Kalena’s tawny port-colored crocodile print strappy sandals with stacked leather heels.

This is Italian quality! I bought these sandals with my first royalty check for Complete Beading for Beginners. I felt like a real writer when I opened the envelope from my publisher. The check was small, but it was enough to buy a red dress and a pair of shoes. These strappy beauties were by far the most expensive shoes I had purchased at that point in my life, and it felt very extravagent to splurge on them in a fancy shoe store on Commercial Drive in Vancouver.

More recently, I wore these in New York to the Chelsea Living Room and to Radio Star Karaoke Bar (where I made a bit of a fool of myself, ended up going to a classic heavy metal bar in Brooklyn, lost my cell phone, and recovered it from a very kind cabbie the next day!). These shoes are made for fun!

Photos by Philip Maier. Video by CP6 Productions.