Well, seems I’m being punished for turning my once-young nose up at Aerosoles all these years.  Because not too long ago I tried on a pair and found the heels were too high. That’s right, the heels on Aerosoles were too high.

Another love lost. Photo courtesy of Aerosoles.

I was spending a weekend afternoon running errands, when a sale sign in the window of an Aerosoles store caught my eye. Inside, I spotted them. The cutest-ever, and I mean EVER, pair of wedge shoes in the Oxford style that’s so hot this fall, but with a little panel cut out of each side, the perfect summer-to-fall transition shoe. The absolute best thing about them was their purple-red color, what some might call “merlot” or “cabernet.”

The saleswoman even offered to knock an extra something-something off the sale price since I’d be buying the display pair. I put them on, excited, and stood up to strut around the store.

Only, I couldn’t strut. My ankle wobbled. My knees bent to keep me from pitching forward. I took a turn around the store, then admitted defeat. Even Aerosoles-AEROSOLES- with their soft, cushy soles were too high and hip for me. I trudged out of the store thinking “if you’re too old for Aerosoles, you’re really old.”

One thing I did learn though, is that there is a lovely wine color that’s showing up on shoes right now and I plan to drink deep– I just have to find the right pair.

I did spot these Frye beauties at Nordstrom recently, in a color elegantly named bordeaux. Still, i’m not in the market for boots this season and at Frye prices there would be no way to shut up my Really Irritating Internal Voice (RIIV) even if I were Just to try them on. Just to see how they looked, of course.

So: Fall shoes in bordeaux/merlot/cabernet. Stylish but not too high. In my (somewhat meager) price range. Let the quest begin.