This week I ventured to 'Comme Il Faut', the most famous and well known brand of tango shoes, for ladies. I'd heard so much about 'the experience' that I would have at their premises and actually went for 'the experience' rather than with an intention to buy. I knew full well that my feet were more 'ugly big sister' than 'Cinderella' to slip easily into, what I believe to be, some of the narrower shoes that are on offer to Tangueras.
Most people follow the tourist trail when they arrive in a new city and this is what exposes them to different parts of the city. As I knew that my stay would be a long one I decided to visit tourist spots gradually and instead, for the initial part of my stay, I would dive into the tango scene with full speed ahead - a lady on a mission! One of my first intentions was to purchase a pair of tango shoes! I knew full well that I would be purchasing more than one pair while here so it was important to find the designs that suited my feet best. In London I mentioned to a fellow tanguera that I was fed up with my shoes. She told me very sternly:
"As soon as you get there you buy shoes! The first thing you do after you drop off your luggage is find the shoe shops and GO BUY SHOES!"So I was told!
When I arrived here Winter and Spring were vying for attention and a lot of my September days were spent under a hefty umbrella, fighting off the stiff winds. Despite this, I made an effort to trench around the tango shoe shop trail in search for the perfect match! Many stores are located downtown, with a few dotted around other barrios in the city.
Comme Il Faut's premises are in Recoleta, one of the more 'well-to-do' barrios in the City. Between Libertad y Talcahuano, on Arenales is a very nice looking apartment block - another apartment block! Prior to Comme Il Faut I'd visited two other apartment block stores/warehouses with very little idea of what to expect. Another tourist friend commented on my being brave in an unknown city, venturing into unknown apartments! I didn't really think twice about it. Especially as the guidebooks and listings direct you to these places. I must have visited about 10 to 15 stores by now and fell in love when I walked into GRETA FLORA in Palermo... But more about that later!
Comme Il Faut had a feeling of wealth about it as soon as you walked through their very tall iron gates. You walk up some steps to reach a sign next to a black door and that's it - YOU'VE ARRIVED! Entering Comme Il Faut's premises feels rather like stepping up in the social/wealth ladder. Coming from the dirty streets into this luxurious setting is a real treat and I was soon to discover that it was rather like a sweet shop for ladies!
The room was pink and purple. Past the till was a square section that was clearly where we were headed. Deep black thick carpet lay underneath velvet and gold regal couches with an ENORMOUS mirror against one wall that was framed with a thick gold.... There were 1950's style shoe boxes around the room and around six shoe models on display. On the opposite wall to the mirror hung an enormous print of the back of a ladies shoe. As I looked that way I noticed lots of other cute shoe kitsch bits. Their telephone was a baby pink stiletto. The toe was the part that you speak into and the heel was for the ear piece. There was a card holder with a stiletto at the bottom. On the right wall was a framed display of media cuttings and collection shots giving a glimpse into the success story that is 'Comme Il Faut'.
A shop assistant approached me and I told her what size I was and what type of shoe / colour I'd be interested in seeing. The idea was to give her as much information as possible so that she could go into the store cupboard and bring out your 'dream shoe'! I was very flexible with what they brought out as I knew that their shoes weren't going to fit me well - or so I'd thought...
So, no shoes on display, this is the process... You don't know what you are going to get. I imagine it's rather like Christmas for a child! Except the child doesn't have to pay for the present if he/she likes and wants to keep it.
And so here they came... Boxes and boxes and boxes and boxes. There were shiny ones, glitter ones, ones with big bows, ones with cuffs on the back, loud prints, understated chic classics. I tried on, I mean I squeezed on, pair after pair. Even though the foot didn't feel great, 'God' they looked good on and made my legs look bloody fantastic! The effect a stiletto has on your lower leg is really remarkable! Especially 8cm and up. That angle of plantar flexion together with the muscle definition created in the calf just screams 'SEX'!
And then the lady brought out a pair of shoes that immediately said 'I'm pretty but you won't be able to dance in me'. They had a thin strap black toe with multicolour floral design. The heel was around 8/8.5 cm and was 'sex red' painted leather. To finish off the shoe there was a very VERY thin metallic red leather strap. In short - no ankle support but bloody BLOODY stunning! They also felt remarkably comfortable.
Surrounded by boxes I smiled at the shop assistants and indicated that none of them were right for me. I was curious though about their non dancing shoe collection as I'd heard that the designer makes shoes for non tango dancers too. On enquiring an assistant explained to me that there was no such thing...
"If you place your foot well you can wear these shoes anywhere... South American women are very poor and they could never afford more than one pair of shoes..."
The shoes are designed with the ethos that a woman wears one pair of shoes to dine in and then takes herself to a milonga in the same pair, after dinner. Hmmm - I wasn't so sure as I'd heard different things from cobblers in London.
At this point I noticed that the other assistant had taken all the shoes back into the store cupboard, apart from one pair - the red and black ones! They lay on my left and I wondered if the assistant saw my gaze of infatuation and decided to leave them there to tempt me. Either way, the shoes were sitting their screaming 'BUY ME', 'BUY ME', BUUUUUUUUUUUUUY MEEEEEEEEEE!
Now that I was armed with the knowledge that I could wear them for occasions other than dancing I was having a serious Carrie Bradshaw moment!
Now that I was armed with the knowledge that I could wear them for occasions other than dancing I was having a serious Carrie Bradshaw moment!
...I was strong! There was NO WAY I was gonna walk out of Comme Il Faut with a pair of shoes that I couldn't dance in. Especially as I have a huge intention to buy as many dance shoes as possible while here. I want my pesos to be well spent. I left empty handed but know I will return to this fun shop of shoe candy.
Comme Il Faut is French for 'The Way it Should be' and I can't think of a more appropriate sentiment to owe to this experience.
Ladies, I don't care if you dance or not - Go to Comme Il Faut if you ever hit BA, for 'the experience'!
Ladies, I don't care if you dance or not - Go to Comme Il Faut if you ever hit BA, for 'the experience'!
