Ballet Flats to the Rescue…
May 29, 2009 by Deborah Boland and JoJami Tyler - The Glam Gals
fashion vending machine for ballet flats
Leave it to my (JoJami’s) niece Abigail to share with me the latest in fashion vending machines!
Have you ever been out late at night in your heels and just find that final walk back to the car can be a real pain!
Here is a vending machine that doles out little ballet flats you can slip on when needed!
Just thought it was amusing and actually really enjoyed the rest of the site too.
It is called The Frisky.com...and I must admit, I think we can all use a little more “frisky” in our life!!!
OH, love your ideas! Thanks so much for sharing!!!
I buy black leather Miguelito’s ballet slippers on the internet for $11.00 a
pair and have a shoe repair put belting leather soles and heels on them. I
keep a pair in my glove box in the car, a pair in my desk at work and
several pair at home. Miguelito’s makes ballet flats and slippers in nearly
a hundred colors of soft leather. Colors have to be ordered six pair at
a time and usually cost about $25.00 US a pair. My favorite colors are red,
soft pastels ie yellow, tan, baby blue, pink, lime green, and chocolate
brown. I prefer the pleated ballet slippers more than the full sole flats
as it is easy to put smooth belting leather soles on the pleated ballet
slippers with a low heel and wear them as street shoes. The full sole
flats are their Model 1050 and they sell for about $22.00 a pair with
double suede leather soles in black leather and $32.00 a pair in colors.
Again, the minimum order for custom colors is six pair (or more) per color
per style. They will make several styles depending on how you want them
sewn. Still, I prefer very soft pleated ballet slippers but my friends and I
got together and order colors in the Model 1050 and then have smooth belting
leather soles put on them afterward by a shoe repair. The belting leather
can be purchased on the internet also. It’s almost easier to hand stitch
the belting leather onto the “hour glass” shape of the ballet slipper soles.
I put gel insoles in my ballet slippers that I wear as street shoes to absorb
the hardness of concrete and pavement.
I’ve been doing something similar for years. I have heel spurs which can make wearing heels for any length of time a challenge, especially since I don’t have a car and do almost everything on foot. I have a couple of pairs of low-profile, flexible flats that will fit in nearly any bag except the tiniest of clutches. By the time I’m ready to put them on, I don’t care much about looking silly in an evening dress and slippers!
Hi Budget Chic, GREAT tip!
Also because I do this, my shoes are gently worn for the most part and I’ve been able to resell quite a bid of my shoes. *wink*
I wear heels a lot and I got this covered. I always carry around a pair of soft thin ballet flats (they are almost like slippers) in my bag whenever I go out. That way I don’t run down the heel on my shoes or mess them up on pavement cracks and cervices. I’ve kept my shoes in good condition it has also helped me to avoid getting corns and bunions, especially if I have a long walk back to the car or whereever. Also if it start raining I won’t damage any of my silk or suede shoes. Thats a great concept though, I know they probably have a few of these machines in NYC and LA. Which I had the money to market that idea because I’ve been doing this for few years now.
A million and one thanks… I can’t believe someone has read my mind! I needed to locate a ballet flat vending machine when I was on Easter Break in Hawaii and killing my feet on the Bandolina extra high heel shoes my husband whined for me to get. He chose that night to relieve his back-in-the-day before wedding bliss party animal days. I practically walked barefoot back to the hotel. I’m finding those locations for the vending machines. And feel free to stop by my virtual cafe for women tasting a robust life in the middle. Thanks again.