My evening shoe of choice for the last three or four years have been Bordello Genies. Based on original 'Polly of California' shoes from the 1950s worn by celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe. These wooden clog creations have amazing leg lengthening powers as well as the ability to make even the most unattractive trotters look truly sexual and are perfect for a rockabilly look when paired with a pencil skirt or cigarette pants - in fact they seem to go with everything!!!
With a 4 1/2" heel height they might put off some but they are actually extremely comfortable and easy to wear, mostly due to the padded ball inside and the platform. They can feel a little wobbly and unstable on eneven surfaces but that is down to the open back of the shoe (and probably my weak ankles!!!) rather than the height.
There are tonnes of lovely style and colour versions of this classic, vintage style shoe to choose from.......snake print, leather, starburst, patent and ankle strap but be warned, many style versions are being discontinued and they are becoming harder to get hold of, particularly in the bigger sizes. My own current collection is now up to 7 pairs and I'm always on the look out for more pairs to add.
I wear the silver starburst ones most for evenings and the black, leather, ankle strap ones most on a regular basis. The gold snakeskin ones are very flattering on. I do find the Perspex fronted pairs dig in on my toes and can draw blood so I always wear flesh coloured plasters as protection but someone has told me a neat trick that I'm going to try which should alleviate the problem.
The heel tips do seem to wear down very quickly so be prepared to replace them frequently and new pairs always come with a spare pair of heel tips.
As far as sizing goes I would say that they come up small so order a size up, especially if you have wide feet. To give you an idea of how the US sizing works for me I am a Uk 8 or 9 (eur 42) and wear a US size 12 in genies. I do have a couple of pairs in US size 11 but they are a bit on the tight side. Luckily I got these in leather so they will give a bit over time which they have already done. Also as they are open backed it means I'm not cramming my oversized tootsies into too small shoes.
There are several UK based websites selling Bordello Genies (especially if you can fit in the smaller sizes). A google search for Bordello Genie UK should find you several sites to peruse. Bargains can also be found on ebay from time to time if you search regularly.
Hopefully you've found this helpful, I am often being asked for my advice and opinions on these shoes so thought a blog post about them might be useful. Don't be put off by the height and give these bad boys a go - you won't regret it!!!
