I Don’t Wear Heels But My Shoe Game Is Still On Point
Photo: StyleBlazer courtesy of Christina Draper
It’s a bright, sunny morning in New York City. I slip into my white honeycomb Adidas Stan Smith’s, one of my tried and true wardrobe staples, as I jet out of my Brooklyn apartment for work. I catch my trains and swing by the all too convenient Starbucks, before settling in at my desk for the day.
What I don’t do is change shoes.
There’s no army of heels beneath my desk, waiting to be deployed just because I’m in the office. Sneakers and flats aren’t just commute shoes, they’re an integral part of my overall sense of style. Now I’m not saying heels are bad, or that I absolutely never wear them, but I don’t really wear heels and my style and shoe game is still on point.
I’ll admit my life in flats initially developed out of necessity. There was a time in high school and college when I literally wore heels almost daily. Moving to New York meant giving up my car for public transportation so heels on a regular basis became something of challenge. Compounded by working in fashion closets and on set for photo shoots, schlepping things became my job.
The Struggle
Quickly unpacking, packing and sorting countless shopping and garment bags, boxes, trunks and clothing racks filled with samples for whatever projects I was working on was physical labor. Even as I cycled out of such labor intensive work the next level included attending market appointments, brand events and fashion shows. My life was a constant state of motion. I knew heels as Kristen Stewart, famously known for loving sneakers, told Instyle, “[heels] slow me down.”
So like many of the stylists and editors I worked with I adopted flats. They were simple, conventional styles at first. The “cool” pair being my right out of pre-gentrified Williamsburg, black on black sole Converse low tops and limited edition pink elephant printed slip-on Vans that I wore mostly for shoots and flights. I carried these back-up flat shoes in my purse to switch into at all times. I wouldn’t buy a bag that couldn’t conceal a pair of shoes. Soon I felt limited in my style choices and once again like I was constantly lugging crap around. Although I was in heels I felt a little dumpy and just barely put together. I was going to need better looking flat shoes, ones that could do doublet duty. I started expanding past the safe, boring styles. As my selection grew I wore heels less and less.
Photo: c/o the author
The Transition
Eventually I wore un-heeled shoes with every kind of dress, pants, skirts etc. The only pieces I thought didn’t go with a low shoe, were wide leg trousers because without some height the hems dragged and frayed. I remember wearing a pair of lilac metallic sandals all the time one summer, until the strap broke and scoring a strange pair of royal blue all rubber wallabees (not Clark’s from what I could tell) at a Japanese thrift store that to this day I get complimented on anytime I wear them. My flats became worthy of all day wear, not something to hide away. This was the first step up my shoe game. I could embrace my quirkiness and feel more true to my style identity, comfort was an afterthought. After all not all flats are comfortable. The Stan Smith’s I now love were so stiff they hurt like hell for a good month or two before I broke them in.
Podiatrist Dr. Philip Papa at Windsor Podiatry in New York warned that for someone like me with a high arch shoes with some height for support. Even when healing from an injury a shoe really level to ground can cause more pain and discomfort, Dr. Papa also warned.
As my grounded style developed into something covetable, a source of pride, there still were situations where I remained self conscious. Fashion industry related cocktail, dinner or evening events and job interviews in an actual office not at a coffee shop or restaurant to be exact. It’s not that I thought I looked less professional but I might be perceived that way. And at events I am not always representing myself, I’m representing the brand I work for. I didn’t want a bad style choice to make my peers question my taste level. And anytime models show up at a party, this is not the time to feel 5’4”. I feared weaving through a sea of cocktails at elbow/ spill level and talking into torsos. It seemed more challenging to command attention.
The Inspiration
I wasn’t truly confident at the ground level until I made a real investment in a pair of Phillip Lim metal capped toe ankle boots. The designer label helped boost my confidence but they also were a more deliberately selected with commanding a style presence in mind. These weren’t cool shoes I’d run into and worked into my wardrobe. These were shoes that could handle all those events I’d had doubts about, alleviating the need to second guess. You couldn’t tell me I wasn’t chic! Pretty soon I noticed others in the industry weren’t really wearing heels all that often either.
