The Perfect Pair: Lessons In Shoe Hunting & Man Hunting

Every woman understands the importance of high heels. They’re crucial to our femininity and serve as a symbol of power, beauty and old-fashioned girl power. It is on a pair of heels that we stand confidently in a boardroom or enter a restaurant on a first date.

Let’s face it – they’re important.

This past weekend, I enlisted the help of several girlfriends to hunt for a new pair of classic, black heels. We marched from store to store, peering inside shoe boxes, analyzing prices and comparing fit, style and sheen. After several hours, it became apparent that my current pair may have to suffice for a while longer, as my ideal closed-toe, black high heel was yet to be found.

It was in the final store that I finally found The Shoe. I had journeyed to the back of the store to browse the clearance racks in hopes of finding a deal when The Shoe appeared. While I was searching for a classic, black high heel, The Shoe was exactly the opposite: nude, shiny patent leather, two-inch heel with a slightly rounded toe. I walked the entire store in The Shoe with my head held high and hours after completing my purchase, I still paraded The Shoe proudly around my apartment as I made dinner.

My shoe hunt, like my current hunt for Mr. Right, was more complicated than I expected. A simple black heel should be easy to find, much like a nice, caring gentleman, right? In my man hunt, I never planned to extend my search for Mr. Right on an online dating site like CatholicMatch, but then I never planned to discover The Shoe in a picked-apart clearance section either. The Shoe sure looked a lot different than I had planned, too, which makes me wonder if Mr. Right will be anything like the man I have conjured in my head through my dating years.

So for now, I’m going to enjoy my time breaking in The Shoe and remind myself that Cinderella lost one of her shoes, only to find herself married to Prince Charming because of it. Perhaps shoe hunting and man hunting are more alike than one would think.

Happy shopping.