IdealHeel™ Blog

Growing up, I was never a huge tennis fan, however, after attending the US Open a few years ago with my husband and his family, I became quite the follower.  I feel compelled to admit, it was not the sport that made me giddy, it was sadly, the fashion.

Weeks after the US Open in New York, I decided that I wanted my husband to teach me how to play, which he was more than willing to do and quite excited about it.  Before our first lesson, I felt compelled to couple it with what else…, the perfect outfit.  I went to a high end, boutique sports retailer in downtown Austin and saw for the first time, Stella McCartney’s Adidas tennis line, and of course, fell in love with it.

I didn’t buy any of her outfits though.  Something about the price-tag and design made me very anxious about sweating in it.  So, I went directly to Austin’s favorite big box sports retailer, Academy and bought myself a few “sweat-worthy” skirts and shirts and have really enjoyed playing with my husband.

Now, you can easily understand my fascination with the fashion that follows the sport.  As the Wimbledon tournament gets underway, so does the new twist on Wimbledon White.  See some of my 2009 favorites below..

Roger Federer in a military-inspired warm-up

Maria Sharapova in a military-inspired belted jacket over her tennis dress

Serena Williams in a military-inspired blazer

Every woman has, or should own, a pair of high heels. It is a true fashion must-have that can transform the look of an everyday outfit into something glamorous. However, it would be a lie to say that beauty does not come with a price. We’ve all had problems walking over cobblestone in 4-inch heels and I’m sure a lot of women have had their stilettos caught between sidewalk pavers time and time again. Just query “high heel disaster” in YouTube and you will see many misfortunes (heels wedged in grass, a heel stuck in a street grate..etc) caught on tape! But, instead of swearing off wearing high heels forever or leaning towards wearing unflattering flats and clunky wedges, we’d much rather learn to adjust to those difficulties because, well, we just look so darn good in them! So, for our stiletto enthusiasts, we present to you Anastassia Khozissova’s “High Heel Boot Camp.”

Anastassia Khozissova was born in Saratov, Russia and entered the modeling world at the young age of 17. Since her runway debut in Milan for Giorgio Armani, she’s walked for designers such as Christian Dior, Prada, Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, Roberto Cavalli, and Louis Vuitton.

Anastassia’s success has inspired her to help others learn how to strut in stilettos. In the last few years, she has devoted her time to teaching new models how to walk confidently on the runway through her class, “High Heel Boot Camp.” Her class is now available to view online so that we, too, can learn how to walk with poise.

To watch her class for yourself, visit:

http://www.modelinia.com/videos/high-heel-boot-camp–episode-1/116

Here is also a link to a feature written by MSNBC: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30327532/

Wendy Williams, New York’s favorite radio personality, is known to be outspoken, opinionated and a woman who tells it like it is. With 23 years of experience on the air, 16 of them in New York City, she has won over 12 million listeners nationwide. And now, she will be expanding her influence with her new television show, “The Wendy Williams Show,” which airs on July 13, 2009.

The decision to launch Wendy’s television show came after an extremely successful six-week preview the previous year. Her guests included Vivica A. Fox, Vanessa Williams, Regina King, Coolio, Nas, Al Roker and Kim Kardashian, earning her top ratings in New York, Los Angeles, and Dallas. The reason behind Wendy’s popularity stems from her ability to “keep it real.” Unlike other talk show hosts who like to sugar coat questions to their guests, Wendy gets down to the juicy details and is not afraid to give the audience what they want.

Plus, it doesn’t hurt that she has fabulous taste in shoes!  I have yet to see her without a pair of eye-popping 4 inch stilettos on!

In Hollywood, celebrities are scrutinized under a microscope. Every detail of their body, fashion, and personal life is talked about and written about in daily publications. If a celebrity gains a little weight, you’ll be sure to see it in magazines worldwide. If she has an imperfection, the media will make sure the public knows about it. It’s no wonder why more and more celebrities are getting plastic surgery and dieting. But first things first: how, exactly, do you define a “perfect woman” in the eyes of Hollywood? Well, most people envision a woman who is tall with long slender legs, voluptuous in all the right places, and drop dead gorgeous. So are all the “imperfect” women in Hollywood doomed to fall victim to bad publicity and failed careers?