Photo: The Styleograph/WENN
Photo: andersphoto / Shutterstock.com
Former coworker, now Fashion Director at Allure, Rachael Wang (above in pink) once told me she didn’t really wear heels and I’d always loved her style. Then there were the legends like Camilla Nickerson, Tonne Goodman and Grace Coddington who always seemed to be seen in oxfords, driving slippers or Céline slip-ons. Granted I don’t have that kind of clout but the message was clear – style and taste isn’t synonymous with heels.
Flats were nothing to feel bad about nor was it something to be sent home for like London receptionist, Nicole Thorp.
Soon flats and sneakers started showing up on more and more runways. Flats became equally if not more stylish than heels from each season to the next. The must have “it shoes” were flat styles like Chloe’s lace-ups or Gucci’s fur lined driving shoe mules. The most recent collections gave way to stunners from Prada’s python pointed flats, Proenza Schouler’s d-ring and silver embellished flats Proenza or even Louis Vuitton’s resort collection which featured a non stop of flat boots, sandals and shoes. Seeing runway flats has essentially stopped being news.
Photo: @louisvuitton
Compound that with the rise of street style, flats like Céline’s birkenstocks and sneakers became a favorite among fashion designers and fashion influencers. Street style snaps of Tamu McPherson, Julia Sarr-Jamois, Susie Lau and Cara Delevingne that bloggers, editors, stylists and models alike weren’t limiting their most stylish wardrobe choices to heels.
Leandra Medine, Tamu McPherson, Olivia Palermo, Susie Bubble Photos: WENN
There is no place flats can’t go. Last year’s debaucle of Cannes Film Flestival denying entry to women dubbed #flatgate, motivated celebs to wear flats to the formal event. These Hollywood women proved that even the most lavish gowns pair well with flats and women won’t stand for any dress code that dictates otherwise.
Photo: ATP/WENN
The Assurance
Validation professionally and from the highest arenas of style didn’t dictate my style choices and neither did comfort. It did however bolster my confidence as the world started reimagination flats as solid style choice. Even better, the bigger the interest in flats, the greater variety in options. My shoe game went into overdrive. I bought more and more stylish options. I became downright daring with some of my shoe choices and outfit pairing.
With a clear style point of view, selections were easy and rounded out my look.
Whether it be my pink rubber Dr. Martens worn with an oversized T, biker jacket and distressed skinny jeans for a first date, metallic Avarcas sandals with a maxi dress at my friend’s evening desert wedding or Kurt Keiger punky flatforms to off set a high low sheath dress for an underground party deep in Bushwick, my shoes were sick and so necessary to my style. Heels could work but for my tastwa flats make the most sense. As for feeling short, I just stopped noticing. Feeling good abut my overall look makes think less about how I’m perceived. I have no doubts in my choices so I have no doubts in how I carry myself.
Photo: c/o the author
The Conclusion
There will always be a place for heels even for me and definitelty for the notoriously stilted women like Rachel Zoe who “hasn’t worn a pair of flats since she was 12,” as she told FN Spy.
Flats are no passing trend.
They have become hero pieces in their own right that can stand up against heels on all levels. Furthermore the idea that a shoe without a heel can’t be sexy, professional, feminine, formal or polished is simply outdated. There’s no denying flats look good, damn good. And me and a ton of other stylish ladies have the super chic oxfords, pointed mary-janes, lace-up sandals and luxe satin slippers to prove it!
The post I Don’t Wear Heels But My Shoe Game Is Still On Point appeared first on StyleBlazer.
