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Jul
20
Blog Tour Book Review and Giveaway: Honey It's All in the Shoes by Phyllis Norton Hoffman
2009 at 10pm Posted by Rebecca Joines Schinsky
Published July 2009 by HCI Books
Phyllis Norton Hoffman loves shoes. Loves them. Seriously.
She thinks of them as “a common metaphor for all women, and for the footsteps of our lives.” She loves shoes so much that she’s written an entire book about them, a book that catalogs the shoes that kept her company through some of the most important experiences of her life, and she’s even thrown in some informative shoe-related history lessons to boot! (Go ahead and giggle….the bad pun was totally intended.)
In Honey, It’s All in the Shoes, Hoffman shares her wisdom as a true Southern lady and successful businesswoman—she’s the CEO of Hoffman Media LLC—to discuss the importance of shoes in women’s lives. Here’s a description from the publisher:
Can you remember the magic you felt when you slipped on your mother’s high heels; your very own first pair of pumps; your excursion for the perfect professional pair; the glory of finding the most comfortable shoes; and your first ballet slippers, Mary Janes, or running shoes? In these pairs of shoes reside distinct journeys, phases of life, triumphs and tragedies, precious memories, and lessons learned.
In ‘Honey, It’s All in the Shoes’ Phyllis Norton Hoffman takes you on a journey examining these defining moments, sharing what she has learned when she was required to wear different shoes—from a mother and wife to entrepreneur and businesswoman to publishing powerhouse to doting grandmother—and provides advice for women on putting their best foot forward, no matter their role, circumstance, or stage of life. Hoffman’s fun, nostalgic, and intriguing exploration of the phases of her own life and the virtues that she’s lived by gives you hope, confidence, and pride in the life you are already living and the life you are planning ahead. Everything you need is all in the shoes! Through your own recollections and understanding of what your own shoe closet holds and represents, you will discover your true worth as a woman.
I may not share Hoffman’s traditional Southern values or her throwback definition of womanhood, but I wholeheartedly agree with her idea that sometimes a great pair of shoes is all you need to make everything better. (See, shoes really are the great equalizers!) And yes, I do remember which shoes I was wearing during certain pivotal life events.
High school graduation: Chunky orange platforms in an act of rebellion against the “black or white shoes only” dress code and as a nod to the school’s orange-and-black color scheme.(I was the president of Spirit Club, after all. And God knows I wasn’t going to have any reason to wear them ever again.)
Graduate school interviews: Black round-toed pumps with 3 1/2 inch heels. Sassy yet professional, they gave me the perfect boost of confidence and reminded me who I was underneath the buttoned-up suit.
The day I got engaged: I was barefoot. Sitting on a picnic blanket getting ready to watch the fireworks at the St. Louis Arch. But my black reef flip-flops were nearby, holding down the corners of the blanket.
The day we closed on our house: Brown and cream sandals with little shells on the straps. Casual, comfy, and perfect for a hot Virginia day.
Wedding day: Red satin peep-toe pumps. If I’ve ever owned shoes that really captured my personality, these are the ones. I felt gorgeous, sexy, and absolutely unstoppable.
Wanna win a copy of this fun, easy read?
Leave a comment here telling me about your favorite pair of shoes and why you love ‘em. Earn an extra entry for attaching a picture or posting the photo on your blog. US and Canada only please. The giveaway will be open until 11:59pm next Tuesday, July 28th.
Special thanks to TLC Book Tours and HCI Books for providing me with a review copy. View the full book tour schedule here.
I wish you had a picture of your high school grad shoes – those sound – um – very interesting! Your wedding shoes are great! Thanks for sharing the fun post!
I wore red heels for my wedding as well!
I’m certain I confused (and scandalized) many of our older guests, but it was well worth it. I’ll always remember that perfect day whenever I look at or wear those shoes.
I actually had two pairs of 4″ inch heels, one was pink and red leather criscrossed across the toe and the other was royal blue and apple green leather and I had a hand bag to match. The days of the heels have gone but I love the memory.
I’m not a big shoe buyer (probably because I can’t afford to own more than a couple pairs at a time), but I love my Aerosole. They’re black, Mary Jane style and can be worn with a skirt or jeans. The best part is that they’re rubber bottomed and I can easily run to the train without slipping and falling, which I’ve done before so that was an important consideration when buying these.
I feel the same way about my red wedding shoes. They just barely peeked out from under the hem of my dress as I walked down the staircase in the room where we got married, and you could just feel the slight gasp when some of the older ladies saw them. But they were perfectly me, and I loved ‘em!
Trust me, you do not want to see them. They still live in the closet of my room at my parents’ house, and every time I see them, I’m embarrassed that I ever wore them in public. Luckily, none of my photos from grad night show my feet.
