Author: Vivian Cumins
Do you have a favorite pair of shoes you love? I do. Right now, they are a pair of red Mila boots from Allen’s Boots in Austin, Texas. I have always been drawn to the color red. I think I inherited that trait from my Grandma Schmidt. As far back as I can remember, she wore red. Red clothes and shoes, red lipstick, red fingernails, and for many years, she even dyed her hair red. I always admired her boldness and loved that she was so flashy.
I got my first pair of red shoes when I was five. My mom purchased them from the Goodwill store in Chickasha, Oklahoma. They were made of shiny patent leather and had a little chunk heel. A small strap crossed the top of my foot and joined a buckle on the side, and if you looked closely, you could see tiny hearts on the sides too. They were beautiful, and I felt like a princess when I wore them. And I wore them, literally, every day.
At five years old, my sense of style was questionable to say the least, as I paired those fancy red shoes with everything. Dresses, pants, shorts—it didn’t matter to me. I had a “no sock” rule that accompanied my fashion statement, and with that rule came severe consequences. My feet would sweat from hours of outdoor play and by the time I came in for dinner and a bath, my feet were filthy from a mixture of sweat and red Oklahoma dirt. Dare I even mention the smell? It was horrendous. My sweet mom knew how much I loved those shoes. I suspect she wanted to just throw the nasty little things into the garbage, but she did her best to eliminate the odor by pouring baby powder in them in the hopes it would soak up the stench. It never worked.
I wore those red patent leather shoes until the day I could no longer squeeze my growing feet into them. It was a sad day to have to say goodbye. Well, sad for me—my mom was probably overjoyed. Forty-three years later, I am happy to report I have a new favorite pair of red shoes. However, the old saying holds true … a girl never really forgets her first love. Tell me about your favorite pair of shoes!
Vivian is a storyteller and writer from small-town Oklahoma who loves bringing joy and laughter to others through the gift of memory-sharing. 
I love this story! And that is the most adorable photo of you in your beloved red patent leather shoes. I laughed at your insistence on wearing those shoes with every outfit…and also thought what a loving and understanding mom you have. (But I’ll bet she wasn’t sorry when you outgrew those stinky shoes, LOL!)
Aww, thank you! I believe you may be correct in that my mom was happy to throw them out. I remember they even made my closet a little stinky. Oh, but how I loved them so!
What a fun story! And such great photos too!
I had a pair of low cut boots I wore to work my senior year of high school. I loved those boots! So comfortable. It was a difficult day when it came time to say goodbye. No boots have ever compared.
Ah… the memories ☺️
Hi Tara! Yes, it is so hard to part with a pair of shoes or boots that we love so much. I seriously thought about buying two pairs of my favorite new red ones just so I would have a spare! Thank you for sharing your memory!
I love your red boots! The story of your new red shoes when you were little and how you adored them and the memories you have are heart warming. Thank you for sharing. Can’t wait to explore your blog even more!
Thank you, Susan! I am so glad you enjoyed the memories! Those shoes certainly hold a special place in my heart!
That was precious Viv. I doubt there are many of us who don’t have red shoe memories. But my daughters story stands out the most to me. She was in love with Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz so I had to get her red patent leather shoes. Yes, I put red glitter all over them. Halloween and dress up was really exciting.
Oh Rebecca, those sound just beautiful!! I bet she loved those shoes with all of her heart. I was never Dorothy with red shoes, but I dressed up as a princess for 3 years in a row when I was little!