The shoes on the left were chosen over seven other pairs as the winner in the category of "Summery Sneaker/Mary Janish Shoes", while the shoes on the right took first place, out of eight, in the category of "Comfy Black Slide Shoes". The other 14 contestant pairs are resting comfortably in their boxes and will soon receive an all-expenses paid trip back to their homes at Zappos and Lands End.
(Ann suggested in a recent comment that I am to be praised for my non-laziness in returning items that don't work for me. Unfortunately, it has nothing to do with non-laziness and everything to do with financial survival. My credit card bill shows that I ordered about $1100 worth of shoes in the past week; it is my fervent hope that the approximately $1000 worth of shoes that I'm returning will get credited back to my account before my next billing date!)
For those of you who called and texted in to vote for the silver sneakers, they really appreciated your support, but unfortunately, sexism is alive and well here at Native Observation, where female voters always carry the shoe-selection demographic. Men were unanimous that the shoes were great and totally wearable; women (who all voted by e-mail or personal conversation) all confirmed my own opinion that the shoes were very cute and that I would probably never wear them. Plus, I decided that the hot pink Mary Janes would be cooler, temperature-wise, for the summer; are more versatile since they're aqua-shoes; and were less than half the price of the silver ones. I am, however, going to try to find the black version of the silver sneakers in my size when I get back from North Africa in a couple of weeks.
So there you have it, the view from inside the decision-making process of a Particularist!