My most memorable pair of shoes would have to be my running shoes. Their white with bright blue and green designs from Mizuno. Their the most important shoes in my closet because they helped me lose 30 pounds (and counting)!
P.S. Love, love, love the wedding shoes! I can’t wait until I get to pick out my own wedding shoes. Alas, that day seems pretty far off since I’m only 18
What a fun review!! Your graduation day shoes sound really fun.. would love to see a picture of those!!
Thanks so much for participating in this tour!
oooh I love shoes. They are definitely one of my weaknesses! My favorite pair of heels were definitely my wedding shoes. They were hot pink and sassy and I loved them. Here’s a pic:
http://mullenem.googlepages.com/pinkshoes.jpg/pinkshoes-full;init:.jpg
But for everyday, my absolute favorite pair are my reef flip flops. I have these ones:
http://www.reef.com/girls/productdetail/girls/footwear/sandals/RF-001799
in brown and pink. They are so comfy and have a secret compartment for stashing ID, a key, ect. Love Reefs!
I’m not really a shoe person…I just wear what’s comfy until its worn out. I go through a couple of pairs of New Balance sneaks a year, because that’s pretty much all I ever wear!
I would have to say that I have a pair of black and white plaid Converse that are coming close to being my favorite pair of shoes, ever, mostly because when I put them on, I feel like drawing on the sidewalk with chalk, running through a sprinkler, or picking up a sweet bug. In short, I’m ready for any five year old adventure- twenty years past when those were my main occupations.
I’m not a big shoe person – I have a hard to fit foot, so shoe shopping isn’t very fun and it’s always expensive. I did have two nice pair of Aigner flats that I wore to work – one in black one in brown. I loved them so much that I went through several resoles before I finally had to replace them.
[...] Blog Tour Book Review and Giveaway: Honey It’s All in the Shoes by Phyllis Norton Hoffman… [...]
Well, this comment isn’t so much about the post but what you’re currently reading. I am so jealous that you have Catching Fire early! I’ve been counting down the days since I read The Hunger Games. How is it?!
-She
I’m about 1/3 through it, and it’s great so far. A coworker snagged the ARC when it first came in and finally relinquished it. And there’s a very long list coming up after me. It’s worth the wait.
Ah, I am so glad that it’s great so far! I think the wait will make it even better!
I love that you wore red satin on your wedding day. I wish I’d have thought of that!
My favorite shoes are my running shoes. Not gorgeous, but they make me feel good. Thanks for the giveaway~
smickelson1993 at yahoo dot com
I have a pair of Manolo’s I love. I bought them before I calculated how many boxes of diapers I could buy for one pair.
Good memories…
denise_22315(at)yahoo(dot)com
I love shoes! The one that stands out the most for me are a pair of little red heels I bought when I was in my early 20s, because they were the first pair of shoes I bought that were frivolous and fun, and paved the way to an adult love affair with shoes! I love that you wore red satin pumps on your wedding day!
Perhaps my Crocs two-strap sandals aren’t the most glamorous ones in my closet, but they are what I choose most days in the summertime. I bought two new pairs this summer as I know they will be favourites for years and I expect the style will be discontinued.
i loooooove your red wedding shoes. I’m getting married in oct 2009 and I have been looking absolutely EVERYWHERE for shoes like that. I am running out of time and hope. Would you mind telling me wear you got yours? THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH.
Kari
I love my Birkenstock sandals and live in them all summer.
Mine are Kenneth Coles that I bought at Nordstrom in the fall of 2006, a full 16 months before my wedding. I actually had the shoes before I had the dress! I don’t know if they’re still making this style, but I’m sure you can find something similar. Try zappos.com or piperlime.com. (And congrats on the upcoming wedding!)
I have a closet dedicated to shoes. My wardrobe, otherwise, is lacking, but I love my shoes. And, like you, I associate different shoes with different times and events of my life. When I’m stressed out, I can sit in my shoe closet (an amazing thing to have considering space constraints in my San Francisco apartment), and name every shoe, where I got them, how much I paid, and the first/best time I wore them. It relaxes me. Though I (MUCH) prefer pumps and sandals, my favorite shoes probably have to be some BCBG camel-colored boots I bought from Nordstrom 2 winters ago. I have worn those boots to death, probably because I don’t own many pairs of boots. The first time I wore them? To my best friend’s wedding rehearsal and rehearsal dinner with a dark denim pencil skirt, an off-shite sweater and matching tights.
[...] Tuesday, July 21st: The Book Lady’s Blog [...]
[...] the review that hooked me at http://thebookladysblog.com/2009/07/20/blog-tour-book-review-and-giveaway-honey-its-all-in-the-shoes… I wasn’t born a shoe lover, but it’s a passion that’s definitely [...]