Source: styleBlazer
Entrepreneur
Award Winning Entrepreneur Mama Sue Taylor Talks Being A Cannabis Pioneer & Resource For The Elderly Community
Sue Taylor “Mama Sue”, is a pioneer in the space of wellness and cannabis. Breaking barriers as the first black woman to open and operate a dispensary in Berkeley, California, she has been featured in Forbes, CNN, ABC7, Black Enterprise, MSN and several other publications sharing her incredible journey through cannabis. As she is one of the most influential women in cannabis she continues to utilize her platform to debunk any negativity surrounding the healing plant. As a mother, grandmother, entrepreneur, and advocate, Sue Taylor has made it her mission to be a resource to the elderly community through her Mama Sue Wellness tinctures and series of educational events.
I had the pleasure and honor of speaking with Sue after she was presented the Lifetime Achievement Award from Grammy Award Winning singer Erykah Badu at the 2024 Women in Cannabis Awards. Check it out below.
Sue Taylor Interview
What does it mean to you being a cannabis advocate and how did you get your start in the cannabis industry?
Sue Taylor: If someone had told me 17 years ago that I would be working in the cannabis industry I would have never believed them. I did not choose this, it chose me. My son lured me into the business by convincing me that this is a way for me to have my spiritual wellness center that I have always wanted and that intrigued me. I saw that it was needed because of how I took care of my body when I began to age and I knew the pharmaceutical approach wasn’t working way back then. As I said yes to work with Cannabis, I was actually scared and frightened by it due to the movie Reefer Madness. People in my generation were always told weed was a drug and it was always black people or hispanics and the weed devil and a lot of craziness.
This deterred my generation from cannabis because we simply do not break rules and it was deemed federally illegal. As an African American woman you know there is a stigma around us. I am already judged for being a black woman and I don’t want to be judged again! Being black I am judged everyday even still to this day, so to be taking on something that is extremely stigmatized was scary. But when my son told me I could have my Sue Taylor Wellness facility, I said okay let’s give it a try. Even though I was scared, I knew it was something I had to do to improve the quality of my life. If your dream doesn’t scare you a little bit your dream is not big enough. I was so scared but I was not willing to give up, which has allowed me to live my dream in real time.
Not only are you a cannabis advocate but you are also a pioneer. Can you share with me your vision for your Farmacy dispensary as you are the first and only black woman to own and operate a dispensary in Berkeley?
ST: The journey to opening Farmacy Berkeley was not an easy one. It took us 17 years to get things going. However, I was granted a permit to open Farmacy Berkeley because I had a special niche. Mine was geared to the needs of seniors. I also did my own lobbying to the city council and the mayor. I did it because we really didn’t have the money to do it and we are not equity people. We used our family’s money to get things accomplished. I had another key component Brittany that I want to share. When I went in, they could see that I genuinely cared for humankind. It wasn’t about me. And it really wasn’t just about cannabis. I just saw cannabis as one tool to help people. My pioneer work has helped with the stigma that surrounds cannabis. Recently I received the Lifetime Achievement at the Women in Cannabis Awards for my advocacy work and have also received an advocacy award from Oaksterdam University.
I have been very successful at helping to eliminate the stigma because I don’t fit the mold. I’m a former Catholic school principal. I am also a commissioner on aging. I was the commissioner on aging for Alameda County, where Farmacy Berkeley is located. On top of that, I am certified by the state of California to teach the cannabis program to nurses and help them obtain credits toward the yearly certifications that they need. I’ve had that certification for five years or more. It’s amazing to do that. It has been quite a journey for me. I have also been successful simply because I genuinely care.
When we opened up Farmacy Berkeley, we were open for one month, then the pandemic stopped everything. They sent all seniors home because people were afraid I was going to get covid. So we went away from it and then came back. But before I really got into business, I was teaching seniors. I had a community room where I would educate seniors free of charge, just come in and talk. I even did meditation classes. I did a lot of things there as well. Then that all stopped because of the pandemic. But I want you to be clear on this, we were opened up after we got the license.
