Project Beltway weighs in on the flats vs. heel dilema

Because there is no real politics going on in Washington right now (sense the sarcasim?), a political newspaper decided to write about a pressing issue: High heels on the Hill. (OK, I know it's the pot calling the kettle, but I'm at least up front about the fact that this is primarily a fashion site...) At least they quoted blogger Rachel Cothran from Project Beltway. So, here is an excerpt from the earth-shattering, breaking-news report:

For the woman who works on Capitol Hill, high heels can present a fashion dilemma. Does she slip on a pair and risk the discomfort keeping up with her tall boss while walking down those marble hallways? Or does she sacrifice style and scrap the pumps? ...

... “I’m a heels gal, even though it’s risky when your boss is a fast-walking Marine,” said Jessica Smith, deputy spokeswoman for Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.). ...

... Rachel Cothran, creator of Project Beltway, a D.C. fashion blog, has mixed feelings. “I love and hate heels all at once,” she said. “While they do make your legs look longer and inject a tried-and-true dose of femininity to your boring Hill outfit, they can literally be a pain.

“There’s nothing worse than limping through the Hart [Senate Office Building] hallways with five Band-Aids flapping around your ankles. And I will never understand why those cobblestone walkways were installed outside of Union Station, of all places. That being said, I know plenty of women who say they simply don’t feel pretty or in charge in flats.” ...

To read the entire piece, click here...

Well, Rachel continued her thoughts on her blog:

I’ve found a happy medium to be a wedge shoe, which provides height without sacrificing comfort. I find curvy, more feminine styles as opposed to chunky ones most flattering—there’s already a lot of shoe going on. You wouldn’t want to look like you have a brick attached to your foot.

For a while there, I swore off heels completely. However, once I realized that height wasn’t really the problem but rather the construction of the heel, I was a believer once again. Well-made shoes can really be an epiphany for heels, and well-made does not necessarily have to mean expensive. I love stacked heels and conical shapes have a retro vibe. They’re all over the retail stores, but you could easily look in vintage and consignment shops. Skinny heels often look too dainty for everyday outfits, and if you’re like me, you wear out the heel tips in less than five wearings. ...

... Hillrats needn’t be afraid of color or of showing toes, says an anonymous PB spy, who saw Rep. Michelle Bachmann (R-Minn.) wearing “the cutest open-toe green heels the other day…lime and kelly-green, maybe two-inch heels.” They should just steer clear of what the anonymous Hillgoer called stripper heels: “never okay.”

Then she goes on to give some examples of Hill-appropriate shoes - most of which I dislike, and some of which I feel aren't Hill worthy - but it's a good go. But her list of shoes made me want to do my own list. I am not including any flats, because I don't think they're appropriate (even though I wear them all the time), nor anything with too high of a heel because I'm trying to be realistic here. And for some real-life inspiration, keep an eye out for Condi and usually Laura's peds. So here are my picks for walking the marble come this fall, and "they're the coolest kicks in the cave," as Kelso would say.

Classic in-between flat pump
AK Anne Klein Sportella ($79)
A comfortable 2-inch heel
* I just bought these and they're great

Suede round-toe with a slight metallic edge
Taryn Rose Suede Pumps ($495)
A sleek 2 1/2-chunky heel

A suede wedge with a perforated twist
Dolce Vita Ferrera 2 ($105)
A 2-inch plastic heel
* Also available in cranberry, but most pols can't get away with that

Penny loafers for the 21st century
J. Crew Katy tumbled-leather heels ($178)
A sturdy 2 3/4-stacked heel

Sassy sweetheart detailing on simple pump
BP. 'Lavender' Suede Pump ($59.95)
A lofty 3 1/2-inch sturdy heel
* Also available in patent and my favorite-for-fall color, gray

Suede and patent come together
Kenneth Cole New York True Love ($195)
A not-as-steep-as-it-looks 3 1/2-inch heel

Logo medallion vamped
Tory Burch Betty Suede Pump ($295)
A platform sole, so the heel isn't all that high...

A matte satin mishap waiting in muggy D.C.
Bettye Muller Norell ($400)
A modest 3 1/2-inch heel

I plan on doing some sort of suit-fashion piece soon - with lots of examples for the female fashionistas working those Capitol steps - defintely before the end of recess, so Hillary, keep on the look out.