Perhaps it’s the recession:  creativity - not just funding - is running low.  Perhaps there was a mass designer exodus, with Karl (Lagerfeld), Marc (Jacobs) and Miuccia (Prada) heading for couture haven.  Or, perhaps it’s the speed of life circa 2009:  with Twitter updates, iPhone applications and subways running at rapid pace, the transition between trends is at its highest speed yet.  Trends, of course, are subjective to these very elements and the demands of the consumer; style, though, is highly personal and completely objective.  So what gives?

As we exit gracefully from summer exodus, what will carry you - literally - as we march into fall?

Karyn Polewaczyk

I hang my head in shame as I type this, Sole Envie readers, but I need to come clean:  I’ve let my feet go, akin to a decadent woman living in Antoinette-era Versailles.

Yes, that’s right.  I, a garden variety high maintenance-type chick, have exposed my calloused, cracked, and dare I say it - unpolished - feet and toes to the fair citizens of Boston for the past six weeks.  On the sidewalk, on the subway, at the supermarket.  Where I go, my feet invariably follow, but I suppose that’s relatively anatomical.

You might want to know how it happened.  To be honest, I have no straight answer.  The past few months have been stressful, sure; but I also happen to live within the vicinity of 20 nail salons, all within a 5-minute walk - how taxing could a quick skip to the massage chair be, really?  Have I no shame?  Did I flush my dignity down the drain along with the torrential downpours of June?

But, I saw the most amazing video exhibit at the Institute for Contemporary Art last week.  I’ve gone swimming at Singing Beach not once, but twice.  I was by my sister’s side at her wedding in June, bouquet and tissues in hand.  I’ve also taken several leisurely sunset strolls along the Esplanade, had my fortune sporadically read at a cafe on Newbury street by a passing gypsy, and stumbled upon a great set of antique bookcases at a secondhand furniture store that I haggled for next to nothing.  The time escapes me, but memories stay.

Life, as they say, is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.  (And to keep in the spirit of that statement, I have a pedicure appointment with Tanya at V.I.P. Nail and Spa come Friday.)

Karyn Polewaczyk

This relatively new type of shoe activates muscles that are normally not used when one walks (which is extremely appealing because so many men and women spend so many hours and hours walking in an attempt to improve their fitness).  It can alleviate muscle and joint problems in turn approving the pain which often accompanies it, improve gait and posture (for those of you with medical issues achieving proper posture, this could be a big asset, for the rest of you, honestly, just tip your shoulders back.)  All right, you say.  Sure, then.  I’ll try them.  I can overlook the appearance.

But at between $215-$270, this high tech shoe is not exactly accessible for everyone who might be in need of them.  I imagine that there are many individuals who are tapped out because of the economy and the cost of medical bills associated with illnesses that could be improved by the use of these shoes.   So it is an issue of risk/reward.  I’ll be honest, $270 is something I might spend on shoes with a four inch heel and absolutely no health benefits whatsoever (in fact, there may be health deficits).  Potentially, in the future, the price of these health helper bad boys will come down a bit, they’ll be come more universal (and maybe re-think their design a bit) and we’ll all acknowledge that any of us wearing them out in public are doing so strictly for the health benefits.  Which will hopefully be huge.  We’ll be using MBT instead of MBTA, a much healthier alternative.

All right, I know we’re supposed to stick to what we know, based upon my mini-thesis at the beginning of this blog…and while I’m not sure Paris Hilton knows anything…she should have stuck to having her picture taken wearing shoes designed by people who know what they’re doing when they make shoes.  This is the “Glam” by Paris Hilton. I’m really not sure what to say about it (since it leaves me at a complete loss for words) except that it’s attempt to be futuristic and “Glamorous” falls pathetically short, just like it’s designer’s attempt at a music career and an attempt to find a new BFF.

Jessica Simpson has a beautiful voice.  And I, personally, was furious when individuals thought it was appropriate to call her “fat,” as she looks just as glamorous as ever. But she should leave the designing to someone who is a little more aware of what is current in high fashion. These shoes are called “Taurus” by Jessica Simpson, and similar to the vehicle of the same name, they are sure to make you look as oblivious as possible to what will make one appear successful and stylish.

Unless you’re considering stirring up the frequencies on the heart monitors at the rest home where you’re driving all your fellow residents crazy by being daring with open toed peds to match your open toed “Taurus” flats you probably shouldn’t attempt wearing these in public.

Playboy, we’re well aware of the successful legacy that is yours: you’re the masters of soft core and the champions of mainstreaming inappropriate content, making today’s young girls more proud of their nude myspace pictures than a four year old jacked up on Hawaiian Punch who made a successful sandcastle.  Now you are proving yourselves yet again in your blatant ability to bring “Trashy” to a new level.

This thing is horrific.  I’m not sure to which beach casino you’d be heading in these, but they’re the kind of shoes that no one should pay $51 for.  With the amount of money that Playboy has as it’s disposal as a company, they definitely could have come up with (or paid someone to come up with) something that doesn’t look like it could be purchased in any number of discount shoe stores nationwide.  Do they actually make money selling these?  For smart shoppers who actually like this design (not that I could call them smart shoppers if they like them, but frugal people), it is more lucrative to find these in an Old Navy or Payless and pay half what Playboy is asking.