How did Cannabis change your life?
ST: When I saw the way cannabis was positively impacting the lives of everyone around me that I was working with, that’s when I became open to cannabis. When I started off, I would not touch it, I was simply just doing the work. But after time, people kept coming to me saying that they were no longer using canes, wheelchairs or medication anymore. Seeing the progress in those people, I began to change my mind and became open to cannabis to help with pain or to help me sleep.
I started to think “maybe my son was right this whole time”. I thought he was on drugs, but when I found out what he was doing things changed. He was attending Oaksterdam University learning the entrepreneur side of cannabis. 17 years ago, there were only dispensaries for medical patients and only three in the Berkeley area making the rules a lot stricter. Its incredible how much growth there has been in the industry and the opportunities it’s presenting in helping others, especially seniors. I continued to do the work, myself along with the many hardworking individuals in the cannabis industry see the benefits of being in the business.
What is your mission for helping the elderly connect to cannabis as you have your Mama Sue Wellness products that are specifically geared toward seniors?
ST: Those products were made with love for a group of people that most people have forgotten about. This means everything to me to be able to have wellness products that cater to my demographic.
Seniors mostly come to cannabis for two reasons, because they can’t sleep or they’re in pain. Thats what each tincture was crafted to help with, we have a sleep tincture made with high CBN and CBD and an extra strength tincture which is high-CBD to help with aches and pain. And we have more products coming very soon. These were made with seniors in mind, but I think I might have more young people using the Mama Sue products for sleep and anxiety because the relief tincture, you could use that during the day and still function. They won’t get you high.
What has it been like working with Glass House Brands?
ST: I’ve been a part of Glass House, for a little over 4 years. What many people don’t know is that in the process of building Farmacy Berkeley, we ran out of money. That is when Kyle, Graham and the Glass House team came in, we became partners and they put up the remainder of the money to help build out the dispensary to my specifications. Glass House also helped me develop my tincture products that I’ve always wanted, Mama Sue Wellness. They aligned with my values and are doing things right, that’s why I chose them.
I’m grateful to be part of the Glass House team, they really support my mission in helping change the stigma around cannabis. As a Brand Ambassador we work together to put together these educational events, I travel to our different dispensaries where I get to speak and answer questions for local seniors one on one.
You mentioned your Mama Sue products and how they’re kind of more so geared toward the senior community. What do you feel like is the most important thing about wellness when it comes to cannabis and debunking these misconceptions?
ST: To begin, it depends on the group of people you are talking to. For instance, when me and my fellow cannabis advocates needed to get something done as a cannabis group going up against the city and state, they would always suggest sending me to speak on the group’s behalf. They thought it was like some magic or something, but let me tell you what it was, Brittany. I looked at the cannabis industry and I looked at most of the people who were in that industry at that time. They looked like stoners. I did not. And I was not. And I made a conscious decision that every time I was representing cannabis, I would look like a lawyer. And that’s who they met. They said, oh, you are in the wrong place, lady. I said, no, I’m here for cannabis. I didn’t fit the mold. Brittany, when they looked at me, I didn’t fit their perception of what people who used cannabis look like. Does that make sense?
I know that recently you and Dreka Gates got a chance to connect, can you share the synergy and connection you two ladies share?
ST: It was amazing. It was one of my most amazing ‘Plants Over Pills’ interviews because we connected on so many levels, so many levels. I’ve never met a young person like that, that’s spiritually evolved like her, because she’s young, you know she’s young, she’s only 37. And we just talked like we knew each other. Wait till you see the interview, it’s on the Glass House YouTube channel. I’ve never conducted an interview like that before. The camera crew was saying, oh my God, they were amazed at how easily we connected, and we just kept talking and talking. We connected on such a high level, we’re both spiritual people, we’ve been through a lot, we believe in plant medicine for healing, and she’s now even opening her first dispensary in Mississippi. Dreka talks about all the challenges she went through to secure the permit. We had trouble in California and we’re the most progressive state there is, I can’t imagine Mississippi. We bonded over all of that, opening our first dispensary and our vision to expanding that into our wellness facilities.
