oxidization on the plates, but there are no scuffs on the sides of the soles and the heels are only a little worn. They fit me just right and all of the straps are intact. And the price? 20 euros!

The reason for the title of the post, teenage daydream, is that I've been lusting after these boots since I was a teen. The price is just so high (180 euros and shipping on top) that I've been waiting for a second hand pair to come by. Waiting for something like 12 years that is ;P So thank you so much Tinde for pointing these out for me, I'm so happy <3 They will look gorgeous with the scale mail corset I'm working on!

How To Add Ankle Straps To Heels

I like heels, but I don't want to spend that much money on them. The problem with cheap heels is that they are made of plastic, which doesn't really conform to the shape of your feet. This can make then quite uncomfortable to wear. What I did was to buy these lovely spine heels in a size that I knew was a bit loose on me, so they wouldn't squeeze my poor feet, but that meant they don't stay on that well. Solution? Ankle straps! Here's how to make them!

Here's a link to where I got my pair on eBay. The delivery to Finland took a few weeks, but the shoes arrived well-packed and were just like described in the description.

You need:

Ribbon in a colour that matches your heels for attaching the straps
Fabric that matches your heels to make the straps
Velcro
Heel grippers (optional, they make the heels fit more tightly and give a nice finish to the attachment)
Sewing machine
Scissors
Needle
Thimble

Finished heels with ankle straps.

1. Make the straps

Measure your ankle and add about 5 cm to the length to find out how long your straps should be. I made mine with PVC folded and sewn on both edges. I didn't finish the ends because PVC does not unravel, but if your fabric does, fold the ends on the inside of the strap and sew to secure. You can also use for example wide satin ribbon for the straps. If sewing is not your thing, use fabric glue. 

2. Add velcro to your straps

Take you two straps and try them on. They should have 5 cm overlap. That's where the velcro will be. Check how you can make them symmetric and choose to use the side that looks the best as the outside. To keep your straps from tangling on each other, plan the closure to sit on the outside of the ankle, with the overlapping part of the strap on top pointing towards the heel of the shoe. Cut the velcro to have about 4 cm piece on each strap (of both sides of the velcro, naturally!) and attach it by sewing a rectangle in straight stitch. Note that the different sides of the velcro (the scratchy and the soft one) go on different sides of the strap, not just different ends. It doesn't matter which side of the velcro is on top and which below.

3. Sew ribbons on your heels

Make two loops of ribbon. Each one should be large enough to let your strap pass through and then have 2-3 cm extra "tail" for attaching the loop to the shoe. Sew the tails with a zig zag stitch. Take your loop and sew each to the seam on the heel of a shoe. Make stiches only on the seam to hide the alteration. The seam is also the softest part, but you should still use a thimble, the heel part is very tough! If you have trouble pulling the needle through, try suing pliers. You don't need many stiches per shoe, but it's hard work.

I used black velvet ribbon for attaching the straps to the heels. It's soft, easy to sew and with black heels anything black matches well enough.

4. Add heel grippers

Heel grippers are basically leather sticker that fit the inside of the heel of the shoe. They make the heels fit more snug, but in this case they also help to hide the ribbon you sewed on the heel seam and attach it more securely. Stick them on the inside of the shoe according to the instructions, just leave the ribbon ends under the grippers.

5. Put your straps in the loops

Check which strap is for which foot and wiggle them through the ribbon loops of the corresponding shoes. Ta-dah! Heels with ankle straps. If your straps are too loose, just take the strap out of the loop, cut the stitches securing one piece of velcro, re-attach it to a better location and sew it in place. The loops allow you to modify the straps as much as you like without you needing to keep the whole shoe out of the way when you sew.

Sewing the ribbons on the heel seams keeps the shoes looking nice and posh.

Heelless New Rock Shoes

Here are better pictures of my gorgeous new shoes! They are called Plataforma Extreme Acero by New Rock (that might be just Spanish for weird heels but I don't know the language ;P) and I ordered them directly from New Rock's own web store.

I had looked at a different style with the same sole at a booth in WGT's market area. I liked them, but when I saw the price, I didn't like them THAT much ;D Upon arriving home I took a peek at the web store and felt very lucky when I found a few models with the heelless sole on sale. One had my size left and the patent leather looked great. I usually am a bit wary of shoes that have "a lot going on", meaning there are spikes and buckles and shiny leather and metal parts and everything shoved into just one pair of shoes. But these were different! They do have crazy buckles with flaming skulls, spikes, patent leather, metal soles, big New Rock logo and even a tiny skull with rhinestone eyes in the back, but it all seems to work together. Also they might be the type of pair that I'd pair with a toned down outfit. As if I'd ever wear one when going out ;P But when I do, these are the shoes I'd wear with it!

They look impossible to walk in, but are actually very stable. The curved front part makes them pleasant to walk in, and the sole extends quite far back, which helps with standing still. I've only worn them briefly outside so I'm not yet sure how they fare for longer times or short distances, but I'm pleasantly surprised by how they feel. New Rocks are usually comfortable, and these are not an exception. They are made of real leather and run true to size. There's a zipper on the inner seam to get the shoes on and off fast. The only thing that I do not like is that they have spikes on the heel in the place where I usually grab the shoe when pulling it off ;D