Travel: Of Lisbon's Cobblestone Streets and Stilettos

I had been dying to go to Lisbon for quite some time. Whenever my husband and I began discussing vacation plans, Lisbon would always make the short list but somehow, we would invariably end up going somewhere else instead. Finally, I put my Louboutin-clad foot down and off to beautiful, romantic Lisbon we went.

Everything about Lisbon was exactly how we had imagined it. The food was delicious, the architecture was beautiful, the culture was exotic and the people were unbelievably warm and friendly. In short, we were completely smitten with the city and its people. Except for one little thing ... between the steep hills and the cobblestone streets and sidewalks, the entire city seems openly hostile to stilettos.

I've never been so happy to have packed my Lanvin ballet flats in my life. In fact, I wore stilettos exactly twice in one week which effectively meant that on those two occasions, we went from our hotel to the restaurant and back by taxi - no long, romantic moonlit walks possible. While I made my peace with the cobblestone sidewalks thanks to my cute, comfy ballet flats (I go very high or very low but never in-between), my husband was less enamored of the look - he's resolutely a high-heels man.

I suppose I had been lulled into the false belief that fashion trends and fashion standards had largely become global in their reach thanks to the ubiquity of certain brands and the proliferation of websites dedicated to fashion news coverage. Women in Shanghai for instance have pretty much the same access to the latest Vuitton bag or sky-high Prada platforms as women in London or New York City. As the world and its many cultures becomes less insular thanks to technology, travel and commerce, you would expect the influence of local factors on fashion to lessen. I stand corrected. I observed elegant Lisboans in flats and medium height stacked heels but, not one single pair of stilettos in sight. After having climbed my share of steep, winding, cobblestone streets this past week, I can see why.

Hostility to stilettos aside, it's a tribute to just how appealing Lisbon is as a city and as a culture that we still plan to return soon.

Sincerely,

The Luxe Chronicles

Photos exclusive property of The Luxe Chronicles. All rights reserved.

Comments

[Varsha Nageshkar]

Enjoyed reading. I have taken up cobblestone footpaths as my inspiration for my graduation fashion show. It's inspired me ever since my previous Belgian visit.

[Randall]

Sorry about the shoes! I've been in places where even the flat shoes get chomped. As for the pictures - the first image is insane, those stones! I'd lose my mind just trying to dance, skip, jump, pace, anything to memorize the experience of walking on that path. A sidewalk so beautiful I'd try to toast it and give it a hug. Sigh.

[Lily]

I'm glad you enjoyed Lisbon despite the shoes situation! I have only ever seen one Portuguese girl wearing stilettos in Lisbon. She was off to get married and having to be supported by two of her friends because there was no way at all she could walk with those shoes!
As for me, I can't walk in high heels of any kind but I discovered even flat shoes need a good grip on Lisbon's beautiful streets :-)

[Anon Ymous]

Hilarious. I had *exactly* the same reaction to Lisbon.