What has been your experience with pills versus plants for healing?
ST: They tried to give me a pill during the pandemic. I’m a spiritual person, and I had anxiety and was having difficult nights of sleep, had so much fear, all that kind of stuff. So, I went to my doctor and she prescribed me pills. I said, you know, I’m not a pill taker. But for some reason she insisted that I just take it. So I took the pills home, I looked it up and researched them before I popped anything. You know what it said on the bottle, they were to help with schizophrenia. Schizophrenia! I called her immediately and relayed my findings to her. You know what her response to me was? Why are you questioning me? You are not a doctor. She said, I give that to all my patients that have anxiety. You know what my response to her was? “I am not all your patients, and I don’t take a pill for anything. You know that I don’t take a pill to manage my health so why would you give me something for schizophrenics? I am not schizophrenic.” So that was it. I had to start looking out for my own health, and wellbeing.
I always make this disclaimer, pills have their place. Pharmaceuticals are not bad. They are not bad for people who need them. Pharmaceutical drugs were made for temporary use. If you get into a car accident or going into operation for eight hours, yes pills are helpful. But most people are using pharmaceuticals just to manage their day to day lives. Like with high blood pressure, with high cholesterol, with even anxiety.You start taking pills for an operation, then you have high blood pressure, then 10, 15 years later, you’re still on those same pills and more. That’s not okay. We have to stay educated about our health and thankfully, our younger generation are getting better at understanding that. The younger generation just doesn’t take what people tell them. You guys research everything. I have three sons so I’m surrounded by all the young people all the time and they keep me sharp.
I just met another guy, he’s gonna open up a wellness facility because everybody is seeing the light, popping a pill is not going to get you healthy. If anything, it’s gonna deteriorate your body because it’s all about the money. Pharmaceutical approach to healthcare. They give politicians money so they continue to push pills on us. We have to look beyond. We have to think for ourselves and find more natural ways to heal and care for bodies, mind and spirit.
Brittany, as I look at your beautiful face today, with that beautiful skin, that beautiful complexion, you have to go within and do what’s best for Brittany. I don’t care what the doctors try to tell you. Trust yourself first, always.
To learn more about Mama Sue Taylor and her journey through cannabis, follow her on Instagram at @suetaylorwellness.
Not everyone can be a winner. Detroit native and hip-hop sensation 42 Dugg is back with a fiery new single, Win Wit Us. The track, a precursor to his highly anticipated album 4eva Us, Neva Them, showcases Dugg’s signature style and lyrical prowess. In the brand new single, produced by FLEXONTHEBEAT, TyMaz, and Marshak, Dugg calls out those who try to ride his wave without putting in the work, cementing his stance in the rap game. The release is accompanied by an official music video directed by Counter Point, where Dugg and his crew dominate the streets and clubs of Detroit, visually reinforcing his message of loyalty and resilience. Dugg raps in the hard-hitting track:
All of sudden they wanna win wit us / But ain’t spin with us.
Dugg previously teased this new era of his music with a trailer featuring Hill Harper, further building anticipation among his fans. “Win Wit Us” follows a series of recent hits including Wock N Red, SpinDatBac, and Go Again. Earlier this year, Dugg made a triumphant return to the stage with a sold-out “Welcome Home” show at Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena, featuring appearances by superstars like Meek Mill, Yo Gotti, Lil Baby, and more. Notably, the event saw Dugg unite Detroit’s rival hip-hop factions, Doughboyz Cashout and Team Eastside, in a historic move to end the city’s East-West beef. Fans can expect even more groundbreaking music from Dugg as he gears up for his upcoming album. Don’t miss out on the latest single available for streaming here and watch the music video below. Link up with 42 Dugg on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
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