Fit for a Princess? The L. K. Bennett Sledge Saga Continues

My favourite fairy tale growing up was The Twelve Dancing Princesses.  The very idea of "dancing slippers" conjured up soft, velvet-y leather, slippers that were beautiful and comfortable.  And just imagine the princesses receiving a new pair of slippers every day, after wearing out the previous set during the night!

I yearned for a pair of princess dancing slippers.

Gentle readers may recall that I received a pair of princess pumps a couple of weeks ago, a generous birthday gift.  They were the L. K. Bennett taupe Sledge court pump worn, in seemingly great comfort, by the Duchess of Cambridge, affectionately if inaccurately known as Princess Catherine.

My pair was too tight, so I sent them back for a half size larger and today received them.  This time I was able to get them on (notice I didn't say "slip" them on) and, after wearing them for approximately a minute, was happy to take them off and return them to the box.

For the L. K. Bennett Sledge pumps are profoundly uncomfortable, even if they "fit."  The leather is stiff and unyielding, such that it felt like it cut into my foot.  The heel is high, with a platform, and, though high heels are no stranger to me, my high arch did not fit into the shoe, but revealed itself from the side.  Indeed, the shoes wore me.

And I think they may have worn me out, too, not out dancing, but they wore out my optimism that these would be a perfect pair of neutral heels for fall, when the right size arrived.

So L. K. Bennett now reminds me of the difficult cousin of Lydia and Kitty Bennet, and the Sledge pumps recall a revised Sister Sledge song, "We Aren't Family." 

I guess that's fitting, even if the shoes aren't.