Well, while it is true that the media definitely finds more sadistic pleasure in ruining the reputation and image of those who are “flawed” in the eyes of Hollywood, there is always an upside to every downturn. For the smaller, more petite women in Hollywood, I have one word for you: STILETTOS! Petite celebrities have the option of wearing sky-high stilettos without towering over others, a luxury that taller women don’t have. And with stilettos back in fashion and booming in popularity, you can bet that you will rarely see a petite celebrity without a pair of sexy heels on.

Salma Hayek

Lucy Liu

Eva Longoria Parker

Kelly Ripa

Kelly Ripa loves her heels so much she runs in them! Gotta love her!

IdealHeelâ„¢ saved hundreds of women from having to wear this awful contraption on their high heel shoes this past weekend at the US Open Golf Tournament. Can you imagine!!??

Finally, female golf fans have the freedom to walk with ease over grass, and look fabulous in their high heel shoes!

FashionTrendsetter.com selects IdealHeelâ„¢ as its Editor’s Pick this month!  Please, check out the article below!

New IdealHeel Accessory Takes Saving Money One Step Further, Conquering High Heel Obstacles Along the Way

IdealHeelâ„¢, a one-of-a-kind protective, yet fashionable, high heel shoe accessory safeguards women’s heels from costly damage caused by daily wear and tear, allowing women to commute with confidence, save money and Practice Safe Steps this spring.

According to the Shoe Service Institute of America, approximately 62 million pairs of shoes are repaired or serviced each year, however, as the newly frugal continue to pinch their pennies, that number is expected to rise as the recession continues.

“Repairing shoes to save money is nothing new,” says John Patterson, Vice President of IdealHeel. “Our goal with IdealHeel is to take saving money one step further and prevent high heel damage from happening in the first place, keeping women’s hard earned dollars in their pocketbooks.”

A sleek and small, tear-resistant guard, IdealHeel is designed to temporarily slip easily and snugly over an existing high heel to protect both the heel shaft and the heel cap from damage caused by everyday use, as well as from rugged urban obstacles such as city grates, cracked sidewalks, grass lawns and cobblestone.

IdealHeel’s patented technology provides complete heel protection, expands the life of the high heel shoe and improves the experience of wearing high heels for women.

An innovative fashion accessory, IdealHeel is available online (www.IdealHeel.com) and through retailers nationwide.

IdealHeel ($19.95/pair) is available in Black, Camel and Fuchsia in size Tall, fitting 3-to-4-inch pumps and stilettos. Additional colors, patterns and sizes will be available in coming months.

The trend for this fall can be summed up in three words: fierce, bold and sophisticated. Top designers at New York Fashion Week showcased collections highlighting upcoming fashion trends including cocoon coats, tailored jackets and neon minidresses. Their ultimate accessory: thigh high boots! These boots scream chic and sexy and, with stilettos back in fashion, these boots will make your legs look longer and hotter than ever! Every designer has a pair and now, every shoe store will make sure these boots are the next hottest trend for fall 2009.

Found at Neiman Marcus:

Christian Louboutin Button-Up OTK Boot $1995.00

Monolo Blahnik Cinched Nappa OTK Boot $1895.00

Sergio Rossi Leather OTK Boot $1495.00

To get the look for only a fraction of the cost:

Miss Me Rhoda-7 OTK Boot $54.95 www.Endless.com

Pura Lopez J631 Boot $208.00 www.Endless.com

Pleaser Legend-8899 Boot $116.95 www.Endless.com

So embraced the trend that is pushing pants out of fashion this fall because these boots are here to stay!

