For example, I was at the mall the other day and saw the coolest boots (of course, they were sexy) that I have ever seen! The were knee-high, black patent leather with a super-shiny, silver stiletto heel. For added interest, they had two bright silver zippers- one on the inner calf, one on the outer. My immediate thought was that if your pants were too tight and you were unable to cross your leg onto your knee to put them on or take them off, the second zipper would save the day. The store manager told me that they would be a great footwear accessory to anyone wishing to be Catwoman for Halloween! Wow, what a concept- a perfect excuse to buy the coolest boots on the planet- one that could be taken up a notch since my 10-year-old son will be Batman for this festive holiday, and my husband is planning to be the less-intimidating (and nearly effortless, but still festive) Bruce Wayne. Finally, a great excuse to buy these incredibly sexy boots (reasonably priced, too!) and wear them–and if the need ever came up again, I would have them.

On my ride home, I started thinking about the shoes and boots that I have in my closet and those that have been put away for being “out of the current trends” or simply lack of use. Black, platform, knee-high boots with a thick, chunky heel came to mind. “I could be Gene Simmons of KISS!” Not this year (due to my newly acquired patent-leather boots), but definitely in the future. After all, Gene Simmons and his reality show “Family Jewels” is quite popular, and KISS simply must be planning their next farewell tour. Yup, Gene Simmons in the future is definitely a must-do!

Thinking back to my Halloweens of yesteryear, a vivid memory of dressing up as a hooker comes to mind. I had two male companions for a party one year, and I had these great purple velvet thigh-highs with a stiletto heel, which I bought just for the occasion (not so reasonably priced, but I was young). One of the guys I was with was a prison guard at the time, so he wore his uniform to the party- which looked like a police ensemble. The other guy wore boxers and a white, wife-beater-styled tank top. His arms were in front of him and his hands were bonded in handcuffs. A hooker, the trick, and an arresting officer was our theme for the evening.

 So I got home from my trip to the mall and started thinking about different Halloween costume ideas that I could one day utilize-based upon sexy shoes and boots. So of course, I hit my fave shoe website (Mizztissa.com) and started poking around. I found lots of fabulously, sexy shoes and boots that I could find “excuses” to wear via the magic of Halloween. My personal favorite? I could be a Greek or Roman Goddess with the option for use at future Toga Parties with the “Chic Ultra Strappy Sandal” (see picture), ideally in black.

If you’re not lucky enough to have lived through this mind-boggling shoe era, there’s no doubt that you’ve heard the stories, seen the pictures and videos of Elton John’s fanatical platform shoes and Gene Simmons’ death-defying, demon boots.  But this was so much more than the current youth trying to outdo their parent’s infatuation with Elvis, it was an historic turn of events in the fashion world, as shoes were becoming a focal point of the wearer’s ensemble.

I vividly remember the first time I saw Gene Simmons’ platform boots.  It was on Paul Lynde’s Halloween Special in the mid-seventies- a time when KISS was becoming a household name (usually not a good one), and their fiery antics, blood spitting, loud music and of course, their makeup was instilling fear into the hearts of every mom on the planet.  I remember Mr. Lynde asking Gene Simmons how long it took the band to put on their makeup.  Their response? “We don’t wear makeup!” Yup, every kid who had ever heard of KISS was completely convinced that these bad boys were born with black, white and silver (with a dash of green and red for good measure) paint on their faces- and every mom thought KISS was, in fact, the devil.

But what about their footwear?  Gene Simmons’ boots were, and still are, an absolute gravity-defying work of art.  Metallic silver scales adorn the entire leg and foot of the boot.  The toes were quite interesting, with two large, red glistening eyes to create a life-like effect.  But what demon would be complete without ferocious teeth?  Long, spiked dagger-like teeth were painted onto the actual 6-inch full, black platform to create the illusion of “walking on fangs”. Joints were added to the knee area for Gene to commence with the necessity of walking on stage, breathing fire and spitting blood.

My next personal favorite footwear of the day goes to none other than Sir Elton John. In addition to some of the most colorful and eccentric stage-wear of the day, Sir Elton had the shoes, and wore them most eloquently. Rhinestones adhered to a 5-inch platform in the shapes and colors of the rainbow.  “Who Wears These Shoes”-?  You do, Elton, you do.

 For my honorable mention of the day, David Bowie as Ziggy Stardust takes the cake and everything else.  In addition to boas and slinky-knit tops traditionally worn only the female gender, the boots and shoes that were seen on Ziggy left a generation relatively stunned and confused.  Bright-red patent leather from knee-to-toe atop a 4-inch black platform certainly made a statement.  What the statement was, I’m not exactly sure, but I think it had something to do with “Anything Goes”.

Steve Madden Champyun  

I’m not usually one for the big chucky soles with the wide straps, but this one is different. I immediately fell in love with it!

The retro-chic sandal by Steve Madden has a wood platform and is complete with a donut hole wedge.