PETA shoots campaigns where well known willing participants pose nude under a subsequently graphically placed message reading “I’d rather go naked than wear fur.” Well, I’d rather go barefoot in downtown Boston.

Think about it.  The purpose of a French manicure is to create the illusion of unnaturally healthy nails – nail beds so pink and smooth you’d swear they were salvaged from a newborn, and white tips so pure that one would think you’ve never lifted a finger in your life – and for an added cost of $5 to $15 per manicure and $10 to $20 per pedicure.  And even then, the illusion is prone to crumble faster than you can say ‘croissant,’ thanks to the high likelihood of that delicate hot mess chipping away like a street performer at the Louvre.

Nude nails – a simple coat or two of beige, peach or sheer pink – look, ironically, more natural than a French manicure.  Reason being:  nude nails don’t try to hide and pretend they’re something they’re not.  While the French manicure and pedicure attempts to defy physics with its unholy polish puzzle, a light coat of a nude polish keeps things clean, classy and under control – just how a bride wants to be on her big day.

Then again, it’s not my wedding, and I’ll not cry if I want to.

What are your thoughts on this nail color conundrum?

-Karyn Polewaczyk

In addition to the Blackberry, Paris Hilton and Crocs, one of the modern marvels of the 21st century that continues to befuddle me is nail art.  You know, delicately painted shapes – usually floral or holiday-related – that are offered towards the tail end of a pedicure.  Often, nail art is further emphasized by the use of rhinestones (some nail technicians refer to these rhinestones as “diamonds” - I hope Sole Envie faithfuls know better than to believe it) and an iridescent top coat.

Perhaps it’s the overwhelming blast of formaldehyde, or perhaps it’s the insistence of many nail technicians who encourage salon goers to add a tacky rose or two to their big toes for the bargain price of $10, but women – adult, grown up women – continue to add insult to their feet by allowing this form of style torture to continue.  Look around you, readers:  nail art is everywhere.  It peeks out from a pair of Havaiana flip flops on the 5:30 P.M. rush hour subway; it rears its ugly head(s) through a pair of strappy metallic sandals at a black tie function.  It’s at the beach, the supermarket and Little League practice pickup.  It’s inescapable and impervious to women of all ages.  Or is it?

Ladies, nothing ruins a good pair of sandals like feet that have more bling than Beyonce’s jewelry box.  Keep rhinestones on your wrist, flowers in your vases and class in your strut.  Just say “no” to nail art!

Alas, I haven’t the room, even in my walk in closet for 900+ pairs of shoes (I figure if I were in la Dauphine’s position I’d change my shoes at least three times a day, and rotate out my collection every year, keeping a few pairs from the year before that I particularly loved to be re-vamped,) but I do have room in my life for pampering. As we all do. Choose footwear that makes you feel like a queen, so that even when you’re exhausted, slouched at your kitchen table or your desk in sweatpants and a t-shirt, with your hair up in a twisted knot as you diligently try to put a dent in your long list of daunting tasks we all seem to be adding to all the time, you can slip on your favorite shoes and feel elegant and indulgent despite sometimes feeling like less than royalty from the ankles up. I promise it will change your outlook for the better. Make us proud, cherie!

1. Socks Some men have the terrible habit of wearing socks when they are not supposed to (under Birkinstocks, for example, which, if you’re wondering, should just be eliminated alltogether), and not wearing them when they really should.  Socks do not belong with sandals, and they do belong with sneakers.

2.  Velcro Some men are allowed to wear velcro.  These men are under 8 years of age.

3.  Unisexuality Simply, if they make the same exact item for women with little to no variation, don’t wear them.

4.  Pink I know you think you’re bold, daring and stylin in your popped collared bright pink Lacoste shirt.  But “takin it to the street” as it were by putting it in shoe form on your tootsies goes waaaaay beyond the realm of acceptable.  And straighten your hat, for heaven’s sake.

In addition to unveiling bare feet after a winter of overbearing snow boots, nail polish manufacturers take heed to unveil spring and summer lines that have women lined up for feet treatment faster than you can say “Cuticle.” Without further adieu, here are a few nail-worthy shades that, like tulips along Commonwealth Avenue, have popped up in the city of Boston and deserve a second look.

OPI has come up with a notoriously fun line of shades in their South Beach collection ($8 at most nail salons or at opi.com), ranging from a sheer gold (“Clubbing til Sunrise”) to a dangerous plum (“Overexposed in South Beach”). OPI is also notorious for relabeling shades from years past; don’t be surprised if you see something that’s already in your personal collection that looks eerily similar. Odds are, it’s exactly the same shade – just with an updated name.

Caving in to every teenage girl’s and Lady GaGa’s wish lists comes Essie’s Neons collection ($6 to $8 at most nail salons or at essie.com), a shocking contrast to the sheer shades that Essie is known and loved for. Funky Limelight, a highlighter-like yellow, would be fun on toes, but might make your hands look guilty of dipping into a jar of mustard.

Chanel’s Le Vernis (a bit of an ouch at $25 a bottle, but with a patented gel formula that can last on nails for weeks) arrived at upscale department stores with ooh la la purple (“Vendetta”) and peach (“Fizz”) hues. Jungle Red, the ubiquitous red polish that every woman should own at least once in her lifetime, remains my favorite from the brand favored by French elite and hipster girls alike, but then again, when are red nails (and toes) ever not in vogue?

-Karyn Polewaczyk