From time to time, we receive stories submitted by enthusiastic IdealHeel fans. Usually, we post the shortened version in the testimonial section of our website, however, this submission was extra special (even including pictures!), so we thought we would share it with you on our blog.  Enjoy…

It’s Friday night and the ladies in Hollywood are dressed to impress. Who cares how painful dancing in heels is as long as you look good? Well, tonight, I learned that you don’t have to sacrifice comfort for beauty.

My outfit consisted of a black strapless bodice party dress from Bebe, a champagne soft crystal clutch from Judith Leiber and a pair of gorgeous black satin dorsay stilettos from Christian Louboutin. As I stepped out of my apartment, I made sure that my trusty IdealHeels were securely on my stilettos. The streets of Hollywood were, by no means, a safe environment for my Christian Louboutins and I needed them to be in tiptop condition for all to check out!

I originally planned to take off my IdealHeels upon entering the club. However, I thought to myself, “Who’s going to notice? It’s dark inside and everyone is too busy dancing anyways.” I ended up wearing my IdealHeels for the whole night! Not only was it virtually unnoticeable due to the dimly lit setting, it gave me stability and comfort so that I could dance and walk more confidently. The best part of the night was that my $900 Christian Louboutins remained scratch-free after 3 hours of dancing! My girlfriends were so jealous…

So throw your motto, “No pain, no gain,” out the window because, with IdealHeel, you can indeed practice safe steps!

People ask me often about whether one should wear their IdealHeels all of the time, or remove them one they reach their destination.  The answer is simple, either.

Many women want to wear IdealHeel on their commute to enable them to commute easily over common problematic surfaces like cobblestone, cracked sidewalks, asphalt, grass and street grates.  However, some women prefer to wear them all of the time.

A women in Austin, Texas wrote recently, “they [IdealHeels] were awesome! I know that you’re supposed to take them off once you get where you’re going, but I left them on all night because we went dancing and they made my boots way easier to dance in…yet another benefit of the IdealHee!”

Another woman wrote, “I have to tell you how fabulous my first day with IdealHeel has been. It was the prefect day for me to begin trying it out, as – unbeknownst to me – I would walk through grass (no problem at all and absolutely no sinking!), loose gravel (which would normally break my ankle) and cobblestones. I didn’t trip, fall or scuff my heel once, and, in fact, felt a whole lot more stable in my fashionable new accessory! Fantastic!”

And finally, a woman in D.C. wrote, “I have been in an airport, a bus and a train today, and have been so thankful to have IdealHeels on my shoes!  I showed the girls in the office and they are SO jealous.  They want some too.”

So, as you can see, women wear them everywhere-on planes, on trains, to the office and out on the town.  The truly are a must-have for any woman on the go!

Lesley McCaslin with New 8 featured IdealHeel for the weekly Fashionably 8 series last week.  Check the article out below, as well as the link to the segment.  http://news8austin.com/content/your_news/?SecID=278&ArID=241889

New Product Protects Stilettos, Pumps from Wear, Tear
5/30/2009 3:39 PM
By: News 8 Austin Staff

Keeping a good pair of heels in mint condition can seem impossible for women who frequently find themselves out and about. But, a new product, called IdealHeel protects the heel from scrapes and tears.

“Idealheel is a revolutionary fashion accessory for women’s high-heel shoes, for pumps and stilettos, to keep us safe when we walk over all those nasty walking surfaces, like cobblestone, wood decks, grass,” Michelle Patterson, with IdealHeel, said. “They’ll keep you above ground so you don’t sink [in grass], and they’ll protect your heels from gouges, scuffs and tears.”

Patterson said she came up with idea, after getting fed up with damaged heels, or heels stuck in vents and cobblestone streets.

“The common parts of women’s high-heel shoes that are getting damaged is the heel, it’s the most common, and very expensive, if it can be repaired at all,” Patterson said.

The IdealHeel comes in black, fuchsia and camel and can be purchased at IdealHeel.com or at Designer Clearance House, Moxie & The Compound and Soigne Boutique in Austin, and at Peoples Embroidery Showroom in Pflugerville.